Suddenly all eyes are on Gretchen Whitmer after Biden’s worrisome debate performance

Suddenly all eyes are on Gretchen Whitmer after Biden’s worrisome debate performance

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Gretchen Whitmer

President Joe Biden hadn’t even walked off the debate stage last night when Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s name was already being floated by pundits as a potential emergency replacement for the 81-year-old incumbent.

In case you haven’t heard, the president’s poor performance has alarmed officials within his party. Though many political insiders previously insisted Biden’s mental acuity was fine, they are now expressing doubts about his fitness.

This morning, Whitmer issued a statement touting Biden’s record on “lowering families’ costs, building an economy that works for working people and restoring the reproductive freedom women lost the last time Donald Trump was in the White House.”

“Joe Biden is running to serve the American people,” she continued. “Donald Trump is running to serve Donald Trump.The difference between Joe Biden’s vision for making sure everyone in America has a fair shot and Donald Trump’s dangerous, self-serving plans will only get sharper as we head toward November.” 

As a co-chair of Biden’s reelection campaign, it’s apparent that Whitmer is firmly behind the president. But the popular, term-limited governor of a crucial battleground state appears to be thinking about her next steps.

She recently wrote a memoir, True Gretch, which will be released next month. In it, Whitmer recounts her life story, and highlights her personal struggles. It’s almost as if she’s introducing herself to the American people for some sort of position down the line… 🤔

In a New York Times interview, Whitmer, 52, is blunt about her desire for fresh leadership. “I’m hopeful that in 2028, we see Gen Xers running for the White House and that someone from my generation is ready to take the mantle,” she said.

Given Whitmer’s success in Michigan, she’s been at the top of many Democrats’ 2028 wishlists for a while (her term expires in 2026). But now, there are pleas to push that timeline up.

Whitmer was elected Michigan governor in 2018, and became a national figure during the pandemic, when Trump and other Republicans railed against her lockdown measures.

Late in 2020, the FBI arrested multiple people who allegedly plotted to kidnap and possibly assassinate her.

A long-time state legislature, she emerged from the pandemic as a political force, helping to flip control of the Michigan House and Senate to the Democrats in 2022, giving the party full reign over the state for the first time in 40 years. (Whitmer also won reelection herself with 54.5% of the vote, beating her Republican challenger by roughly 10 points.)

Since then, she’s passed an array of progressive policies, including gun-control legislation and a clean-energy plan.

With Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis making Florida redder, Whitmer is succeeding in turning Michigan blue. She’s the Dems’ antidote to “Meatball Ron,” and much less off-putting!

As governor, Whitmer has asserted herself as a steadfast ally to the LGBTQ+ community, which is another welcome contrast to DeSantis. Notably, she expanded a state civil rights law to protect LGBTQ+ Michiganders for the first time, and outlawed conversion therapy for minors.

Last year, she made appointments to the first-ever statewide LGBTQ+ commission. On Friday, she recognized the 55-year anniversary of Stonewall.

“Today marks 55 years since the protests at the Stonewall Inn, when LGBTQ+ activists bravely fought back against discrimination,” Whitmer posted Friday on social media. “Their courage ignited change, inspiring a movement that still marches on today. I’m proud to honor that legacy as we continue the fight for equality.”

Many people commented with a similar refrain.

“Replace Biden,” somebody said.

“Save us pls,” added another.

With so much chaos and uncertainty surrounding the current political landscape, one thing appears to be certain: Gretchen Whitmer isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

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