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With all of the talk about "the message" of the 2024 campaign being lost amid a blizzard of "inside the Beltway," "inside baseball" "process" coverage about the possibly senility of one candidate versus the court ajudicated criminality of the other candidate, it is very instructive to see an example of someone who knows how to communicate in a no-BS style about focusing on the priorities of citizens, not politicians and pundits.

For a master class in this art, watch Gretchen Whitmer.

She appeared on The Late Show with Colbert on July 10, 2024. In the course of her two segments, she made two perfect points, effortlessly. In the first, Colbert asked her how in her 2022 re-election she managed to win a higher share of votes in some of her counties than Trump won in 2020. Her answer? By listening to EVERYONE in the state and reflecting THEIR priorities in her priorities for the state.

As I talk to people across Michigan, their biggest concerns are trying to keep money in their pocket, making sure their kids are set up for success, making sure they don't get shot when they go to school, making sure they can drive on the roads... Fix the damn roads! Joe Biden has receipts on every one of these fronts."

Later, Colbert asked her "What do you know about Michiganders that we don't?"

I asked people, if I'm elected Governor, what can I do that's going to make your life better? And people said, 'Fix the damn roads.' And that's what I heard over and over again.

Colbert asked her, "Is that how you won seven counties that Donald Trump won in your second term?" She replied...

It's listening to people. It's a lost art in politics. If you ask people what they want, they'll tell you. When I was in the Detroit Children's Hospital, I was talking to a woman named Bridget Bonds from Flint and I said, if I'm elected, what can I do for you and she said "Fix the damn roads" and I was surprised.. Here was a mom in the hospital with her child so I said why is that the first thing out of your mouth and she explained... Driving from Flint to Detroit, she hit a pothole that sidelined her for a full day, it took money that she would have otherwise put to rent or childcare, she didn't see her son that was in the hospital that whole day so it was a moment for me [that made me] realize that when the fundamentals slide, it is the people on the bubble that pay the dearest price... It is about time, it is about money, your family... That is why it is [about] focusing on the fundamentals but you don't know that if you're not showing up everywhere and listening.

When the fundamentals slide, it is the people on the bubble that pay the dearest price.

Joe Biden has receipts on every one of these fronts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcG-Paemo7A


In the second segment, she was asked about the experience of facing death threats and a kidnapping plot for her actions during the COVID pandemic.

Like every governor in the country, I was trying to build the plane while we were flying it. We were addressing a pandemic that was killing our people, we were getting mis-information out of the White House, we were told "go find your own masks and gloves" and Detroit as well as New York City and Chicago and New Orleans was on fire early on. Our hospitals were full, we had makeshift morgues and I was told "go find your own equipment." So I went on national television asking for help. I also observed that the federal government had no federal strategy and that made Donald Trump angry. That's when he started singling me out. When he called me "that woman from Michigan", that's when my Republican legislature turned on me and starting suing me to take away my powers and wouldn't extend my stay-at-home orders and every time Trump even mentioned Michigan, I got more death threats. So there was a cause and an effect and he knew it. He knew his words incited people to action... When we all saw January 6 happen, no one in Michigan was surprised because we saw it happening a lot earlier in our state.

Colbert interjected and said, "But you said you want to meet these men, You want to talk to them, which I admire. I'm curious, what do you want to say to these men, who have gone to jail, correct? What do you hope to learn from them?"

I want to understand what the hell's going on. We have three hundred and thirty million people in this country and fourteen thought it was right to take guns and go threaten a governor's life. That's not a rational reaction so what was really happening there? That's what I'd like to understand. Maybe I can learn something and become a better governor, become a better human being. Maybe there's nothing to learn and it wouldn't be a good use of time but I want to give it a try. I care about solving problems and giving everyone hope and opportunity and for whatever reason, these folks didn't feel that in that moment and I want to see if I can learn something from it.

We have three hundred and thirty million people in this country and fourteen thought it was right to take guns and go threaten a governor's life. That's not a rational reaction so what was really happening there? That's what I'd like to understand. Maybe I can learn something and become a better governor, become a better human being.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifi_Oi350Dk

I have no idea what will happen in the remainer of the 2024 race but Whitmer has jumped to the top of my list for her combination of policy, courage and communication abilities for 2028.


WTH

I'm in Michigan, and I like Whitmer, think she's done well in her time as Gov.

I clearly remember the PPE crisis, Trump and his administration not wanting to provide any
help to any Gov that didn't kiss the ring. Remember Kushner being quoted saying that the
PPE the Federal Government had available was not to be given out to the States, it was Federal PPE and States had to find their own !!!! Whitmer had a bullseye on her back, and handled it well.

Actually had a friend who was part of the armed group that took up position in the Lansing Capitol. Lost a lot of respect for him, as he has pretty much lived his entire adult life
on SSI disability. He wanted to be part of an armed show of force on the Government, which was then and is still now paying 100% of his living expenses. He wanted to be part of a group that overthrew the government that was keeping him alive, lol, still have trouble wrapping my head around that.

"Actually had a friend who was part of the armed group that took up position in the Lansing Capitol. Lost a lot of respect for him, as he has pretty much lived his entire adult life
on SSI disability. He wanted to be part of an armed show of force on the Government, which was then and is still now paying 100% of his living expenses. He wanted to be part of a group that overthrew the government that was keeping him alive, lol, still have trouble wrapping my head around that."

It all comes down to blame.

Most people don't envision themselves living off of SSI. Most people imagine the best version of themselves being smart, wealthy, and successful. Especially the "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" crowd. They should be all of those things. So reality hits and they are not any of those things. They aren't smart, wealthy or successful. They are living off of SSI which means they are barely scraping by. They are driving beater cars and eating at Applebee's once a month for their nice night out. Meanwhile they see on TV people living much better than they are by driving nice cars and eating nicer food.

Why is that?

They were supposed to be smart, wealthy and successful but they are living off of SSI? They can either accept that life dealt them a bad hand, and/or maybe they made some bad choices, but that goes against human nature. So they get people like Trump and the GOP who get them to blame others. If it wasn't for Biden and the evil Democrats encouraging immigrants to come to this country and take their jobs, they would have been smart wealthy and successful. It is Biden's fault. Then once that gets ingrained, it is an easy hop for some corporate interest like to Koch brothers to ingrain in their minds that criminal immigrants and lazy Black people are holding them back by sucking up so much welfare money that everyone is taxed to death and cannot get ahead.

It doesn't matter that they are on Welfare. If some con man can sell them a story that they are being held back by welfare for someone "lower" than them, they will gladly think welfare is a scam.

Human nature.

Actually had a friend who was part of the armed group that took up position in the Lansing Capitol. Lost a lot of respect for him, as he has pretty much lived his entire adult life
on SSI disability. He wanted to be part of an armed show of force on the Government, which was then and is still now paying 100% of his living expenses. He wanted to be part of a group that overthrew the government that was keeping him alive, lol, still have trouble wrapping my head around that

Yes. Orwell had a name for that that escapes me at the moment. Not trusting the government hails back to before we were states in the Midwest and West. I've seen people who are wheelchair bound and need assistance daily who are still anti-government and if you question them about it, they get angry.

And again, a reflection / repeat of typical Fascist messaging. I will not pretend to compare Orange Julius to the H word, but:
B. Speech at Nuremberg, September 14, 1935
Nothing is possible unless one will commands, a will which has to be obeyed by others,
beginning at the top and ending only at the very bottom. This is the expression of an authoritarian state –
not of a weak, babbling democracy – of an authoritarian state where everyone is proud to obey, because
he knows: I will likewise be obeyed when I must take command.

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