An experienced public official? Nope, now just a regular guy

One of the great ironies in today’s political climate is how we undervalue experience in the government.

Holiday Inn Express’ catchy marketing schtick works in today’s politics. Don’t know squat about what it means to serve in public office? That’s OK. You got a great night of sleep! You’re cooking with grease.

We’ve concocted this idea in our heads that the people serving in political office are self-serving shysters ... except our guy or gal. They’re fine. Everyone else is part of the faceless a) deep state, b) swamp, or c) unfeeling, unproductive bureaucracy.

It’s hard to believe it, but being a good politician takes a special person. Being able to maneuver within government to get things done is hard work. It takes experience and a certain amount of skill and wherewithal. Not everyone can do it. Trust me on that.

Lifelong public servant/government operative Curtis Hertel Jr. is very good at it. Still, he’s tossed his extensive and impressive resume into the burn pile as he seeks the 7th Congressional District seat.

No longer is he that guy that “answers to you, not donors and party leaders,” as his first, short-lived TV ad promised. His new ads don’t play up to his decades of experience working in state and county government in a variety of functions. He’s not the political savant who helped guide the Michigan Senate Democrats to its first majority in 40 years.

Today, according to his new ad, Hertel is just a regular guy.

Just as Rick Snyder was “one tough nerd,” Hertel now has a gimmick all his own. He mows his lawn. Smokes meat. Drinks “regular beer.” Watches football. You know, regular guy stuff.

In a way, it’s not much different from what Tom Barrett, his Republican opponent, has done all along. Forget that Barrett served in the Legislature just as long as Hertel. Forget that Barrett was arguably the chamber’s most conservative senator during his tenure.

The dude can fly a military grade helicopter and run down the street with his young kids. If those aren’t instant qualifiers to serve in Congress, what are?

Devaluing government experience is the sad reality in 2024. Candidates like Barrett and Hertel need to eat humble pie because that’s what the voters want.

Running for office is becoming less and less about “the issues.” Your party affiliation typically gives those away.

The 2024 contests are about personalities. Whom do you relate with? Who would you like to have over for dinner? Who seems less full of crap? Who doesn’t seem shifty or evasive? Whom would you be proud to support?

Team Hertel has figured this out, at long last, and is doing the “regular guy” thing in the hopes of finally breaking through in polling that, up to his point, hasn’t been great for the Democratic nominee.

In related news, a scheduled Barrett-Hertel debate previously scheduled for last week on WLNS fell apart. We can get into details, if you want, but it’s really the same ol’ song of miscommunication and that nobody really wanted to do it anyway.

Barrett’s folks thought they had a deal weeks ago with WLNS and Hertel. Then some changes were requested that Barrett’s team conceded to. Then more changes were requested. Barrett’s team let those go, too. When the third batch of changes were requested, Barrett’s team walked away, tiring of the perceived moving goalposts.

Team Hertel didn’t have the same understanding about the “deal.” They felt they were ironing out details that had gone unaddressed in the initial agreement. They didn’t understand why Barrett’s people walked away.

Caught in the middle of this is WLNS, which had a pair of skilled moderators ready to give us in the 7th District something other than TV ads and propaganda to sift through.

Sadly, we aren’t getting that. The campaigns don’t seem all that broken up about it. They’re content to let this campaign be a messaging/get out the vote battle without having to worry about their candidate screwing up on live TV.

(Email Kyle Melinn, editor of the Capitol news service MIRS, at melinnky@gmail.com.)