Tim Skubick

Human nature being what it is, if you have friends who are doctors or lawyers, be honest, you’ve probably abused that friendship by trying to get some advice on this or that without having to pay their huge fees. Right?

To a lesser degree the same “freebie” mentality sometimes applies to those blessed with covering politics. Hence it came as no shock the other day that the friendly guy who drills teeth was anxious to share his thinking.

“Come 2028 I think she runs for president,” he was direct and to the point.

Of course 2028 is the next election and the “she” is … you know who.

After he got done with his rationale for this “informed” opinion, he waited to be patted on the head for coming to that conclusion.

But alas, there was no pat because to do that one would have required a lie.

“She’s not running,” came the unexpected response with the corresponding look of disbelief. The good news was he was not going to be doing any work on a certain person’s mouth that day.

In his defense, all the tell-tale signs were visible and she has never said “never.” So he has lots of company when it comes to one Gretchen Whitmer would-be presidential contender.

A guy named Jonathon Martin, one of the political writers for Politico, has been bird-dogging Ms. Whitmer and her possible bid for some time.

Back in July of 2023, he sat with the Michigan governor gazing out at the Big Mac bridge from the perch known as the governor’s residence on Mackinac Island as she shared her thoughts on the subject. (He made it clear in the piece it was not be called a mansion. Direct orders from the main occupant.)

The political world was abuzz back then, just after President Biden stumbled going up the ramp into Air Force One but long before he stumbled on the debate stage with his opponent.

What was his name?

Anyhow, the political pundit class was all a twitter with the prospects that some other Democrat might wade into this thing and so Mr. Martin wanted to know if she was one?

Fat chance.

She and Mr. Biden were close friends. In fact, so close that he wanted to pick her for a running mate and she would have accepted the invite, but prevailing political winds negated that and Kamala Harris got the job. But on that beautiful summer on the gov’s porch, none of that had played out.

The governor quickly explained that she had ruled out making the bid next year even if Mr. Biden did not run.

Mr. Martin pressed on with the “fire in the belly” question. Did she have it to run?

There’s no way of knowing this, but knowing her, she was probably saying to herself, “watch this.”

“Might I have the fire in the belly to run?” she repeated the question and then went in for the kill.

“Maybe. Maybe not. I don’t know. I can’t tell you,” she told Mr. Martin being careful to keep the speculation going for another day.

My oh my, what a difference two years can make in what was a “stop the presses” moment. (Do they still do that?)

Here was the aforementioned Mr. Martin grinding out a piece on the 2028 presidential thing last month as he rattled off all the Democrat names in play.

Newsom. Moore. Shapiro. Healy, and the list goes on.

And then, buried in paragraph 19 deep into the story which many readers probably never read, there was this.

He reports that a certain Michigan governor is “well-liked especially by other female Democratic governors” but “there are doubts she’ll run for president.”

One name mention. One sentence. And in a twinkle he in effect removed her from the list.

Like other Michigan governors who got national media attention about running for vice president or some cabinet post. They fanned those speculation fires with great verve. Former Gov. Rick Snyder, in a weak moment candidly explained that the speculation “was good for Michigan. When asked it gives me the chance to talk about the good things we are doing here.”

Gov. Whitmer has made the same confession and has done little to put the speculation to rest.

But the most telling give-away on all this are her efforts to work with President Trump while all the other would-be candidates have gone on the attack.

So while a freebie from your doctor or lawyer may not be worth as much as the advice given while the meter is running, it’s the same when it comes to political reporter insights, too.

Only in this case these insights on the governor are the same … even if you paid for it.