His columns made you smarter | Opinion Year In Review
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John Lindstrom knows Michigan politics. A 50-year veteran of the state's political press corps, Lindstrom became a Free Press contributing columnist in 2023. His columns offer rigorous political analysis, of course, but more than that, Lindstrom offers readers the tools to build their own scaffolding. He doesn't tell readers how to think — he suggests ways to think.
This is who Michigan's next senator should be
"Come January 2025, Michigan will get a brand-new U.S. Senator. Who will that person be?
"U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Democrat of Lansing, announced last month that she won't seek re-election in 2024, and a lot of people are interested in running for that seat. There are still 21 months before next year's election. That's a long time for most folks. But in political-land, people are already screaming, “There are only 21 months to the election!” and names of potential candidates are batted around like badminton birdies.
"Don’t worry about the speculation. All that will be sorted in due course.
"Right now, forget names. Ignore parties. What kind of leader will that person be? What will be that person’s first priority in office? That answer guides us on what we need in our U.S. Senator (or in anyone, in any office)."
Old laws will doom Michigan’s new gun reform measures
"Astonishing as it seems, after years and years of unsuccessful attempts, Michigan is on the cusp of enacting long-sought controls on guns. ...
"What comes next? Lawsuits filed in federal courts, which will rule all those arguments and testimony and struggle were in vain, because given court decisions across the country, the new laws are going to be declared unconstitutional.
"For this, you can thank the U.S. Supreme Court. Specifically, you can thank Justice Clarence Thomas and five of his fellow justices. ...
"Those new Michigan laws on background checks, gun storage and protective orders cannot possibly comport to whatever gun rules were in place either in 1791 — when the Bill of Rights, including, of course, the Second Amendment, were ratified — or 1868, when the 14th Amendment took effect.
"Yup, that condition is now the specific point of law which any and all current and prospective gun regulations in the U.S. — whether enacted by Congress or a state government — must meet to be considered constitutional. The Supreme Court so held in 2022 in a 6-3 decision in New York Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen."
Michigan GOP chair Kristina Karamo says she knows what Engler, Snyder were up to
"Michigan’s Republicans are known in 2023 for throwing punches, denying the factual reality of elections they lost, obsequiousness to former President Donald Trump, going mostly broke financially, outraging most of the party's long-time supporters, and dumping all over the history of its former leaders, which means trashing some of the greatest statesmen in Michigan history.
So to welcome those Republicans … um ... brave enough, maybe … to show up to the party's biennial Mackinac Island meeting last weekend, state GOP Chairwoman Kristina Karamo chose this interesting quote from 19th century composer Gustav Mahler:
“Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire."
Can Trump win Michigan in 2024? These factors could affect his fate
"A straightforward question: If former President Donald Trump is the Republican candidate for president in 2024, could he win Michigan?
"A straightforward answer: Well, duh. if Trump is on the ballot, sure, he could win.
"Of course, he could lose. Trump has experienced both victory and defeat in this state, despite what he pretends happened here in 2020.
"Michigan will be no less important in 2024 than it has been in the last four election cycles. And like in every election, it's the voters who will decide if Trump wins or loses.
"Which voters? The ones who are the most PO’ed."
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: From John Lindstrom: Michigan Senate election, Karamo GOP, gun reform
