COLDWATER (WTVB) - None of Michigan’s five major Republican gubernatorial candidates will say they are part of the "Tea Party," but none of them are running away from the anti-tax movement. A Pew Center report released Monday found that 24 percent of Americans say they agree with the movement.
When the Tea Party held their rally in Lansing on "Tax Day" last Thursday, two of the gubernatorial candidates Attorney General Mike Cox and U.S. Representative Pete Hoekstra addressed the gathering. A third, State Senator Tom George, was milling around the crowd before the speeches began.
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, who was the keynote speaker at Friday night’s annual Branch County Lincoln Day banquet, hit Tea Party gatherings in Pontiac, Lapeer and Port Huron on April 15 and Rick Snyder issued statements in support of the low-tax, anti-politician mind set.
Political consultant Rob MaComber said Republican gubernatorial candidates realize they need the support of the Tea Party folks to be successful in the primary election, but there's a fear that if they declare themselves a member of the movement, Democrats will tie them to a fringe segment of the party that could backfire for the G-O-P in November.
The Pew Center report released yesterday showed 80 percent of those who associate themselves as agreeing with the Tea Party identify themselves as Republicans. Another seven percent say they are "moderate/conservative" Democrats.
