What Democrats Can Learn From Gretchen Whitmer
Gretchen Whitmer is one of the names you often see on lists of Democratic V.P. contenders. She\u2019s swatted that speculation down repeatedly, but the interest in her makes a lot of sense. Michigan is a must-win state for Democrats, and she has won the governorship of that state twice, by significant margins each time. She\u2019s also long been one of the Democratic Party\u2019s most talented and forthright messengers on abortion.\n\nSo I think Whitmer has a lot to teach Democrats right now, whether she\u2019s Kamala Harris\u2019s running mate or not. In this conversation we discuss how her 2018 campaign slogan to \u201cfix the damn roads\u201d has translated into a governing philosophy, how she talks about reproductive rights in a swing state, what Democrats can learn from the success of female politicians in Michigan, how she sees the gender politics of the presidential election this year and more.\n\nMentioned:\n\nTrue Gretch by Gretchen Whitmer\n\n\u201cThe Spartan: Why Gretchen Whitmer Has What It Takes for a White House Run\u201d by Jennifer Palmieri\n\n\u201cAmerica\u2019s New Political War Pits Young Men Against Young Women\u201d by Aaron Zitner and Andrew Restuccia\n\nBook Recommendations:\n\nTomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin\n\nBurn Book by Kara Swisher\n\nTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee\n\nThoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.\n\nYou can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of \u201cThe Ezra Klein Show\u201d at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.\n\nThis episode of \u201cThe Ezra Klein Show\u201d was produced by our senior editor, Claire Gordon. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris, with Kate Sinclair and Mary Marge Locker. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld. The show\u2019s production team also includes Annie Galvin, Rollin Hu, Elias Isquith, Kristin Lin and Aman Sahota. Original music by Isaac Jones. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Special thanks to Isaac Jones.