LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Voters sent a clear message on Nov. 5 to the Democratic party: out with the woke and in with the new.
It’s not just that President-elect Donald Trump won; he won “bigly.” He trounced Vice President Kamala Harris by sweeping both the electoral college and the popular vote.
In the middle of Trump’s landslide sits Michigan’s 15 electoral votes. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who touted her “good friend” President Joe Biden for reelection quickly switched gears in July after her party told her it would ignore primary voters and replace Biden with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Whitmer promised to deliver Michigan to Harris. She failed.
Trump’s victory spells big trouble for “Big Gretch.”
Now, the political future of Michigan’s term-limited governor could be bleak on the national scale as Trump takes office and looks to undo four years of open borders, inflation, and government overreach.
Since politics is a long game, both parties are now looking ahead to 2028. Vice President-elect JD Vance is the logical candidate for the GOP presidential nominee, but the Democratic party will likely struggle with picking a team that appeals to blue voters. A recent Poll by Puck News/Echelon Insights shows Harris remains the party’s top choice for the presidential nominee in 2028. The survey found that 41% of likely Democratic voters would support Harris.
That’s bad news for California Gov. Gavin Newsom who came in at 8%. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro squeaked by with 7%. Harris’ 2024 running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Transportation Secretary and Michigan resident Pete Buttigieg tied at 6%. A few other candidates, including Whitmer, received much lower percentages.
Barbie, booze, and Doritos: Whitmer’s attempt at viral fame backfires.
Whitmer has attempted to craft a certain image in recent years with what appears to be a go at internet fame. She got it, with a mix of adoration and backlash.
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In the summer of 2023, she released her “Governor Barbie” promotion when the “Barbie” movie came out in theaters. The social media campaign showed “Governor Barbie” at various sites across the state. Last December, Whitmer stirred the pot by recording a cooking video where she whipped up her Grandma Esther’s oatmeal recipe.
During the Harris election cycle, Whitmer did shots in bars and fed Doritos to a Canadian internet influencer that appeared to some to mock communion. It drew the ire of Michigan Catholics. Others slammed it for not-so-subtle sexual overtones.
It’s no surprise that Republicans have a problem with Whitmer, and they are moving forward with bills in the lame duck session before they take power in the House on Jan. 1. On the Nov. 22 episode of “Off the Record”, host Tim Skubick interviewed Republican consultant John Selleck. He said there’s a stark contrast in today’s Whitmer verses the one who took office six years ago.
“The 2024 Gretchen Whitmer is not the same as the 2018 Gretchen Whitmer,” Selleck told Skubick. “She was the one saying, ‘I’m going to fix the roads and I’m going to fill the pot holes’ and take care of the day-to-day, as she would say, these are ‘kitchen table issues.'”
Selleck continued, “The 2024 Gretchen Whitmer is the Doritos video and is positioning for something [political] after Michigan. She has to come back and take charge of what’s happening here.”
Whitmer’s own party is pushing back on her performance, too. Skubick asked Democratic consultant Adrian Hemond if Whitmer is “disengaged from the process” in Lansing. “It feels like it.” Hemond said. He continued, “What are her priorities other than to hand out a bag of money for a chips factory? What are her legislative priorities. What does she want to see passed before the end of the year. I don’t think we know the answer to that question and I don’t think most lawmakers do either.”
MAGA: Americans approve of Trump’s performance during transition.
Trump doesn’t officially take office until Jan. 20, but a majority of Americans already approve of his job performance during the transition.
A recent CBS poll found 59% of adults in the United States approve “of the way Donald Trump is handling his presidential transition.” CNN senior writer and political analyst Harry Enten compared the most recent CBS News poll with one conducted in November 2016. The 2016 poll showed respondents at one point more likely to say they approved of Trump’s transition.
“The bottom line is this,” Enten said. “If eight years ago Americans were lukewarm on Donald Trump, at this particular point they’re giving him much more the benefit of the doubt.”
If Trump keeps at this trajectory over the next four years, Whitmer’s White House bid may be gone with the political winds.
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