Thread by @eyokley

NEW: My interview with @JohnJamesMI, who wants people to get past the "myopic fixation on the president" in #MISen and think beyond (maybe) 4 more years of Trump.

Democrats– armed with his '17 comments in "2000% support" of DJT– aren't gonna do that.

morningconsult.com/2020/07/21/mic… 1/

Michigan isn't on any handicapper's list of seats LIKELY to flip, but neither side is taking it for granted, either, as one of the GOP's only serious offensive targets this cycle.

Dems, of course, are haunted by the state's thin 2016 outcome morningconsult.com/2020/07/21/mic… #MISen 2/

.@JohnJamesMI -- who's is raising 💰💰💰 for his #MISen bid -- makes a case as a Vet & job creator, and has pitched the prospect of a bipartisan delegation to D.C.

“Stabenow-James, Democrat-Republican, male-female: Everybody’s voice will be heard"

morningconsult.com/2020/07/21/mic… 3/

.@JohnJamesMI also talks about representation, and went to the subject of the recent #BlackLivesMatter demonstrations before I got to ask. He aligned himself with @TimScottSC, and also took a swing at Biden and Peters. morningconsult.com/2020/07/21/mic… #MISen 4/

I recently spoke with @GaryPeters' campaign manager, @DanielFarough, who said that old "2,000 percent" comment makes it fair game to tie James to almost anything Trump in a state where current polls show the incumbent trailing. morningconsult.com/2020/07/21/mic… #MISen 5/

In what James views as a strongly-purple state, he acknowledged he'll need support from Biden voters in November, and pointed to his 2018 margin against Debbie Stabenow compared to the Gov's race as evidence that some ticket splitters do exist. morningconsult.com/2020/07/21/mic… #MISen 6/