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MARQUETTE -- In 75 days, we'll be voting for Governor Jennifer Granholm's successor, and with less than five months left in her tenure, Governor Granholm was in Marquette Thursday discussing the state of the state and the future of its economy.

The governor told members of the Lake Superior Community Partnership and Marquette County Ambassadors that the world has changed, and we must too.

For decades, Detroit - and much of Michigan - was reliant on the "Big Three", and look at what happened to Michigan's economy when the auto industry collapsed. 

GM, Chrysler and Ford: it seems since the time Governor Granholm took office, the nation has been talking about the struggling Big Three and Michigan's economic tire that's been flattened by the auto industry's pot hole.  And - of course - people point to the governor, as if to say: "You're in charge; what have you done?"

"There's a lot of rhetoric who want to blame the person who's in charge.  I completely understand that tendency.  I completely do," says Governor Granholm. "But the reality is that no governor would have been able to prevent what happened to General Motors and Chrysler.  The question is 'what do you do once you face a crisis?'."

Her answer: diversify.  At one point during her speech Thursday evening, the governor jumped off the stage to get her cell phone.  She tore it open and pulled out the lithium battery for all to see.  She explained that the United States doesn't want to depend on foreign oil, so we're building cars that run on lithium batteries.  In the past year, 16 companies in the battery business have moved to Michigan, and that's projected to create 62,000 jobs.  That's an example of diversifying.

Governor Granholm acknowledges that her time in office is winding down.  She'll be replaced January 1, 2011.  Frank Sinatra sang that he had regrets.  Does Governor Granholm?

"There is one regret that I clearly have, which is I wish in 2006 I had not said 'in five years, you'll be blown away.'  That was a dumb thing to say," she explains.

And what about her replacement?  Will that person make promises that they can't keep?

"First of all, they have to recognize that they're not going to show up and be handed a magic wand, and that this is not going to be fixed over night," Granholm says.

She adds that diversifying an economy and doubling the number of college grads in the state are long processes.  The next governor needs to be patient. 

If you recall, Governor Granholm was on a short list being considered for the Supreme Court.  That fell through, but I was curious what's next for her - public sector or private sector?

"I don't know," she said through a smile, "but I know that for the next four months, I'm going to be working hard on diversifying the economy and educating our citizens."

If you're curious who Governor Granholm is pulling for in November, it's Virg Bernero.