Clueless: Michigan Dem Gov Candidate Gretchen Whitmer Bombs Minimum Wage Question

In preparing for her gubernatorial bid, Michigan Democrat Gretchen Whitmer doesn’t seem to have done her homework on minimum wage or the economy. When asked at a recent town hall on how much she wanted to raise the minimum wage to, Whitmer was caught completely off-guard and admitted she did not know. Her response was met with laughter from her small audience:

AUDIENCE MEMBER: “How much do you want to raise it to?

GRETCHEN WHITMER: “Oh I … I don’t know”

CROWD: (Laughter)

AUDIENCE MEMBER: “You know a lot of state’s are 15 dollars, some are only 10 or 11. Where do you –“

GRETCHEN WHITMER: I was just listening to a TED talk from a guy named Nick Hannauer in Seattle talking about the 15 dollar minimum wage in Seattle and he said that’s why we’re kicking every other city’s butt. I – you know – I think that’s worth…. Considering I need to – you know – I mean I… I believe that that makes a lot of sense especially from what he says so I gotta take a look at it.”

Indeed, Gretchen Whitmer does need to take a look at this issue more closely if she plans on speaking to Michigan voters about it on a daily basis. The people of Michigan deserve a governor who is well versed on the issues they face in order to address them. If Whitmer’s only ideas on effective governance come from what she hears online in the latest TED talks, she clearly is not ready to lead Michigan.