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Interviews with news makers and discussion of topics important to Southwest Michigan. Subscribe to the podcast through Apple itunes and Google. Segments of interview are heard in WestSouthwest Brief during Morning Edition and All Things Considered

WSW: Is Michigan Still A Battle Ground State?

Tom Arthur/Wikicommons

Western Michigan University Political Science Professor John Clark says he’d rather be in Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s position than Republican candidate’s Donald Trump both in Michigan and nationally. 

But another Western Political Science Professor, Peter Wilehouwer, says there are signs that the Clinton campaign doesn’t consider a win in Michigan a sure thing. Clark and Wielhouwer spoke with WMUK’s Gordon Evans 12 days before the November 8th election.

Both say that Donald Trump faces long odds in Michigan. Wielhouwer says it’s become common for Republicans to talk about making a serious bid for Michigan’s electoral votes, but then paying little attention to the state after September. Clark says there are signs Michigan could be a true battle ground again. But he says Republican Presidential candidates tend to spend a lot of time in the “home stretch” in states like Ohio and Florida. Without those two states, Clark and Wielhouwer say it’s nearly impossible for a Republican to win the White House.

Both professors say that races down the ballot could be affected by the Presidential race. Wielhouwer says a federal judge’s ruling that leaves the “straight ticket” option in place on November ballots may help Democrats. Clark says competitive races for some state House seats is also a product of any Presidential election year when more voters are expected to turn out.

Gordon Evans became WMUK's Content Director in 2019 after more than 20 years as an anchor, host and reporter. A 1990 graduate of Michigan State, he began work at WMUK in 1996.
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