“It was an interesting stance for these Republicans to take” … “Here [law enforcement officers James Craig and Mike Brown] are basically saying […] ‘break the law and stop all that traffic’” … “[the auto industry] took about a $300 million dollar hit right in the pocketbook” … “There may be some political fallout”
Yesterday during a segment of The 6 News Capitol Rundown on WLAJ-ABC, reporters Tim Skubick and Jorma Duran offered continued coverage of the “political fallout” from several Republican gubernatorial candidates urging the Ambassador Bridge Blockade to continue into another week after the auto industry took a massive $300 million dollar hit and Michigan workers were faced with over $51 million in lost wages.
Skubick and Duran also discussed how little they’ve heard and seen from the crowded field of 13 gubernatorial Republicans prior to their swift support for the Ambassador Bridge Blockade.
Read key excerpts below and WATCH the clip here.
Skubick Predicted That Republicans’ Support Would Only Earn Them “Political Fallout” From the Working Families That Depend on Michigan’s Economy and the Auto Industry to Run Smoothly.
TIM SKUBICK: And then you have the Democrats who say, “So hold on just a second here. We’re affecting auto industry jobs right now and the state economy.” If the research is correct, [the auto industry] took about a $300 million dollar hit right in the pocketbook as a result of that protest. So it was an interesting stance for these Republicans to take to support the truckers. Now, look, nobody’s going to argue with them that they have a right to take that position, but I think there may be some political fallout because I have not seen the polling data, but we do have our pollster in the field on this question as to what does the general public think about this blockage of the bridge and its impact on Michigan’s economy. So it’s an interesting story yet to be played out and when we get the data, Jorma, I will share it with you I promise.
Duran Wondered if the “Really Quiet” Pack Took the Vocal Stances They Did Just to Make Headlines, to Which Skubick Replied That No One Is Paying Attention to Them.
DURAN: Yeah I know you will and I was just interested because it’s been really quiet. Like I said at the beginning, I don’t even know half the candidates and I’m wondering if they say something like this just so that way their name gets somewhat into the media.
SKUBICK: Yeah. Well I think right now, the only people paying attention to the governor’s race are the 13 Republicans that are running, the Democratic governor, and maybe a handful of reporters.
DURAN: Yeah, you and me.
There were two additional pro-blockade candidates not mentioned in the segment. They were Garrett Soldano, who also took a stand against Michigan’s working families with a video applauding the blockade and referring to the protestors as “true freedom fighters” with contagious courage, and Ryan Kelley, who stood on a highway leading to the border to stand against Michigan’s working families.
