The New Yorker‘s Benjamin Wallace-Wells published a lengthyish profile on Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the political transformation of Michigan into a Democratic stronghold. But before we get to that, I have to share something unpleasant: Trump’s oft-touted plan to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours.
As you may know, ever since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Trump has bragged that the war would never have happened on his watch and that he alone could instantly end it. For many months, Trump refused to elaborate on his alleged plan but finally responded with a bit more detail when pressed by Maria Bartiromo on her Fox News program yesterday. Are you ready? Here it is:
“I know Zelenskyy very well, and I know Putin very well, even better. And I had a good relationship, very good with both of them. I would tell Zelenskyy, no more. You got to make a deal. I would tell Putin, if you don’t make a deal, we’re going to give him a lot. We’re going to [give Ukraine] more than they ever got if we have to. I will have the deal done in one day. One day,” Trump responded.
Jesus Fucking Christ. Fran Lebowitz was right: “You do not know anyone as stupid as Donald Trump.”
Okay, now on to the more pleasant topic of a state, Michigan, that went for Trump in 2016 and now has a Democratic trifecta in Lansing: the governorship and both legislative chambers. Wallace-Wells summarizes Whitmer’s approach as follows:
The Governor’s strategy for revitalizing her state has two parts: to grow, Michigan needs young people; to draw young people, it needs to have the social policies they want.
It appears to be the opposite of the DeSantis strategy for Florida, which is to chase the young folks out and lure the nation’s angriest seniors.
In Michigan, Democrats are protecting women’s reproductive healthcare, LGBTQ rights and investing Inflation Reduction Act funds in ways that are improving communities and creating jobs. But their pitch sounds more pragmatic than ideological, and it seems to be working. Whitmer contrasts that approach with the style of hyper-ideologues like Ron DeSantis and his war on Disney:
“I can’t imagine General Motors taking a stance on just about anything where I would go to war with General Motors,” Whitmer said. “It’s just wild to me to see that Democrats are now viewed as a little more pragmatic and business-friendly than maybe some Republicans. But I think that’s good. I think that’s important. And I would consider myself in that vein.”
Whitmer notes that Dems gained a trifecta with a “different kind of coalition than Democrats have relied on before,” and it’s clear Michigan Dems have benefited from meltdowns on the Repub side, which is a hot mess. That said, Dems aren’t taking anything for granted. If they don’t get everything they want, Democrats in the state understand the stakes:
So far, though, the spectre of a Republican comeback has largely kept everyone in line. “It’s such a huge part of what’s happening right now,” Christy McGillivray, a lobbyist in Lansing for the Sierra Club, told me. “Even when we talk about what’s happening legislatively, no one wants to say bad things about the people who are holding off the fascist Christian takeover.”
Anyhoo, the whole thing is worth a read. As we’ve discussed here, Dems at the national level seem to be settling on a message that sounds a bit like Whitmer’s in Michigan, i.e., individual freedom and shared prosperity. I think it can work in other places too.
Open thread.
