(Source: MIRS.news, Published 03/08/2023) It's been widely reported that at 5:20 a.m. after the polls were closed on Election Day, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer learned that, "We flipped the house."
"I don't think I slept for three days" after learning that, an overjoyed governor told an audience at the University of Michigan last week.
Appearing with CNN journalist Chris Wallace, the Governor told the University of Michigan audience, that after that, she met with both the Senate and House Democratic caucuses and urged them, "don't use the term mandate."
She has pointed out on numerous occasions that, due to the slim margin of control, "We could lose by one or two seats."
It underscores her acknowledgment that getting GOP support is very important as she moves her agenda along.
On other issues, speaking hours after the Michigan House voted to expand the state's Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act to include the LGBTQ community, the Governor noted, "those guys are cranking out the policy we ran on.
As for the other side, she reflected, "They are still trying to figure out what life is like in the minority."
The Governor remains optimistic about the future but she added, "My head is not in the clouds."
As far as social media, the Governor conceded that she uses TikTok and other social media accounts to keep people informed, but she has concerns that information on social media is being specifically curated and disseminated to match the user.
"The power of having that intelligence is really dangerous. It is a part of what matriculated into Jan. 6 . . . The pervasive misuse of people's information and dissemination of inaccurate material, I think it poses a real current threat to our democracy," Whitmer said.
"As great a proponent of free speech and access as I am, I have real concerns about how social media promoters are misusing it and hurting people with it," she said.
