It's July 4th Weekend. I just finished reading Fear: Trump in the White House by Bob Woodward. One of the first things I do is check Politico for any new headlines while thinking about what to write about in my next diary. Then my eye catches this headline. "The Michigan Democrat Who Could Solve Their Parties Identity Crisis ."I thought it was referring to Gretchen Whitmer. The Democratic Governor of Michigan won her seat after Rick Snyder was term-limited. But I was wrong. It was about someone I had never heard of before.
The Indiana Hoosier Hospitality Dinner is a chance for Indiana Democrats to hear from candidates and elected officials all across the country. Catherine Cortez Masto and Keith Ellison have headlined this event in the past.
Speaking to the crowd of Democrats was Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow. The Democrat who flipped a Republican District in 2018. Who drove from her district in Michigan to speak at this event. McMorrow's speech became viral when she defended herself against one of her colleagues. (1) That same speech has racked up 15 million views, counting on Twitter, and ricocheted across Facebook. The one that earned her a congratulatory voicemail from President Joe Biden. The one that Hillary Clinton retweeted and Bette Midler, too. As James Carville admiringly said, the one in which, "She just went to the well of the Senate and said, 'Let me tell you who I am.'" (1). Getting the attention of James Carville told me that the Michigan State Senate is not the last stop of her political career.
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She told the audience to talk to everyone. ("You might be the first Democrat people ever meet.”) She gave them tips on knocking on doors. ("Find something on peoples' porches that you like and compliment it." For her, it's "ceramic ducks that people in Michigan put on their porches, and they dress them up in different outfits depending on the season. I'm obsessed with them. We talk about that for 20 minutes. And then they ask for a yard sign.”) And she told them to avoid partisan scripts and talking points. ("Be you. Be authentic. Be real.”) (1)
The Democrats I have talked to said we need to stop being the party of nice. The Republicans win elections, pander to prejudice, endorse conspiracy theories and still find some way to win elections. The Michigan Democrat has not only stood up for herself. She also gave national Democrats a blueprint for standing up to these conspiracy theories peddling republicans that poison our political discourse.
As of 2018, Michigan has independent redistricting, and her new district merged with State Senator Mashall Bullock. It is creating a primary that will take place on August 2nd.
Resources (1)
www.politico.com/…
www.michigan.gov/…
www.indems.org/...