Talking Michigan Politics

On this week's Talking Michigan Politics podcast, Grand Rapids Press politics editor Jeff Cranson and editorial page editor Ed Golder discuss: 1. Fund-raising in the governor's race. Some surprising figures on the GOP side showed Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard near $900,000 despite low poll numbers; U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra, despite campaigning for several months, raised around $475,000 with $170,000 cash on hand. Attorney General Mike Cox, who leads in the polls even after noise in the fall about whether he scuttled an investigation into activities involving former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, raised $1.8 million and had $1.47 million in cash on hand. Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder, who is yet to crack double digits in the polls, raised $3.2 million, with $2.6 million in loans to himself. The discussion: Once Snyder goes on TV, including an ad on the Super Bowl Sunday, does he gain quickly? Will his personal spending affect voters' views