The Michigan GOP State Convention: Part 1

Today was the day of the Michigan state GOP Convention, held in Novi, near Detroit. My wife and I were both delegates, so we took along the four kids—and had a great time!

The primary business of the day (besides choosing electors to the electoral college, should McCain win our state; this was pretty much pro forma) was nominating people to the following positions to appear on the November ballot:

• Justice of the Supreme Court. Clifford Taylor, the current chief justice, is up for election this year and will be viciously attacked by the other party; conservative justices hold a 4-3 majority on this bench and he is the majority's leader. Michigan Republicans adore him. Every state should have supreme court justices like this man.
• Two positions on the state board of education. Three folks were running.
• Two positions on the MSU Board of Trustees. Scott Romney, elder brother of Mitt, is an incumbent; he and one other woman were the only ones in the running.
• Two positions on the Wayne State University Board of Governors. Only two folks were actively seeking this position.
• Two positions on the University of Michigan Board of Regents. There were three people actively running hard for these two spots.

The observant will notice that only two of these five listed positions were truly contested. But in every case (not to mention candidates for other offices that have already been chosen in primaries two weeks ago, such as soon-to-be-senator Jack Hoogendyk), stickers, signs, leaflets, and other goodies—including free doughnuts courtesy of Lisa Bouchard, who was the other candidate for MSU Trustee—were being handed out in a manner that even "generously" cannot properly describe. If you like the game-day-face-to-face-meet-and-greet nobody-knows-the-outcome-until-it's-over version of politics, you'd have loved to observe this! My children haven't gotten so much free stuff since Christmas.

As delegates, my wife and I were among those voting for the contested nominations. It is also a great time to meet folks, especially from your own district, who share your political views. I was especially proud of our county's largest delegation to a state convention in some time.

It was also a great opportunity to pick up materials to promote John McCain and others who are running for various offices; to purchase buttons, neckties, and other "stuff" that promotes the GOP; and to get a lot of talking points to share with your friends about "why you should vote for so-and-so for a board of governors on the other side of the state."

But I still left with one question on my mind: Why do we have three colleges with boards of trustees, governors, and regents? Why are they all differently named, yet chosen in the same manner?