(Source: MIRS.news, Published 04/28/2023) When asked what could doom Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's viability as a possible 2028 presidential candidate, Amy Walter of The Cook Political Report told MIRS that Whitmer's task of keeping attention on herself will become "harder a year, two years . . . four years away from today."
"Let me say this, it is really, really hard to predict the next cycle . . . I mean, actually, just trying to predict what's gonna happen in 2024, nonetheless four years from now," Walter said to MIRS. "Being at the center of the political conversation, as Whitmer is today, keeps you in the discussion."
Walter spoke to MIRS ahead of the annual Michigan Political Leadership Program (MPLP) fundraising dinner on Thursday, where she participated as the keynote speaker.
Regardless of whether President Joe Biden is reelected in 2024, new political figures will emerge in the four-year waiting period until 2028.
"And I think the other issue is the number of governors who were elected last year who are seen as rising stars in the same way that Whitmer is," Walter said, mentioning Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey.
Walter said the aforementioned list of new Democratic governors are all in the same age group as Whitmer, 51. Healey is 52. Shapiro is 49. Moore is 44. Ultimately, she indicated the group "will be interesting to watch" as each one is observed as a rising presidential contender in pundit pieces.
As for Michigan's Republican community, Walter discussed why the open 2024 U.S. Senate race might not be Republicans' window of opportunity for regaining success in Michigan.
"If the party itself is kind of imploding, it doesn't really bring confidence to potential candidates, right? If you're thinking about running, you may not think that the party is the most important thing in terms of supporting your candidacy, but it sort of speaks to a bigger challenge in the state, which is Republicans split between those who sort of fit in . . . let's call it 'more traditional establishment' mold, and those who come from the new Trumpian mold," Walter said.
When it comes to the abortion issue influencing elections, Walter described how although Michigan has enshrined abortion access as a state-constitutional right through Proposal 3 of 2022 (which won by more than 56% of the vote), the discussion continues around whether national abortion restrictions could be created by the federal government.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court opted to leave a case that could possibly ban or restrain the use of the abortion-inducing medication, Mifepristone, to be handled by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, with oral arguments scheduled for May 17.
Walter suggested the case involving Mifepristone and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could resurface voters' emotions from 2022 – "the sense of the ground shifting constantly, not really feeling confident."
"The issue itself (is) not as burning hot front and center as it was in 2022. I still think it'll be part of the conversation for those reasons . . .(Also) will the Republican nominee for the (U.S.) Senate here, will the Republican nominee for president have an answer to that question about 'nationally, what do you think should happen?'" Walter said in relation to abortion.
