Dem
51
GOP
49
Just in case you thought Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) didn't have any national ambitions, well, think again. Her book True Gretch will be published today. Here is the cover of the book:
Sure, she will make some money from it, but that isn't the real goal. It is to raise her national profile for a run at national office. No doubt she was thinking about 2028, but the uncertainty of Joe Biden being on the ticket could change that. Of course, she is vehemently denying that she has an interest in 2024, but that is par for the course. But if there is an open convention and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) jumps in, she might as well. Some people are already speculating about Newsom/Whitmer 2024 or maybe the reverse.
One problem that she has this year, and which she can't fix, is that she can't be Kamala Harris' running mate. The Democrats are operating on the presumption that an all-female senate delegation works fine in Minnesota, New Hampshire, Nevada, and Washington, but an all-female national ticket is many bridges too far. So if Harris is the nominee, Whitmer will have to sit out 2024. If Harris wins, Whitmer will have to wait until 2032. If Harris loses, Whitmer can try in 2028.
The book is an autobiography and talks about how Whitmer was inspired by her grandmother, who told her never to part her hair in the middle. It also talks about her leadership. Her motto is "get sh** done." As soon as the book is out, reporters will speed read it to see if she ever shot her dog in the head, something some aspiring politicians do.
Yesterday, Whitmer said that she would not run for president even if Joe Biden dropped out. Take that with a couple of cups of salt. If Biden really does drop out and there is some kind of mini-primary or the town halls James Carville suggested, many Democrats will put a lot of pressure on her to jump in. She would be one of the strongest candidates for either president or vice president. Few politicians will insist on not running when their party really wants them in. (V)