The annual Mackinac Policy Conference is underway. Put together by the Detroit Regional Chamber, more than 1,500 business leaders, lawmakers, lobbyists, and philanthropists are meeting on Mackinac Island to discuss policy - and politics. In preparation for the conference, commissioned by the Chamber, the Glengariff Group released new polling highlighting the race for Michigan’s next governor and U.S. Senator. Richard Czuba, founder of Glengariff Group, joins Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta on this week’s It’s Just Politics to dig into the poll’s results.
Digging deeper: You’re likely hearing a lot about - and from - the Mackinac Policy Conference this week. Zoe and Rick have stopped counting how many Mackinac Conferences they’ve attended but they were going back through the archives last week and found this blog (remember blogging!?) from the 2011 conference when Zoe asked Rick to explain why the conference actually matters. His answer is as relevant today as it was a decade and a half ago: "Because once a year – the political center of gravity of Michigan moves to this island [Mackinac] … decisions may or may not be made here… but certainly there is an effort underfoot to make things happen. You have to understand: Mackinac Island has become the state Capitol for the rest of this week. Do you care about the economy? All the business movers-and-shakers are up here. You care about what happens at the state Capitol? All the political movers-and-shakers are here. And, all of these movers-and-shakers are talking to each other. And, they’ll affect things like job creation, education, taxes… this is everyone’s best chance, all year long to make their best pitch for what they care about. That’s why you have CEO’s, top politicians, university presidents, non-profit organizations… all here trying to make the case for whatever matters to them.”
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