Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., is defending her partys identity politics strategy while conceding that Democrats messaging may be too obtuse for many voters to grasp.
In a recent interview, Whitmer rejected the notion that Democrats have tilted the playing field by obsessing over inclusivity at the expense of broad-based appeal. As reported by Fox News, NPR host Steve Inskeep pressed Whitmer on whether the partys focus on identity groups had gone too far, but she insisted, No, I don't think so, during NPRs Morning Edition.
She attempted to justify the partys approach with an environmental analogy, saying, You know, when you say, 'Let's save the rainforest,' it doesn't mean you say, I hate all the other forests, right? It's recognizing a unique vulnerability. I think that's smart. I think that that's what we have to do when it comes to all of our policies.
Whitmer further portrayed Democrats as universally aspirational, declaring, Democrats are a big tent, and, We want everyone to be successful. It's not picking and choosing. It's not a zero-sum game where I only win if you lose. Everyone can get ahead. And that's got to be our mindset. And that's why I'm a Democrat. Sometimes, maybe our message is too obtuse for people. And we have to really have those interactions where people feel like, yeah, you matter, too.
Pressed to clarify what she meant by obtuse, Whitmer admitted, Well, we make everything so general that sometimes people can't see themselves in it. I think that that's a pitfall. She also stressed the need for more direct engagement with voters, remarking, You're not learning if you're not listening.
Whitmers comments come as she is frequently mentioned as a potential Democratic presidential contender in 2028 and was even floated as a possible replacement for former President Joe Biden on the 2024 ticket. Yet her national ambitions may be complicated by intra-party backlash, as she faced heavy criticism from members of her own party after participating in an Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump in April, a reminder of how fraught Democratic politics have become in the Trump era.
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