"We need to continue to make the case that Michigan is where you ought to be"
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The line lands with the calculated plainness of a political pitch, the kind that pretends it isnt a pitch at all. Granholm isnt selling Michigan as a postcard; shes selling it as a decision. "Continue" signals a fight already underway: the state has been typecast for decades through the shorthand of deindustrialization, population loss, and punchlines about decline. The verb quietly admits that reputational inertia is real, and that reversing it requires repetition, not just policy.
"Make the case" is legalistic on purpose. It frames place as an argument to be won with evidence: jobs, wages, infrastructure, schools, cost of living. That matters because Michigan, unlike a sunbelt boom state, cant rely on effortless demographic gravity. It has to persuade. The phrasing also dodges nostalgia. Granholm doesnt invoke heritage or grit; she invokes reasoning, a modern governors language of metrics, incentives, and competitiveness.
The subtext is that Michigan is in an inter-state market, competing for talent, factories, research dollars, and the attention of people who can leave. "Where you ought to be" is the slyest part: it recasts relocation as moral logic, not just convenience. It suggests that choosing Michigan is the sensible, even responsible option, aligning personal ambition with a broader civic revival. The intent isnt merely boosterism; its narrative repair. Granholm is arguing that the state deserves a new default story, and that story needs constant advocacy to stick.
"Make the case" is legalistic on purpose. It frames place as an argument to be won with evidence: jobs, wages, infrastructure, schools, cost of living. That matters because Michigan, unlike a sunbelt boom state, cant rely on effortless demographic gravity. It has to persuade. The phrasing also dodges nostalgia. Granholm doesnt invoke heritage or grit; she invokes reasoning, a modern governors language of metrics, incentives, and competitiveness.
The subtext is that Michigan is in an inter-state market, competing for talent, factories, research dollars, and the attention of people who can leave. "Where you ought to be" is the slyest part: it recasts relocation as moral logic, not just convenience. It suggests that choosing Michigan is the sensible, even responsible option, aligning personal ambition with a broader civic revival. The intent isnt merely boosterism; its narrative repair. Granholm is arguing that the state deserves a new default story, and that story needs constant advocacy to stick.
Quote Details
| Topic | Vision & Strategy |
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