State - Race for Governor Snyder appeals to non-Republicans to help him win GOP primary election Strategy could turn off staunch GOP voters

By Kathy Barks Hoffman AP Political Writer LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Rick Snyder is asking Democrats and independents to help him win Michigan's Republican race for governor. The Snyder campaign unveiled the strategy Monday along with a new website, CommonSenseForMichigan.com. The site includes a video testimonial for Snyder by former U.S. Rep. Joe Schwarz, who left the GOP ranks and briefly considered running this year for governor as an independent. "Nobody is apolitical, but Rick is about as apolitical as a guy you can find to get the job done," Schwarz says in the video. "I encourage you to find friends of yours who are independent, moderate Republicans, fiscal conservatives who are undecided. ... Find those people, get them to the polls." The appeal to non-Republican voters could help the Ann Arbor businessman win the five-way Aug. 3 GOP primary election. Polls show the contest is a three-way race between Snyder, Attorney General Mike Cox and U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, and increasing the pool of voters could mean the difference between victory and defeat in what's expected to be a narrow win. But Snyder's strategy could backfire if it turns off GOP voters looking for a more staunchly conservative candidate who doesn't try to appeal to Democrats. It also could anger some Republican voters who don't want independents or Democrats voting in the GOP primary. The bipartisan appeal may be Snyder's only way to win the race, however. The wealthy former Gateway Inc. president and CEO is in tune with many Republican voters on economic issues but less in sync with GOP activists on some social issues than Cox, Hoekstra and the two others in the race, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard and state Sen. Tom George. If Snyder can pull in enough fiscally conservative Democrats and independents, he could overcome the edge held by his rivals. After months of trying to appear as tough as his GOP counterparts, he has begun polishing his moderate credentials by winning endorsements from groups such as the Michigan chapter of Republicans for Environmental Protection. Democrats have a gubernatorial primary of their own to settle between Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero and House Speaker Andy Dillon and may not want to vote in the GOP primary. But independents could get on board, and even some Democrats disappointed with their party's choices could choose Snyder. Campaign spokesman Jake Suski said Snyder has support across the political spectrum and wants to attract those voters to the primary election. "This has been part of our plan and our strategy through the entire campaign," Suski said. "We've been making inroads with independent voters from day one." Snyder also hopes to borrow a campaign tactic from Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, who got voters to pledge to take a certain number of like-minded voters to the polls on Election Day. Brown, a Republican, unexpectedly won the race in January to replace the late Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy. Published: Wed, Jul 21, 2010

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