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What. A. Week: The Democratic and Republican National Conventions are kind of political Lollapaloozas. (But apparently without Beyonce.) Every four years, the parties come together and put on the best shows they can to adoring crowds. And this week’s DNC did not lack the theatrics. From Oprah Winfrey to former President Barack Obama making an, ahem, crowd-size joke, Democrats grabbed the headlines. But, in Michigan this week, former President Donald Trump tried to create some counter-programming to the DNC in Livingston County (Rick was there and has more about the trip below).
Here in our swing-state, we’re focusing on what Michigan Democrats had to say on the big stage: Governor Gretchen Whitmer focused on pocketbook issues (with a swipe at ‘that man from Mar-a-Lago’), Attorney General Dana Nessel focused on LGBTQ rights, State Senator Mallory McMorrow on Project 25 (with props), Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin on foreign policy, and Senator Gary Peters and UAW President Shawn Fain on labor. While many Michigan Democrats took the stage, continued focus remains on the fact that the Uncommitted National Movement was denied a speaking spot this week.
Digging deeper: Now that the conventions are over, the on-the-ground campaigning heats back up. (Trump has already announced he’s coming back to Michigan on Monday.) So, expect many, many more visits from the presidential and vice presidential candidates and their surrogates over the next 73 days.
— GET CAUGHT UP —
Trump visits Howell to deliver law-and-order address
Rick’s take: Zoe likes to say Trump didn’t so much win Michigan in 2016 as Hillary Clinton lost it. And she has a strong case. The margin was 47.5% to 47.27% in 2016 when Trump took Michigan’s electoral votes. Joe Biden actually got 50.6% in 2020 to win outright.* The point is, Donald Trump has never won 50% or more in Michigan. That should worry Michigan Republicans. Well, Democrats, too, since it is possible to win the election without getting a majority of all the votes cast. Trump’s visit (it was *not* a rally) to ruby-red Livingston County suggests the GOP plan is to rouse voters in Republican areas of the state to turn out in an effort to counter “Kamalamentum” (if that’s a roll that continues for the next 73 days). Trump’s message was supposed to be public safety-heavy, but, of course, Trump being Trump, there was meandering, including a prediction that U.S. auto jobs would disappear within three years if he loses the election.
(*Turnout was higher in 2020, too: 71% of eligible voters compared to 63% in 2016. Why do Democrats and Republicans fight over laws that make it easier for more people to vote? That’s why.)
Duggan: ‘Harris is going to be very good for Detroit’
Zoe’s take: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan was in Chicago this week for the DNC and meetings with mayors from across the country. We knew Duggan and President Joe Biden were close but when I spoke with Duggan this week he went into more details than he has in the past (we’re talking three-hour dinners and family Christmas party invites). Biden’s always stressed that personal relationships are foundational in politics and it’s clear that Duggan knows how important having a friend in the White House is. I asked him about what he thinks a Harris presidency would mean for Detroit and, of course, I had to ask him about the rumors that he’s running for Governor in 2026. Take a listen to hear how he answered.
Requests for November absentee ballots are now open
Democracy's Take: Ballots are almost here! You can already request an absentee ballot for November! As Capitol reporter Colin Jackson explains, “the ballots themselves are scheduled to become available September 26 after the list of candidates becomes finalized. Voting by mail has become a more popular option in the state’s elections since 2018, when Michigan voters approved a constitutional amendment that allowed for absentee voting without an excuse.”
— IJP ON THE ROAD —
If you just can’t get enough DNC coverage this week, Zoe joined Detroit Public Television’s One Detroit to talk all things convention.
— WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AT THE DINNER TABLE —
- Whitmer goes prime-time: In last week’s newsletter, we mused about which night (and at what time) Governor Whitmer would speak at the DNC. The conventional wisdom: the closer you are to the last night and in prime-time signifies your draw. Well, we knew Whitmer would get a good time-slot but, boy, did she get a really, really good time-slot. (last night, just a few folks ahead of Harris). It’s just one more example of Whitmer becoming an absolute brand ambassador for the Democratic Party.
- This weekend’s conventions (yes, there are more!): Michigan Republicans and Democrats hold their state conventions this coming weekend. (Some Democratic politicos will go almost directly from Chicago to Lansing for Saturday’s state convention.) The parties will finalize their nominations for the November ballot, including the governing boards for Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University, as well as the Michigan State Board of Education. The most highly anticipated nominations may be for two seats on the Michigan Supreme Court. Justice Kyra Harris Bolden is seeking the Democratic nomination to complete a partial term after she was appointed to fill a vacancy by Governor Whitmer. Republican attorney Matt Deperno (yes, that Matt Deperno) is seeking a Supreme Court nomination as he battles criminal charges for allegedly trying to break into a voting machine following the 2020 election. Five other candidates are also running and it may take multiple ballots for delegates to make their choices. Worth mentioning, Michigan political parties nominate Supreme Court candidates but nominees appear on the non-partisan portion of the ballot. A quirky aspect of Supreme Court campaigns is reminding party-line voters to remember their names on the non-partisan section of the ballot. The process is so uniquely convoluted it is known as the Michigan Method.
- Independent and third party candidates are having a moment: Independent presidential candidate Cornel West is suing to get on the Michigan ballot after he was booted for faulty paperwork. But Robert F. Kennedy Jr. won’t be able to pull his name off the Michigan ballot like he seems to have done in Arizona to form a political alliance with Trump. RFK Jr. is on the ballot in Michigan as the nominee of the Michigan Natural Law Party – selected at a two-person convention. It was a quick and easy alternative to the task of gathering thousands of signatures of registered voters to qualify as an independent candidate. It can also be a dicey proposition (just ask West). RFK Jr. was never going to win a lot of votes, but, as has been pointed out time and time again, small things can make a huge difference in a close race.
Yours in political nerdiness,
Rick Pluta & Zoe Clark
Co-hosts, It’s Just Politics
P.S.: Got questions? Or, just want to let us know what you want more of (less of?) in the newsletter? We always want to hear from you! Shoot us an email at politics@michiganpublic.org!
