Analysis: Snyder Missed Opportunity to Speak to Detroiters

(WJBK) - Close but no cigar. No scratch that. Not even close.

Gov. Rick Snyder had a rare opportunity to lower the anxiety level in the City of Detroit concerning an Emergency Manager and he whiffed.

Everybody knows, including the governor, that in many segments of that community, the angst is palpable. Residents don’t want the state to send in somebody who will fire their elected officials and run the city like a dictator. Benevolent or not, many don’t want it and they want the governor to keep his GOP nose out it.

Mr. Snyder, being who is is, is not about to ignore the challenge but he had this chance, with a statewide TV audience tuned in, to look directly in the camera and talk to the residents in Detroit.

“I know you are worried about someone coming in to run your city and I’m worried, too. I don’t want to appoint an EM and I fully understand why you don’t want me to do it. And I won’t if at all humanly possible. That’s why I urge you to tell your Mayor and City Council they need to make some tough decisions. They didn’t create this mess, but they have the power, right here and right now, to fix it once and for all. And I promise you tonight I will do everything I can to help you save your city and our city, too. There is too much are risk for all of us if we fail.”

He didn’t even come close. Sure he talked about supporting the city, but the support he is offering, many don’t want.

So you are left to ponder why he squandered the opportunity.

Wasn’t there somebody in the inner circle with enough political savvy to help this non-career politician get this one right?

Actually, he is smart enough to have figured it out on his own, but he didn’t.

Points off.