(Source: MIRS.news, Published 08/19/22) (LANSING) – Attendees of the 2022 Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) nominating convention came with the fire in their belly around the dubious state of abortion in Michigan, with pews of sign-holders chanting reproductive freedom demands.
The Saturday-Sunday convention took place in the direct aftermath of the Oakland County Circuit Court's ruling to extend the preliminary injunction blocking Michigan's 91-year-old manslaughter ban on abortion. With the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the national ban on abortion earlier this year, the only thing preventing Michigan's 1931 law from going into effect is the Governor's lawsuit seeking to overturn the law.
Fresh off that aforementioned victory as part of her lawsuit crusade to suffocate the 1931 law, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer stepped onto the weekend's final stage to Elton John’s "I'm Still Standing."
"Public education is on this ballot. Our economic future is on this ballot. Our democracy itself is on this ballot . . . and the right to choose is on this ballot," Whitmer said. "And I can tell you I will never stop fighting to make sure my daughter and every woman and girl have the same rights I had my whole life."
After the statement, the crowd erupted into howling and a chorus of "my body, my choice" that rattled across the Lansing Center walls.
A total of 1,029 delegates attended this year's convention, where Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and the rest of the incumbents and previously endorsed candidates named down their nominations. With the November election 79 days away, the convention gave Democratic rookies, old-timers and the once-testy progressives a chance to poke fun at the internal conflict within the Republican Party.
During a Saturday speech to the caucus for the 13th congressional district, which consists of the pre-redistricting 13th district, Attorney General Dana Nessel referred to the Republican Party as "a huge dumpster fire."
"But like one that's like floating down a river somewhere and it's about to explode. That's the Republican Party – the Republican Party is now the religious party of one man, right? It's the Party of Trump," Nessel said, addressing the GOP's relationship with former President Donald Trump.
For her nomination speech, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson came out to "Eye of the Tiger" booming from the speakers. Often considered an elections brainiac within her party, Benson called for the crowd to make "vote for democracy" their battle cry.
"Right now conspiracy theorists and election deniers are carrying out a coordinated strategy to delegitimize democracy. One of them is running to replace me. Another is running to replace the Attorney General," she told the audience. "And still another is running to be the governor of this state."
Gilchrist zoomed in on connectivity for his speech, highlighting the executive office's prioritization of broadband internet expansion and large-scale projects for roads and bridges. He additionally said the Whitmer-Gilchrist ticket connects people "to their full potential here in Michigan, and that includes connecting every woman and person who has the potential to be pregnant to their choice to define their future and their families."
When it came to brainstorming ways to revitalize Democratic enthusiasm during an uncontested year for statewide nominations, abortion became a talking point in large and small capacities alike.
"It's kind of a scary can of worms to open…so a lot of us Democrats are sitting here thinking, 'if they're coming after abortion, they won't stop there.' So a lot of the message we've been getting out is that we need to be on the offensive now," said 27 year-old Leaha Skylar-Dotson of Ypsilanti, the chair of Young Democrats of Michigan.
Skylar-Dotson was exiting the convention on Sunday, dressed in a tie-dye blazer and stimulated by a weekend full of back-to-back caucus appearances.
"There is still a lot of push for reform and for more conversations that need to be had, but like I said, look at the other side of the aisle – this is not really a gamble," she told MIRS. "You may not love your congressional rep, but look at what your other option is. You may not love every vote that Gov. Whitmer has taken, but then look at what our option is with (Tudor Dixon). There really is no debate at this point, I would say, for most Democrats in the state."
A dominant presence throughout the Lansing Center was the Reproductive Freedom for All ballot effect that submitted more than 750,000 signatures to be voted on during November.
"We need to get people out for this ballot initiative with reproductive freedom, and hopefully those people who turn out to vote for that will also copy that with a vote for Dana Nessel and Gretchen Whitmer, so that we can get that initiative in our constitution . . . but we can also get the women back in office who are going to protect that constitutional amendment," Skylar-Dotson said.
On Saturday, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein – who's co-campaigning with present-day state Rep. Kyra Bolden (D-Southfield) for court seats – visited the party's women's caucus. Before the two both had their nominations secured, Bernstein told the room that "the Michigan Supreme Court will be the absolute last word in determining reproductive rights in the state of Michigan."
"In my time and in my years as a judge, things have never been this serious. The consequences have never been this dramatic. The stakes have never been this high," Bernstein told the room of more than 30 attendees. "This is when life, people, everything matters – because politics (and the) process always affects us, but it's never affected us this (personally) and this deeply as it does now."
One of the women's caucus attendees was 41-year-old Abigail Prout of Auburn Hills. This weekend marked Prout's first-ever time participating in a MDP state convention, after she submitted her name as a write-in candidate for precinct delegate.
When asked about the Aug. 19 court injunction, Prout said she experienced a "huge sigh of relief."
"I know it's not set in stone yet, but that gives me a lot of hope that come November, we will not be going back to that old system because I'm sorry, I just don't understand how any politician has any right to tell me what to do with my body. Period," Prout told MIRS. "I think we're in a good spot. I never realized how purple Michigan was until recently, and we need to definitely get it pushed more towards the blue side because now we can't go back."
However, some continue to speculate if Democrats both across the United States and in Michigan drew the short straw for this election year, especially as reports on the accelerated cost of living continue to roll out.
On Aug. 17, Reuters also reported that Democratic President Joe Biden's approval rating hit 38% for the week, which is one of the lowest marks of his presidency since he hit 36% during May.
But for Jill Dunham, chair of the Allegan County Democrats, she believes the biggest challenges facing Democrats this year "are the lies."
"The Republicans are trafficking in a lot of lies. I work really hard to be a cooperator and a collaborator. I am friends with the chair of the Republican Party in Allegan County. He lives in my township. I get my eggs from him and his wife," Dunham said. "But the challenge is that most Republicans are not operating with integrity."
