MI GOV '06 - "Micro-targeting" and Saul Anuzis

I honestly don't know how seriously to take this article in Newsweek Online.

Saul Anuzis is Dick Devos' campaign manager.  In this article he claims that the Republicans are targeting "snowmobilers" as one of the micro targets for the election.

more below...

We have the largest population of snowmobilers in the country. We were able to get licenses, etc. and identify 400,000 registered snowmobilers and we added that to their voter file," Anuzis said.

Last year Granholm vetoed a bill that was replacing a seven-mile stretch along a highway necessary to complete a 2,000-mile snowmobile trail.

Uh huh.  So, what, is this a red herring?  We'll get Governor Granholm thinking we're insane enough to believe that with all the problems we've got going on in this state that we think snowmobiling will be a determining factor in the race?

I remember reports coming out of the 2004 presidential campaign talking about Karl Rove's genius, and how he had all of the voting records on all of the precincts with their GOTV efforts all on his PDA or blackberry.  I remember that was the year of the "values voter" which is, of course, code for racist bigots who wrap their beliefs in the cloak of Jesus.  But that was a "real" demographic.  You could count on someone with those beliefs to be convinced that Democrats would ban the bible, mandate gay marriage and attack the christian nuclear family.

If you said the majority of people who shop at organic whole food stores were more likely to vote Democratic, yeah I could see that.  But SNOWMOBILERS?  I mean, that's like going after bicycle enthusiasts.  I'm guessing their politics don't just skew heavily in one direction.  It seems like a rather bizarre group to "micro-target".  

What are your thoughts?

crossposted at i wish this blog was louder