Unless you moved to this state recently from another planet, you are pretty much aware that Michigan is a divided state, not only geographically, but politically, as well.

It’s Southeast Michigan vs. West Michigan. Lower Peninsula vs. Yoopers. Yoopers vs. the rest of the free world. Lower Michigan below Clare vs. everyone else Up North, and so it goes.

So, doing a deep dive into the latest statewide polling data on the economy and the attitude about Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, we find interesting tidbits based on those perceived differences.

For example, when asked if the U.S. economy was on the right track, the overall statewide view shows 22% think it’s on the right track and a whopping 66% think it’s on the wrong track.

That, despite the fact that inflation is not at 8%-plus but, rather, down around 3% to 4%. The creation of new jobs continues at a respectable clip, and, when asked, a majority say they are actually doing pretty well.

Yet 66% statewide have a sour view of the national outlook.

On that issue, all of the state seems pretty much on the same page. Up North, 26% say the U.S. is on the right track, compared to 66% who disagree. And down in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, the split is almost the same, at 24% vs. 63%.

Turning to Michigan’s economic track, things are more upbeat, with the statewide response at 47% right track and 40% wrong track. On that one, the north is more pessimistic than lower Michigan, clocking in at only 41% positive and 39% negative, compared to 55% vs. 33% in lower Michigan, a 14-point difference of opinion.

The north has a different take on Whitmer’s favorability, but it’s in step with the rest of the state on her job performance, which in and of itself is interesting, in that they may not like her, but they give her good grades on her performance. Usually, it is the other way around.

The hard numbers on the governor: 53% of the state as whole like her, a figure that’s at 56% in the north, but six points higher elsewhere.

On her job performance, it’s 52% positive vs. 47% negative statewide. Lower Michigan comes in at 60% vs. 40%, and just 2 points lower, 58% vs. 42%, in northern Michigan.

When you break down the findings about her based on region, the differences are not nearly as stark as they are when you turn the spotlight on gender, age, and education.

Oh, my, there is no meeting of the minds on those.

Sixty-one percent of those between the ages of 18 and 34 feel Whitmer is doing a bang-up job. Seniors 65 and older, not so much. That is a 17-point difference of opinion compared to older Michiganders, just 44% of whom give Whitmer a positive job approval.

The governor has always enjoyed a decided advantage with women, and the EPIC-MRA statewide survey underscores that. By a 60% vs. 40% margin, females conclude her job rating is very good. For men, it’s 44% vs. 55%, or a 16-point difference.

Forty-seven percent of the men do have an upbeat view of the governor, but that is 12 points lower than women, who are at 59%.

And then there is education, which tends to be a consistent divider on just about every item in the survey. If you have a sheepskin hanging on the wall somewhere, you have a different take on things compared to those who don’t, and there is a 19-point gap there.

Sixty-two percent of the college-educated give the governor favorable marks, compared to 43% who have less than a high school diploma.

Sixty percent with a four-year degree award good marks on the governor’s job performance, while 44% of the non-high school grads concur.

So, if you have made this far, you might be wondering, what the heck do all those numbers mean?

Well, if you ponder why Michigan is a swing state in this presidential election, the answer is in the data indicating that the state is not homogenous, with a little bit of every race, every party affiliation, every everything.

So, with such a cross section of voters, if you can win here, your candidacy has broad appeal, which is what most candidates want and need to win nationwide.

So, an optimist might argue, rather than bemoan the fact that the state is so divided, it’s that very diversity that is at the heart of who we are, and now everyone can argue about that.