The armed, Trump-backed, lockdown protestors who are helping build the profile of possible Biden VP pick, Gretchen Whitmer
The efforts to combat COVID-19 have divided America and overnight saw extraordinary scenes when hundreds of protesters, many of them armed, burst into Michigan’s state capitol to object to plans to extend the state of emergency in the state. The State’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, has incurred the wrath of Trump for not being appreciative enough of his efforts.
The idea that anybody armed to the hilt could enter a parliament building while it was in session is quite extraordinary and has inevitably focussed attention on Governor Whitmer’s efforts to curb the spread of the virus in the state with the third biggest death toll.
All this has helped build her national profile and she is currently rated as the fourth favourite on Betfair to be the Democratic party’s vice presidential nominee.
Biden has narrowed the field of speculation by making it clear that he wants a woman alongside him on the ticket and Whitmer is probably emerging as the best-known Democrat politician who is not in the US senate.
Giving how the pandemic is totally dominating everything then Whitmer, who has had one relatively good TV appearance after another in recent days makes a lot of sense.
Another issue that might sway it to Whitmer in the eyes of Biden is that Michigan is an absolute must win state for the Democrats and was taken by Trump by the most minuscule of margins in 2016.