By: Anthony Morelli
This is going to be the biggest headache of Gretchen Whitmer’s career.
She has been talked about as a potential pick for the White House.
But she might not be going anywhere if these gun rights activists get their way.
Gretchen Whitmer has been carefully trying to manicure her public image in the national Democratic Party with an eye on her future political prospects.
Many see her as a potential candidate for the White House, including possibly this year if Democrats decide that Kamala Harris just can’t cut it anymore.
One of her key issues that she is trying to leverage into a national campaign is her hatred of guns.
But some Republicans have a proposal that, if it manages to pass, would destroy her presumptive argument that she has successfully “fought back against guns” in her state.
They are trying to make the AR-15 the official state gun in Michigan in a move that would be absolutely humiliating to Whitmer if it were successful.
Whitmer is going to do everything she can to make sure this does not happen, knowing how harmful it would be to her national prospects if it did.
According to The Truth About Guns, “In a move that expectedly has some anti-gunners losing their minds, a group of Michigan legislators have proposed a bill that, if approved, would make the AR-15 Michigan’s official state firearm. The move has sparked controversy, with some residents expressing concern about its potential impact on Michigan’s image. However, the move is not unprecedented, as nearly a dozen other states have official guns.”
The move would likely do almost nothing to harm Michigan’s image, aside from the perception of a few far-left progressives across the country.
What would be harmed the most, however, is Gretchen Whitmer’s political ambition, as this would be a stain on her progressive resume.
The article continues, “House Bill 5792 is being spearheaded by State Representative Brian BeGole and cosponsored by 11 other Michigan House Republicans. Begole has 32 years in law enforcement, including six years as the sheriff of Shiawassee County. He argues that the AR-15 is unfairly stigmatized and emphasizes that many people use the platform for hobbies such as target shooting, self-defense, and exercising their Second Amendment rights.”
“If the bill passes, Michigan would join a small group of states with official firearms, although it would be the only state to choose the AR-15 and the only one without a specific historical tie to its chosen firearm.”
While it may be true that Michigan has no unique historical tie to the AR-15, it is nonetheless true that it is one of the most popular guns among Michiganders.
In fact, it continues to be one of the most popular guns nationwide, in spite of constant efforts to ban it and attempts to demonize it in the press.
Whitmer is going to have to act quick if she is going to protect her reputation with progressives and snuff out this move to make the AR-15 Michigan’s state gun.