'The Woman in Michigan' Goes National
It’s a loaded question. This particular call, one of dozens Whitmer will make on Monday, April 6, comes at a moment of relative calm for the governor who has become one of America’s most visible political leaders amid the Covid-19 pandemic. But the last few weeks have been madness. Since Michigan’s first cases were identified on March 11, Whitmer, having already declared a state of emergency, shut down schools and businesses, banned large gatherings, broadened unemployment benefits and ordered citizens to shelter-in-place.
It wasn’t enough. With Michigan’s death toll soaring, and the state running low on resources, Whitmer began pleading with Washington for help while publicly criticizing the lack of a national Covid-19 strategy. Predictably, this provoked ad hominem retribution from President Trump. He called her “Gretchen ‘Half’ Whitmer.” He dismissed the governor, during a White House press briefing, as “the woman in Michigan.” He declared that his administration would help only governors who were “appreciative” of his efforts.
Meanwhile, with Whitmer’s handling of the outbreak garnering praise, she has gained altitude as a trendy choice to become Joe Biden’s running mate—a reality not lost on Trump, who has continued to single her out for attack. All of this has further complicated Whitmer’s nightmarish circumstance, injecting fragile egotism and election-year politics into a public health disaster that’s grown bleaker by the day.
“Well, I’m doing all right,” Whitmer replies. “You know, I got a message that you had called our office on Tuesday and spoke with Nathan. And I know that you shared your wife’s experience at Henry Ford [Hospital] and just wanted to touch base and see if there’s any updates. We’ve been working so hard to get her the Personal Protection Equipment, but I’d love to hear directly from you.”
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/04/09/gretchen-whitmer-governor-michigan-profile-2020-coronavirus-biden-vp-177791
= new reply since forum marked as read
We need her inspirational courage and strength in these times..........
