Whitmer v. Dixon: Can Dixon Make a Difference in Tonight's Debate?
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Tudordixon.com
Republican Tudor Dixon has a challenging task ahead of her at tonight’s debate against Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D). The most flattering poll between the two of them has a little less than a 6-point difference, and there’s not even a percentage point of independents to win over. That means she needs to change the hearts and minds of voters already settled on Whitmer.
Here are a few things she needs to do.
Expose Whitmer’s Hypocrisy
Whitmer is making herself out to be the champion of choice. Dixon needs to dismantle that reality. Whitmer didn’t care about a woman’s choice when an immigrant pizzeria owner was jailed during the pandemic. Whitmer doesn’t care about a woman’s choice if a mother wants to control the dollars allotted to her child for education. Whitmer didn’t protect our bodily autonomy when the Biden administration unconstitutionally used OSHA to force vaccine mandates. The only choice she cares about is the one that lines Planned Parenthood’s pockets.
Clarify Abortion Stance
Republican consultants have expressed their desire to avoid the abortion topic, but considering the nonstop attack ads against Dixon and Whitmer’s obsession, it’s going to be addressed and it needs to be. Dixon must be clear on her position, and exceptions, and be unapologetic. Wavering will make her appear incompetent, and she has to quickly explain her reasoning, or she’ll appear dogmatic with no empathy. The attack ads have defined her as being more extreme than even many Republicans are comfortable with. Dixon does believe in exceptions for the life of the mother, despite what her critics allege.
I don’t believe in the rape exception because women like Eartha Kit, Valarie Gatto, and Kathy Barnette deserve to be protected from violence, just like I do. They don’t deserve discrimination. We need to create a life-affirming society that protects and supports women and children, not one that stigmatizes and shames them into an abortion. There’s more that could be said, but I would leave the audience with a reminder that we are all still human beings who have a right to not be killed.
Dixon needs to flip the conversation and remind everyone how radical Whitmer is on abortion. She—and many Democrats across the country—are against limitations. Whitmer may try to slither past the issue by parroting talking points about late-term abortion for medical reasons. I wish late-term abortions were only for medical emergencies, but it’s simply untrue. Hillary Clinton defended partial-birth abortion on the debate stage in 2016. President Donald Trump called her out and described babies being ripped apart. I, wholeheartedly believe, Hillary’s radical position led to her political failure.
When Whitmer defines abortion as “healthcare,” Dixon should ask the obvious question: “How healthy is the baby after the abortion?” Dixon is a cancer survivor, and we shouldn’t treat abortion like we’re expelling a tumor, especially elective abortions. Tudor and Whitmer both know the same child at 6 weeks is the same at 32. The only difference is time.
Dixon also has a huge opportunity to highlight that 55.6% of the 30,000 abortions in Michigan end the life of a black child, despite only being 14.1% of the population. Even worse, Whitmer’s administration isn’t fighting for less abortion. She’s fighting for more by criticizing and defunding pregnancy crisis centers and adoption over abortion promotion in the 2023 budget.
And just in case Whitmer tries to quote the Turnaway Study and claims women don’t regret their abortions, then speaks to economic repercussions of women denied an abortion, Dixon must mention the Turnaway Study also found that 96% of women turned away from abortion don’t regret not killing their children. A third didn’t have regrets after the first week. That makes abortion-on-demand incredibly immoral.
Hold Whitmer Accountable for Lockdowns
Dixon must put Whitmer on trial. She instituted tyrannical lockdown policies that didn’t make any sense, and Whitmer did not follow them herself. Dixon lost a relative in a lockdown nursing home. She’s a mother who had children suffer through the pandemic. Dixon needs to tell Whitmer, to her face, she mentally hurt our children and hindered their education, closed our businesses, her policies killed our elderly, and she’ll do it again if she has the means and the opportunity.
Highlight Whitmer’s radical nature.
Whitmer has been trying to define Dixon and the rest of her ticket as radicals, but the Democrats have gone hard left. She can’t gaslight that critical race theory isn’t in the schools. Detroit Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti has already admitted to it being incorporated into the curriculum. But Dixon had better be able to quickly articulate what CRT is if she’s accused of not understanding it. Bring up that the Michigan Department of Education got busted for featuring chest binders, lecturing on gender identity, and addressing legal liability if trans students commit suicide. Whitmer herself doesn’t appear to believe only women have periods.
Under Whitmer’s watch, Attorney General Dana Nessel targeted St. Vincent Catholic Charities. The state would rather a Christian adoption agency go out of business if they refuse to violate their faith. There are many faiths across the state, and Michigan residents need to know where Whitmer stands on respecting their beliefs. On Monday, the Muslim community attended a Dearborn school board meeting to denounce LGBT books in the schools. Parents across the country have been angry that activists have gone too far, breaching the line of parental authority and respect for moral values.
Even the fact that Whitmer supports Prop 3, Reproductive Freedom for All, is a big red flag. It grants everyone, which includes minors, the right to sterilization (bottom surgery, puberty blockers are also chemically castrating drugs) and there’s nothing about parental consent in the constitutional amendment. Prop 3 is about abortion, but they’re hiding the gender apocalypse in there, too. No one but white leftists will be okay with this proposal if they actually knew what it was.
Dixon has a lot to focus on tonight. Articulating how radical Whitmer is and how she wants to transform Michigan is well-worth hammering.
Economy
Democrats can’t get away from the fact gas prices are high, and Whitmer herself didn’t want to pause the 27-cent gas tax. She’s been walking hand-in-hand with President Joe Biden, and his economic policies have led to high inflation. We feel it every day at the grocery store and gas stations. No matter what Whitmer spins, the pocketbooks of Michiganders are hurting.
More than a mom.
Supporters are very glad to have a mom on a mission, but during the primaries, I often heard Dixon criticized as “cute.” She can’t come off as a gimmick or a simple grassroots activist. She has a good running mate, Shane Hernandez, with legislative experience, but governing will be new to her. But she is an experienced businesswoman in the steel industry. She needs to display competency in this area to gain the trust of voters. Otherwise, voters will stick with the devil they know.
It’s not impossible to win, but Dixon has everything to gain and lose tonight. She’s not a politician, and many voters find that appealing. However, she’s not used to tumbling on the debate floor with someone as notoriously ruthless as Whitmer.
Whether Michigan has a brighter future ahead or becomes the next California could all come down to tonight. The debate will stream tonight on Wood TV at 7PM ET.
