Michigan is a must-win state for Joe Biden. When you look at the polls and run the numbers, he has to win all of the Great Lakes battleground states to win the presidential election. Biden only won the state by three points in 2020, but Donald Trump currently leads in the polls there and previously won the state in 2016, so Biden can't take Michigan for granted and must make a significant push.
On Friday, Biden went to Detroit for a rally. While reports say that those in attendance greeted him enthusiastically, it was who didn't show up that was the most telling. According to the Associated Press, key Democrats in the state bailed on appearing with him.
But at a critical juncture when Biden needs to consolidate support, key Democratic leaders in the state were notably absent Friday.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is co-chair of Biden’s campaign, was out of the state. Sens. Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, and Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who is vying for Michigan’s open Senate seat, were also not there. United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, whom Biden actively courted during last year’s strikes, was traveling for a conference.
Rep. Hillary Scholten, who is seeking reelection in a battleground district in western Michigan, is among the lawmakers who’ve called on Biden to step aside.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, one of the more prominent Democratic leaders appearing with Biden on Friday, refused to say whether she believed Biden should still be the party’s presidential nominee.
“I’m just focused on making sure people know what’s at stake this year and know how to exercise their vote,” she said.
Not all Michigan Democrats were afraid to share the stage with him.
Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell, Rep. Haley Stevens, Rep. Shri Thanedar and AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler accompanied Biden on Air Force One from Washington to Detroit, in Biden’s fourth trip to the state this year. Also attending was Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer. And over a dozen Detroit-area state lawmakers signed onto a joint letter Thursday “to express our unwavering support” for Biden.
Imagine being the sitting president of the United States visiting a crucial, must-win battleground state, and key Democrats and allies won't go near you — including the sitting governor.
To say that's humiliating is an understatement. Whitmer is among the Democrats who could be a potential replacement for Biden if he drops out. Though she has thrown cold water on this idea, if there was ever a time for her to demonstrate her commitment to supporting Biden, this was the time.
"Look, we all have scheduling conflicts sometimes," remarked pollster Nate Silver in a post on X. "'Netflix-and-chill' nights, having to look at new carpet samples, miniature golf outings, etc. It's not like this is the President of the United States or something."
According to Julie Tsirkin of NBC News, this isn't the first time Democrats have kept their distance from Biden.
At least three Senate Democrats that are in cycle are skipping the meeting with President Biden’s campaign team:@SenatorTester “scheduling conflict”@SenSherrodBrown “not interested in campaign meetings”@timkaine “previously scheduled commitment”
— Julie Tsirkin (@JulieNBCNews) July 11, 2024
w/ @ryanobles @frankthorp
The Associated Press did what it could to make the rally sound like a success despite the absence of key Democrats by highlighting the enthusiasm of attendees for Biden. However, one thing they did not report on was how his brain malfunctioned at the start of his speech.
It took about 30 seconds into Biden's Michigan event for his brain to completely malfunction pic.twitter.com/UEeQXQBD4D
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 12, 2024
I think it is safe to say that we can expect to see more vulnerable Democrats to have "scheduling conflicts" that prevent them from appearing with Biden when he comes to town.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member