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MICHIGAN: MEDIA BLACKOUT [Henry Payne 10/27 03:42 PM]

One of the persistent media myths of the 2004 presidential campaign is that George Bush is a divider, not a uniter. Bush's bipartisan appeal was in evidence in Michigan last week as two Democratic heavy-hitters dropped in to cheerlead for the Republican candidate.

Senator Zell Miller, who made history this year as the first politician to cross party lines and deliver a convention keynote speech, was in Metro Detroit stumping for Bush/Cheney. He told The Detroit News: "I never dreamed I would be doing this. I have never voted for a Republican in my life, and I've been voting since 1952. I had no idea of going to Washington and becoming the lone Democrat to often vote with the president."

Also visiting was Ed Koch, former Democratic mayor of New York, who came to West Bloomfield to urge a Jewish audience to vote for Bush. While Koch told The News that he "doesn't agree with practically anything Bush does domestically" he was throwing his support to Bush because he thinks the War on Terror is the most important issue for America's future- and a flip-flopping John Kerry can't be trusted with it. Asked who he thought would win, Koch replied: "I think Bush. I've noticed no passion for Kerry among Democrats, and I think, in the end, people have to vote FOR someone. Bush has that passionate support." (The flip side of Bush's attempts to co-opt Democrats is grumbling among conservatives here about Bush's federal spending sprees on education and prescription drugs.)

Miller and Koch join other high-profile Democrats who have crossed over for Bush, including Ron Silver and Dick Morris. By contrast, no major Republican political figures are stumping for Kerry.

Sadly, neither Koch nor Miller received any press attention during their visits. The media myth of a polarized electorate, apparently, must be maintained.