When statewide candidates pay serious attention to northern Michigan, I like to tune in.

So it was in the last week or so when Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder, one of five contenders for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, held town hall meetings in Marquette, Petoskey, Traverse City, and Cadillac and had a blitz of small town visits and media interviews on both peninsulas.

Snyder's Up North convoy included his family -- wife, three kids, sister, and some of their friends -- and his powerful MasterCraft boat for water skiing on Grand Traverse Bay last week when they stayed at the Grand Beach Resort Hotel. On his balcony, Chef Rick grilled steaks, burgers, and hot dogs for the entourage.

On a charter outing, he caught a couple of undersized fish that he released. He also did some fly fishing with his son.

In short, he seems to relish outdoor Michigan and has the toys to enjoy it. While campaigning last winter in the Upper Peninsula, Snyder made a trek of 100 miles or so on his snowmobile.

Between his Wednesday town hall event at Traverse City's Park Place Hotel and his Friday event at Cadillac's McGuire's Resort, Snyder motored downstate for an event in East Lansing and a town hall meeting in Macomb County before returning to Traverse City.

Snyder may be among gubernatorial candidates July 10 at the city's National Cherry Festival, where both parties have traditional breakfast gatherings before the festival's final parade.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, a Republican contender who scheduled town hall meetings Saturday in Oakland and Macomb Counties, already has plans to attend the festival.

Although town hall meetings are good grassroots campaign devices, I question Snyder's move to avoid last week's GOP debate in Grand Rapids and instead have a town meeting in Macomb County. He says, "I have done multiple debates. . . . I'm fed up with bickering and sound bites. I'd rather hear from real people and real substance."

Debates are more than sound bites and more revealing of a candidate than TV ads -- where wealthy venture capitalist Snyder has had and will have the funding upper hand.

But what do I know? I also questioned Snyder's goofy "one tough nerd" TV ads, which clearly caused a statewide buzz, gave him name identification, and seem to be playing well out on the stump.

(In my view, the best gubernatorial ad out there now is the one by Republican Attorney General Mike Cox, an ex-Marine, declaring he is "tough enough to lead Michigan.")

Chuck Yob, a former Republican national committeeman (and 2000 GOP challenger of U.S. Representative Bart Stupak (D-Menominee)) who has helped elect many local and statewide candidates and now campaigns with Snyder, said that in Petoskey last week to get a sounding he went out on the streets passing out 100 Snyder brochures. Most people did not recall Snyder's name but when Yob mentioned "the nerd" there was a smile and recognition from about 65 of them.

One tough nerd or not (he suggested in Traverse City that he's scaling back that pitch), Snyder is one different dude, an unorthodox candidate in style -- e.g., the only one not to wear a tie in the debates he has done.

In matters of substance, he has done well on the forums where I have heard him.

His opening pitch is standard stuff: "Lansing is broken" in large part because of "career politicians," while he would bring "an era of innovation" and he has "no baggage" or allegiance to "special interests."

But he comes on strong on some issues not always standard fare for Republican candidates, including environmental protection. At an appearance last week in Elk Rapids, he referred to himself as a green Republican. He also speaks of "the need to restore our central cities."

Republican Michigan Supreme Court Justice Betty Weaver, who won't get into the endorsement game, said after attending Snyder's Traverse City event, "I was very impressed with his ideas, vision, intellect, and the straightforward way he answered questions."

Also at the Park Place, Snyder had lunch with ex-Governor Bill Milliken, who has not made an endorsement in the GOP primary and had no comment other than to confirm that Snyder picked up the tab - - "I reached for my wallet. . . . Over the years, I have learned how fast to reach for it."

Granholm on GOP "Obstructionists"

In a conference call with state and national reporters, Governor Jennifer Granholm said Friday the U.S. Senate's failure to pass $16 billion in funding for states extending jobless payments and Medicaid rates could mean "devastating" cuts in unemployment benefits, health care for low-income families, and possibly funding for colleges and local communities.

Noting that the measure got "not one, not one Republican vote," she said they "seem to relish being obstructionists."

Michigan would lose extended unemployment benefits for 87,000 persons starting July 1, and won't receive more than $500 million in federal Medicaid payments that the Granholm administration had counted on for next year's budget.

Senate leaders say the matter will be taken up after a "cooling off" period. But Granholm and other governors of both parties urge that it be done before the July 4th holiday break.

Endorsement Derby, Con't.

Political action committees of the Detroit Regional Chamber and the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce last week each took unusual steps of endorsing two Republicans for governor.

The Detroit chamber endorsed Snyder and Bouchard, as well as House Speaker Andy Dillon in the Democratic primary.

The Detroit chamber said its decision "reflects the difficulty in arriving at a unified candidate in a field of strong Republican contenders." U.S. Representative Pete Hoekstra of Holland, who before his 1992 election to Congress was an executive of Herman Miller, was endorsed by the Grand Rapids chamber, along with Bouchard. That chamber also spoke of Republicans having a strong field. It also endorsed Senator Michelle McManus of Lake Leelanau for secretary of state and Bill Schuette of Midland, former congressman, state senator, and Court of Appeals Judge, for attorney general.

The McManus endorsement is interesting because among other contenders is longtime Calhoun County Clerk Anne Norlander. All Republicans in the Michigan congressional delegation except Hoekstra support Schuette. Schuette e-mailed: "I'm working on him."

George Weeks retired in 2006 after 22 years as political columnist for The Detroit News. His weekly Michigan Politics column is syndicated by Superior Features.