That Woman From Michigan Wants to Go to Washington

Michigan social media influencer and part-time governor Gretchen Whitmer delivered her final State of the State last week, closing with “Big Gretch out.” But those of us paying attention know she’s just getting started on higher, national ambitions.

Michiganders know our kids are behind, jobs are leaving, energy prices are skyrocketing, and the roads aren’t fixed. But I’m not going to focus on correcting her obvious gaslighting, broken promises, absence from her duties as governor, or demanding accountability that will probably never come.

I’m going to tell you why she remains popular, why this matters, and what we can do about it.

Whitmer’s approval rating remains over 50%, higher than Michigan’s last four governors at the end of their terms. Her national approval rating is lower, at around 26%—but with a years to go and her hyperfocus on building a national brand, that number may only go up.

This is the woman who banned seeds during the pandemic, left seniors alone to die in nursing homes, made Michigan second in America for unemployment, moved Michigan into the bottom 10 for education, blew over $1 million on “economic development trade missions” that have resulted in few jobs, and left us with several empty megasites as a reminder.

This is the woman who asked us to Google a haircut, canceled Thanksgiving, proposed rebuilding Michigan on the abortion industry, told us schools were only closed for three months during the pandemic, made an offensive Dorito communion video, and hid behind binders in the Oval Office.

How could anyone possibly vote for this woman or view her favorably knowing all that and remembering what she has done to our state?

Watch her speech through the eyes of someone who is not politically connected. Forget everything you know as a reader of Michigan Enjoyer and pretend you’re one of the voters who will wake up next November, briefly check into politics, and head to the polls.

If the politically disconnected had tuned in last week, which they probably didn’t, they saw someone who is funny, authentic, and confident. They saw someone they could have a beer with, someone who shared the pain of losing her father, the love of her daughters.

She was able to put partisan differences aside for a minute and thank Republican House Speaker Matt Hall for his road funding package and President Donald Trump for the work he did on Selfridge.

These voters are assessing her on clips, reels, and vibes and they will vote accordingly. Personality over policy is the way.

They are looking for something we can’t quantify in a policy poll. The closest we can get is “favorability.” They won’t spend hours reading about her record or policies. They will scroll through her social media. They want a personality. Nothing else will matter much except who is running against her and whether or not they like (or dislike) them more.

Voters are looking for hope and many are gullible. They are looking for an end to toxic politics. They crave authenticity. Gavin Newsom doesn’t have it. That Woman From Michigan might.

We elected President Trump twice not just because he’s an effective leader with a strong policy platform but because he is authentic, bold, and—frankly—polarizing.

Like Trump, Whitmer has built her own unique brand around her personality. She’s not a “meh”. Voters either love her or loathe her—just like Trump. This is why we cannot mark her “out” just yet.

Voters in 2028 will check in sometime in the next two years. And when they do, it’s our job as Michiganders to call out the True Gretch. It will be on us to make sure the rest of America knows the truth—her policies have left Michigan woke, broke, and in the dark.

If Big Gretch is “out,” it’s our job to make sure she never gets back “in.”