S.I. (Guest: “The Bulwark” writer Jonathan Cohn)

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On Our Political Radar This Week…

This is our 300th episode, dating back to March of 2021.
We thank you for making the last 5+ years possible!

When we launched, the two state parties had just wrapped up their winter conventions one month after that January 6 Trump-led riot at the U.S. Capitol. State Democrats held what was pretty much a controversy-free event. The Republicans’ convention marked the begin of the MAGA takeover of the state party with election of co-chairs to placate the newest activists from the Trump wing. Flash forward 5-and-a-half years, and it’s an amplified version of 2021 … and now, we’re also on YouTube!

The first week of October 2026 has been a week of debates that haven’t changed the math of the election. Candidates on both sides kept pretty much to their campaign talking points, and there were no major gaffes from any of them. The exception: Thursday’s one-hour shouting match between Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and former Congressman Mike Rogers. For Rogers, the key talking point was his repeated efforts to brand El-Sayed as a Muslim terrorist/anti-semitic extremists. El-Sayed, for his part, branded Rogers as the bought-and-paid-for tool of corporate big interests, and a rubber stamp for Donald Trump. The week ended as it started, with Jocelyn Benson holding an outside-the-margin-of-error lead for Governor, and other Democrats clinging to tight but consistent leads in all the polls.

The best candidate line of the week came from Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, who tossed out a playground challenge to the Inflator in Chief: I dare you to campaign in Michigan! And Trump took the bait, telling reporters he’d be in Michigan in a week or so. But, of course, when Trump says something will happen soon, that’s actually a firm “maybe” and “probably not.” Remember his Healthcare Plan that was 2 weeks away – for 9 years and counting?(Democratic Party chair Curtis Hertel says Michigan Dems will be happy to cover the room rental for a Trump event. And Mike Rogers reportedly will have a conflicting appointment for something more pleasant, maybe a root canal.)

There’s another contestant in the Trump crime family’s Grift and Greed club: one-time Don Jr. fiancée, and former FOX News host, Kimberly Guilfoyle, now exiled to Greece as U.S. Ambassador. Remember her? New Signal messages show Guilfoyle pleading with Trump donor Eric Deters to wire her $100,000 to settle a debt with American Express. In exchange, Guilfoyle said she’d use her connections in the administration to get their attention on some of Deters’ personal tax and legal issues. He ultimately didn’t make the payment.

Meanwhile, Daddy Donald Trump is laser-focused on the issues that really matter. No, not ending the war or taming inflation or restoring trust in government. His top priorities this last week included:

Making daylight saving time year-round
Turning a part of his Florida golf club into a presidential retreat … which, of course, would jack up profits for him
Attending college football games and a PGA golf tournament
Playing golf himself for the 56th time this year, with each round costing taxpayers as much as $1-million … or even more
Banning mean reporters from his presence for the sin of asking tough questions
Spending $20-million, so far, of taxpayer money for TV ads reminding us of how awesome he is
Suggesting that he’s OK if LA and/or San Diego are wiped out by nuclear attacks

Attorney General Dana Nessel has dropped a political and policy bombshell, suing Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan as an illegal healthcare insurance monopoly. The lawsuit, which will continue into the term of her successor – or not- could have a monumental impact on the state’s economy. The Blues control 65% of the state’s health insurance and 79% of the PPO’s. Out-of-control healthcare costs, constricted access, and denied claims are a BFD to voters of all stripes.

Early voting in Michigan started on Monday, and absentee ballots are being returned at a 30% rate higher than in the 2022 mid-term election. The week has been a week of candidate debates which, in most cases, were tame affairs. Candidates focused on their talking points and avoided the types of gaffes that can swing an election. The exception: Thursday’s one-hour shouting match between Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and former Congressman Mike Rogers. For Rogers, the key talking point was his repeated efforts to brand El-Sayed as a Muslim terrorist/anti-semitic extremists. El-Sayed, for his part, branded Rogers as the bought-and-paid-for tool of corporate big interests, and a rubber stamp for Donald Trump.

It appears national Republicans are on the verge of abandoning John James. The Republican Governors Association, which has paid for more than half of James’ campaign ads to date, has pretty much parachuted out of the former helicopter pilot’s media campaign after spending millions over the summer. Jocelyn Benson continues to blast James as a rubber stamp for Trump.

The James campaign, meanwhile, has followed the lead of multiple GOP campaigns nationwide by scrubbing references to Donald Trump from campaign websites. Among them – Mike Rogers. Before the primary, every Rogers press release included the phrase “Trump endorsed” in the first sentence. Now, the name “Trump” appears nowhere in any of the campaign’s materials.

Michigan Democrats have added the vast 1st congressional district – which spans northern lower Michigan and the entire U.P. – to their list of possible flips. Dems are already licking their chops over the potential to flip 3 other Michigan districts – John James’ 10th district, along with Will Lawrence toppling Tom Barrett in the mid-Michigan 7th District and Sean McCann ousting Bill Huizenga in the west-Michigan 4th.

For Lawrence … it has been an unrelenting campaign linking a very nervous Barrett to the very unpopular President.

The Scoreboard

The average price of gasoline: $4.40/gallon, about $1.50 higher than when Trump took office.

The average price of diesel fuel: $6.70/gallon.

Ground beef at Meijer: $7/pound

A Big Mac will set you back $6. Another $2.50 for a large soft drink.

In the immortal words of wisdom from James Carville…

This week’s special guest is “The Bulwark” writer Jonathan Cohn, former executive editor of The American Prospect, a senior editor at The New Republic, and a senior national correspondent at The Huffington Post. An accomplished journalist, author, and political commentator, Jonathan has spent decades covering American politics, public policy, and the intersection of government and everyday life. He has held senior editorial and reporting positions at The New Republic, The American Prospect, and The Huffington Post. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, and numerous other publications. Today, he writes The Breakdown, a newsletter published by The Bulwark.

Jonathan is particularly well known for his expertise in health care policy and the American social safety net. He’s the author of two acclaimed books: Sick: The Untold Story of America’s Health Care Crisis—and the People Who Pay the Price, and The Ten Year War: Obamacare and the Unfinished Crusade for Universal Coverage. His reporting has earned numerous journalism awards and recognition as one of the country’s leading voices on health care policy. A Harvard graduate and former president of The Harvard Crimson, Jonathan has also been a frequent guest on MSNBC, NPR, and other national programs. And perhaps most importantly for our purposes, he’s a fellow Michigander, living in Ann Arbor.

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