Posted on 11/04/2022 2:16:05 AM PDT by Morgana
Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has settled on a closing pitch for voters ahead of next week’s midterms: save abortion to save the economy.
The embattled governor believes Democrats shouldn’t make a false choice between emphasizing abortion or the economy on the campaign trail, she told Politico. In her view, the two issues are inextricably tied together.
“I hear from businesses all the time that they are feeling the weight of the ‘she-cession,’ meaning women leaving the workplace during Covid,” Whitmer said. “If we want women to come back into the workplace in Michigan, we better not take away their right to be full citizens and make decisions about their own health care. That’s what’s at risk here.”
Whitmer said she believes Michigan, if it protects abortion access, could lure workers from neighboring states that implement strict abortion bans. She also thinks there will be a mass exodus of workers out of Michigan if the tide turns in the opposite direction.
“I’m going to be working to draw investment into Michigan once we lock women’s rights into law,” Whitmer said. “We have the best workforce, low cost of living, high quality of life and women can make decisions about their bodies. That’s the story I want to be able to tell.”
Other Democrats, both in Michigan and other states, are deploying the same messaging. Stacey Abrams, the Democratic nominee for governor in Georgia, recently said protecting abortion access is a key part of dealing with inflation, because it allows individuals to make economic choices about their family planning.
In addition to Whitmer’s re-election campaign, Michigan voters will have a choice to make in the midterm elections on an abortion-related ballot measure. Proposal 3 would amend the Michigan Constitution to include a broad right to “reproductive freedom,” which legal experts say would negate the state’s 1931 abortion ban along with other, newer regulations.
Recent polls have shown the “yes” side of Proposal 3 with a fairly sizable lead, with 54% of likely voters saying they would vote in favor of the change. As for Whitmer, she holds a narrow advantage over Republican challenger Tudor Dixon going into the home stretch of the campaign.
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