LANSING, Mich. — Despite a deluge of the anti-insider rhetoric this campaign season most Lansing lobbyists do not believe the outcome of the November election will have an impact on their effectiveness, a recent poll found.
When asked if the anti-insider messages scared them, 72 percent of respondents in The Rossman Group’s latest Lobby Guide Litmus Test online survey of capitol insiders said no.
“You can’t find a single politician who would claim to be a Lansing insider at the moment, but that doesn’t bother the real Lansing insiders,” said Josh Hovey, senior account executive at The Rossman Group and Lobby Guide Litmus Test project coordinator. “Thanks to term limits, lobbyists and interest groups know the need for their services grows every time a new crop of legislators enters the capitol.”
Insiders who had between six and 20 years’ experience in politics/government were the most confident in their effectiveness, with 83 percent believing the November election would have little to no impact on their effectiveness.
The Lobby Guide Litmus Test in an online poll of the 575 members listed in the Michigan Legislators’ Guide to Lobbyists and Reporters (Lobby Guide). The Lobby Guide is Michigan’s most comprehensive directory of lobbyists, trade association leaders, capitol press corps members and other Lansing insiders.
Only 21 percent of respondents said Republicans would take over the majority in Michigan’s State House of Representatives; 76 percent said Republicans would not gain the majority and 3 percent were undecided. An overwhelming number of respondents from all parties agreed on this issue, with 85 percent of Democrats, 80 percent of Republicans and 74 percent of Independents agreeing that the GOP would not take control of the Michigan House.
On the national level, Lobby Guide members gave Republicans better chances. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) said that the GOP would take over the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, compared to 35 percent who said the Democrats would maintain the majority.
Republicans were significantly more optimistic about their chances to take control of the U.S. House, with 80 percent believing their party would gain the majority compared, to 37 percent of Democrats.
Lobby Guide members were evenly split between those who thought Ron Weiser would remain chair of the Michigan Republican Party after this year’s election, but nearly 80 percent are convinced that Mark Brewer would still be the Michigan Democratic chair next year.
In light of U.S. Sen. Carl Levin being hit in the face by a protestor with a pie, the Lobby Guide Litmus Test asked respondents which high-profile officeholder they’d like to hit with a pie if they could get away with it.
“Political insiders appear to be just as fed up with politicians as the general public. Nearly half said ‘we’re going to need more pies’,” said Hovey. “For those who could pick just one politician to direct their ire, Sarah Palin and Mike Bishop took the cake… err pie.”
The question and results of the poll are as follows:
Senator Carl Levin was recently hit in the face with a pie by a protestor. If you could hit a politician in the face with a pie and get away with it, who would it be?
Jennifer Granholm 15 percent
Barack Obama 9.3 percent
Sarah Palin 23.4 percent
George W. Bush 9.3 percent
Rick Snyder 2.8 percent
Virg Bernero 13.1 percent
Andy Dillon 14 percent
Mike Bishop 20.6 percent
“We’re going to need more pies” 47.7 percent
*Respondents were allowed to choose more than one answer for this question only. Results will not add to 100 percent.
Contact: Josh Hovey 517-487-9320 (office) 517-712-5829 (cell) jhovey@rossmangroup.com