Susan J. Demas: John Boehner is the true conservative, not tea partiers

Tea party Republicans' anger at John Boehner was always just a primal scream against President Obama.

The GOP U.S. House speaker knew that, and last week made the surprise announcement that he would hang it up.

Boehner's press conference was something to behold. I've never seen a resigning politician look so visibly relieved, so completely at peace — he literally sang a bar from "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah."

By any objective standard, Boehner is going out on a high note. When Obama took office in 2009, Republicans languished in deep minorities in Congress. Boehner and now-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., forged a pact to oppose whatever Obama did.

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Susan J. Demas: 2016 election has begun, and Electoral College scheme puts Michigan front and center

Don't look now, but the 2016 election has already begun ... before the 2014 election has hit in the history books.

Just look at the slew of '16 presidential wannabes parading through Michigan in the last couple weeks.

Republican Chris Christie has jetted in for Gov. Rick Snyder. Jeb Bush and native son Mitt Romney have also lent a hand to U.S. Senate nominee Terri Lynn Land.

Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden have made the rounds for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mark Schauer and U.S. Senate hopeful Gary Peters.

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Susan J. Demas: Sexism alert: 'Say Yes to the Candidate' ad objectifies Rick Snyder

The objectification of Rick Snyder has got to stop.

A new ad from the College Republican National Committee literally reduces Michigan's governor to a dress.

This spot based on the reality show "Say Yes to the Dress" features dewey-eyed, golden-locked Brittany, a recent college grad who has her whole life ahead of her -- unless she's tragically derailed by picking the wrong wedding gown.

Her frumpy (and likely bitterly divorced) mother frowns as Brittany twirls around in a sleek, bejeweled number Kim Kardashian might model.

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