One on One with Irvin Reid, President of Michigan's Wayne State University
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
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SUSIE GHARIB: Now it's Michigan's turn to pick candidates for president. Residents are voting today in the Republican primary. It's the biggest prize in the round of primaries so far and it has the worst economy of any state in the union. Michigan's unemployment rate, at 7.4 percent, is the highest in the country. Joining us now to discuss the election, Irvin Reid, president of Michigan's Wayne State University and an expert on the state's economic and political issues. Hello, Dr. Reid.
IRVIN REID, PRESIDENT, WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY: Hello, how are you?
GHARIB: I'm fine, thank you. We know that the economy is a big issue in Michigan. To what extent do you think that the candidates' economic policies will determine the outcome of this primary?
REID: Well, I think that the candidates have been addressing it on the Republican side. There has been an interesting discussion between Mitt Romney and Senator McCain about the vision for the future of this state. And I think that's been very relevant to this economy and to the citizens and where their future may lie with the candidates. McCain is -- Senator McCain is talking about the possibility of new jobs, new industries here. And Mitt Romney is talking about bringing back manufacturing. And they are two very different views of what Michigan might do in the future.
GHARIB: Do voters really believe that the next president can bring jobs and create jobs in Michigan?
REID: I think they do. I think there is hope that that will happen. I think that there is some expectation that there will be some encouragement for these new industries, in attracting industries to the Midwest and specifically to Michigan which has had the most difficult time of all of the state. So I think that there is both expectation and there is hope.
GHARIB: Many of those lost jobs are because of globalization and outsourcing. Both McCain and Romney are ardent free traders. How do the voters in Michigan feel about that?
REID: Well, I think that they are mixed feelings. I mean there was a survey that was done among some parents of our college students some years ago asking them what did they think that their students needed, what their children needed for the future. And they said well, they thought they needed a good high school education and they would get a good job and enter the middle class. So there are expectations that the old jobs will come back, but I think the reality is that they know we have to do something different from what we did in the past.
GHARIB: Energy and fuel standards are important issues for both Michigan and the auto industry. McCain is campaigning on a campaign of a green future and green jobs. And Mitt Romney is opposed to increased fuel economy standards. How does all of that play with Michigan voters?
REID: Well, again, I think that there is a division. I think there are some people who would like to keep the standards as they were in the past and hope that that would encourage the manufacturing to continue here. You have to recall that General Motors is still manufacturing and selling a lot of cars. Many of them are being manufactured and sold abroad. Over a million cars are being manufactured by General Motors and sold on the roads in China. Ford, another 200 something so there are jobs being created, there is manufacturing going on. The question is what will the industry that produces jobs here in Michigan, what would those industries look like in the future.
GHARIB: Real quickly, we just have a little time left. The Michigan primary moved its date for the election early in the season so that it would get the country and candidates to focus on the recession in Michigan. Did that strategy pay off in a few words?
REID: I don't think so. Because of course the Democrats are not here. And I think that a large number of the voters who would have shown up at the polls today, a lot of the advertising dollars that would have gone for television and newspapers simply didn't occur. So I am not sure that it had the economic impact.
GHARIB: All right, thank you so much Dr. Reid, appreciate you having you come on the program.
REID: Thank you.
GHARIB: My guest tonight Irvin Reid, president of Wayne State University.
