LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan’s unemployment rate has hovered above 5% since July 2024, consistently above the national average. But on the bright side, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has killed it on TikTok.
The Detroit Free Press recently recognized Whitmer’s social media game.
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“Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is a social media celebrity,” proclaimed Leah Olajide, the Detroit Free Press’ newsletter editor. “And yet, she does not think of herself as an influencer while political communications professionals disagree.”
Whitmer’s social media campaign has had some bumps.
She apologized last fall for a TikTok video in which she place a Dorito into the mouth of a kneeling podcaster, imitating the act of communion while promoting the CHIPS Act. Many Catholics were angered for her mocking communion.
Detroit Free Press reporter Clara Hendrickson wrote a glowing article promoting Whitmer.
“Michigan’s top politician has spent years growing a digital empire that allows her to connect directly with a national audience. In addition to her own channels, she has also embedded herself in an online ecosystem of influencers,” Hendrickson wrote.
Whitmer’s critics are less impressed with the governor’s number of online followers.
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“Gretchen Whitmer … is a career politician turned social-media influencer. When her political career failed, she turned to influencer status, essentially neglecting her duties as governor in the process,” said Anna Hoffman, a conservative online influencer in Michigan.
Others say Whitmer’s performance as governor isn’t linked to her performance on Facebook.
“Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has clearly invested a lot of time cultivating a national online persona, but Michigan families are less concerned with viral moments than with results,” said Tim Golding, state director of the Americans For Prosperity. “While the governor racks up followers and awards for her digital presence, many Michiganders are still grappling with rising costs, unreliable infrastructure, and policy decisions that make it harder to live, work, and raise a family in this state.”
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