Cool on "Captain Hook? Not Hot for "The Nerd?" How About Kniffen "The Kid?"
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Republican gubernatorial candidate David R. Kniffen, making waves in pre-primary sparring.
A fresh face popped up at the Republican gubernatorial forum in Birch Run the other day and drew applause.
David Kniffen, 31-year-old Troy businessman, made a splash with his less government and "change" rhetoric. He was an immediate crowd favorite, according to several news reports.
And, Kniffen is openly attacking another GOP gubernatorial candidate on his website.
Attorney General Mike Cox, still sparring with Gov. Jennifer Granholm over his rogue opposition to the federal health care bill, and "The Nerd" Rick Snyder were not on hand to try to lure some of the couple hundred (some sources said several hundred while others estimated 500) people on hand.
Some of the candidates seemed to be more interested in federal issues, rather than state concerns. For example, poll leader Rep. Pete Hoekstra (Capt. Hook on some blogs) called for a constitutional change to allow voters to recall federal representatives.
Another candidate, Sheriff Mike Bouchard of Oakland County, noting that one of Michigan's biggest budget problems is cost of the prison system, offered no solution except the standard "lock 'em up" rhetoric.
State Sen. Tom George of Kalamazoo focused on the need for a fix in the state's health care spending, and a constitutional convention to reduce the size of government, including a part-time legislature.
Michigan voters, however, in recent polls did not favor a constitutional convention, apparently out of fear it would make things worse.
The most recent polls show Rep. Hoekstra at 27 percent, Snyder at 18, Bouchard 6, and George and Kniffen not registering support.
The latest EPIC-MRA poll figures on Democrats vs. Republicans head-to-head show Hoekstra, Cox and Bouchard all topping Democratic front-runner Andy Dillon, speaker of the House, by narrow margins.
But recent campaign developments on the Internet may change the chemistry of the race -- with potentially explosive results.
"The Kid," 30-year-old Troy Internet businessman David Kniffen, claims he is intent on ending wasteful spending and government corruption.
Local Republicans who attended the forum were impressed by Kniffen's vitality and ideas, if not wowed by the more traditional candidates who were on hand.
Kniffen says he's campaigning on ending bureaucratic waste and making the state an economic boomtown.
"Becoming business-friendly is not good enough, Michigan must welcome business as part of the family," Kniffen said.
Kniffen is co-founder of Troy-based LeapNgo.com, an online networking company. He also claims a U.S. patent to his credit for the invention of a casino table game called "54 Card Roulette." He has posted his views on his Web site Votekniffen.com.
On the website, Kniffen brashly attacks Cox, claiming the attorney general has accepted at least $60,000 in donations from two law firms, Labaton-Sucharow, of New York City, and Berman Devalerio, of Boston and San Francisco, both of which he claimed have been hired to do contract legal work for the state under Cox's direction.
Kniffen asserts on his Facebook website: "So let's get this straight: our taxes go to the state, then Cox uses that money to pay these out-of-state law firms, provided they donate a portion back to his campaign, and then the state matches the contributions to help his cause??? DOES THIS BOTHER ANYONE ELSE?"
He notes that the two law firms have in the past supported only Democrats, including (President Barack) Obama, (Secretary of State) Hillary Clinton and (U.S. Senator) Christopher Dodd (of Connecticut).
"Put me in office and I will stomp out corruption, change the way campaigns are funded, and from there we will start to see progress in every area of government," says Kniffen on his website.
If the GOP primary is any indication, this will be a whiz banger of a race for governor. Just wait till the Democrats have at each other! ###
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