In 2010, Rick Snyder made a national splash with his "One Tough Nerd" campaign slogan.
It was different. It was catchy. It humanized the multimillionaire former computer executive who nobody had heard of.
It's one reason why Snyder was elected Michigan governor in a landslide.
Now up for re-election, Snyder is stressing his smarts again. But he's not being endearing about it. And he's risking alienating voters in a race that's neck-and-neck.