Governor Granholm
Former Governor Granholm has just had her portrait revealed to the world or at least to the state of Michigan. I could mention all of the forced symbolism that seems to have been so important for her to include in this painting, but I think I will focus on the complete lack of emotion I feel when I view it. This is of course the woman/man that was our first woman governor here in Michigan. I always find it so interesting that women in politics feel they must look like men to govern. This portrait of Jennifer shows us nothing of the soul of the woman that was our governor. I have no feeling for this person. It has been stylized to essentially make us feel that she has her pulse on the world and she has done everything she can to keep Michigan moving. Of course while she has to look like a man, she did it wearing pumps that make her somewhat superior to any man.
I’ve been disappointed with all of our past recent governors. They all profess so much love for Michigan, but they just can’t leave our state fast enough once they are finished “governing”. As you can see, Jennifer now resides in the state of California. Michigan is just a distant memory, something she can simply add to her resume. Like her predecessors, she will probably become a part of that revolving door of corruption that is the politician/lobbyist. Looking at OpenSecrets reveals our last two former Governor’s penchant for making money and using their political clout. Here is John Engler firmly enmeshed in the world of business. http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/rev_summary.php?id=32185
Here is also former Governor Jim Blanchard also exerting his political clout in Washington D.C. as a lobbyist. http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/rev_summary.php?id=13806
You may think I am just being critical and these guys have to work. My feeling is this. If you thought enough of Michigan to want to be governor, why would you ever leave it? Truthfully, Michigan was just a stepping stone in their resume life. There are those of us that love Michigan and will do everything we can to promote it, educate it and live in it and there are those that will just use it and go on to their next job.
As for that portrait of Jennifer, I find myself looking from that left hand firmly planted on her hip to those shoes and all I end up thinking about is Napoleon.
How did that come into my head? I think it is because they both have that look of pomposity that is supposed to tell us, the “little people”, just how important they really are to history. If Governor Granholm wants us to remember windmills, cars, shovel ready projects, education and the global impact of Michigan, maybe she should have left us with the feeling that our young people could stay and live in Michigan to work all of those new found jobs. Unfortunately, mine, like thousands if not millions of other young people, have fled our state making us look like an uneducated society. The statistics imply that proportionately few people here have a college degree, just 24%. We are 37th in ranking with the other states. We educate them here in Michigan. We have great schools and universities. http://www.statemaster.com/graph/edu_bac_deg_or_hig_by_per-bachelor-s-degree-higher-percentage
Trust me, our colleges are not just educating out of state people. Our young people get their degrees. Once they get that sheepskin, they leave the state for greener pastures, just like Governor Granholm recently did. Imagine that!
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