Coming to St. Joseph, Michigan is nice but not enough

BE-ELECTED
by Chad Rubel

As someone who grew up in Michigan, I generally know where the presidential candidates are going to go to get press coverage in the state. Detroit is still the largest city, and even if some candidates are afraid to actually step foot in Detroit, they would flock to the suburbs.

Grand Rapids, in the western part of the state, is another prominent place. It's the largest city outside the Detroit area, and home to plenty of conservatives.

There are other possibilities: Lansing (state capital and auto plants), Flint (bad crime, let's clean it up). In the 1992 race, the candidates even came to Kalamazoo (Dan Quayle) and Battle Creek (Bill Clinton). But nobody ever goes to St. Joseph.

St. Joseph is a town on Lake Michigan, about 100 miles by car to Chicago and 180 miles to Detroit. According to the 2000 census, the city population was 8,789. If you haven't heard of St. Joseph, you might know its "Twin City," Benton Harbor.

You might know Benton Harbor for its riots, its large unemployed African-American population, or its overall poverty.

Much to my shock, I watched the news as correspondents filed reports from St. Joseph, where Mitt Romney spoke to about 300 in a seniors center. My first thought was that the reporters were lost or on their way to somewhere else.

Romney proceeded to give a speech on reviving the auto industry. I realize that one of the few things I have in common with Romney is that we both grew up in the state, but St. Joseph doesn't contribute to the auto industry other than buying cars and driving them. I know that and I'm not even running for president.

So even though Romney actually showed up, his speech wasn't even about the issues the area is facing.

Turns out the senior center where he spoke is my mother's senior center. So I know where this place is -- Exit 27 off I-94, a couple of miles down, turn left and you're right there.

St. Joseph is a conservative area where many voters are Republicans. In fact, it is the only place I have seen a "Duncan Hunter for President" bumper sticker on a car. So it's not a surprise that a Republican came to visit, but no one had in my memory.

I'm fairly certain that given where the Senior Center is, Romney and his team completely missed seeing Benton Harbor. If you take Exit 33 (if you're heading west) or Exit 23 (heading east) and follow the Business Loop, you will be in the heart of Benton Harbor. This is a city where, at the time of the riots in 2003, the "official" unemployment rate of African-American males was about 40%.

Though I won't vote for Romney, I was glad to see a presidential candidate come to St. Joseph. But every presidential candidate, Democratic, Republican, or anyone else, should be required to give a speech from Benton Harbor. If you truly want to be the leader of this country, it should be mandatory to see cities such as Benton Harbor, and not just from a limo or car.

Don't be afraid to shake the hands of people who have suffered a lot for many years. They are Americans too, just as much as the Republican-friendly crowd who paid $15 to hear Romney speak at the senior center. They have suffered greatly in this national economy, and it isn't the fault of the auto industry.

So on behalf of the Twin Cities as they are known, St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, we invite you to come back for the election. The Lake Michigan beaches are really nice in the summer as the sun sets into the lake. The people are friendly and the fruit grown in that area can't be beat. But when or if you come back, let's see if that dateline can't be Benton Harbor instead of St. Joseph. The media won't go there unless there is a riot or unless you lead them there. It's still America in Benton Harbor, and more people need to see that.

Technorati Tags: Be-Elected Chad Rubel 2008 race Michigan economy health care auto industry Mitt Romney