Ken Braun, formerly of the Mackinac Center, has written a column comparing disgraced former state senator Dave Jaye to disgraced former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
No, this is not partisan silliness or snark. It’s actually an intriguing piece by a former Jaye aide who sees two former legislators with very different politics and very different approaches to politics. Yet, both were gifted politicians with a lot of promise who self-destructed in very public ways.
While Kilpatrick rose from state representative to Motown mayor through charm and coziness with key political players, Braun wrote, “Jaye advanced by attacking the Lansing power structure. He wanted love only from voters, and found it. He wedded the ‘outsider’ appeal to extraordinarily effective, creative and tireless campaign tactics.”
Braun pointed out that Jaye was way ahead of the curve in advancing the cause for concealed carry gun rights and against affirmative action. And he mastered the parliamentary methods of turning routine budget matters into tough votes on amendments that focused on hot-button issues.
I would also add that Jaye, who hailed from Shelby Township, may have been the first politician in America, some 20 years ago, to routinely use the term RINO (Republican In Name Only).
At the same time, Braun glosses over Jaye’s sometimes clownish behavior, his sexism, his race-baiting, his countless instances of public drunkenness, and his flair for the cartoonish political stunt, such as the time he managed to get a live pig (the original “Mr. Perks”) into the House gallery and introduced him to his fellow representatives during a floor speech.
Yet, Braun makes his case: “A healthy representative republic likely needs both principled rabble rousers and talented deal makers. But the power lust to pursue office often rewards men with both outsized talent and exaggerated vices. It’s easy to find other examples: Bill Clinton, Nixon, Ted Kennedy, Gingrich, Churchill, etc…”
I won’t ruin the ending for you, but the column, published online by MLive, is certainly worth a read.
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