If only that blue folder was an invisibility cloak

Back in 1967, a rising star in the national political scene was Michigan’s governor, George Romney. The former auto executive was seriously weighing a presidential bid, and he had support … until … .

Romney explained his change of heart on the U.S. involvement in Vietnam, which he had supported, by saying that the generals and diplomatic corps gave him “the greatest brainwashing that anybody could get.” 

The governor stuck to his guns despite being given every chance to back away from the comment. As a result, he was flogged as easily “cozened” and “flimflammed.” His credibility was ultimately shot. His presidential campaign died on the vine. 

Fifty-eight years later, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer likely torpedoed her owns presidential aspirations by being ushered into a what she thought was a private Oval Office meeting with President Trump and Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall. 

Instead, the governor found herself in a press conference with the president, who was doing such things as signing executive orders defrocking national officials who questioned his 2020 election fraud claims. 

The first photo that came out of the event showed a clearly uncomfortable Whitmer wishing desperately that she could melt into the wall.  

The one that came out this past weekend from The New York Times shows her holding a blue folder in front of her face. 

Her explanation? “I didn’t want my picture taken” in the Oval Office. 

Clearly. 

Hall told the press that he was familiar with how Trump operates. He can run late sometimes, so instead of canceling meetings, he’ll push stuff together. So, if you want face time with the president, you need to be prepared for anything. 

Naturally, national observers suspect Whitmer was set up. In her eagerness to talk up Selfridge Air Base, the need for federal aid for northern Michigan ice storm victims and tariff relief for auto companies, somebody didn’t double check that it would be just her, Trump and Hall in the room. 

For the folks in Michigan, it’s hard to fully appreciate the faux pas Whitmer committed. She’s sticking up for Michigan. So what if she’s in the Oval Office when Trump is finishing other business?  

Hiding behind a folder as if it were Harry Potter’s invisibility clock is kinda silly, but, again, so what? Better that she tries to get something from Trump than play the standard gridlock game and guarantee the state nothing, right? 

The mercurial, cliquish and superficial national consultant and media class that runs messaging in D.C. doesn’t see things that way. 

They see an overly eager Democratic governor naively playing with fire in trying to cozy up with Trump and getting burned. Her holding up a folder in front of her face (as if that was going to divert the media’s attention) captures in a picture the concern national folks had with Whitmer to begin with — she’s not ready for prime time. 

For as much as the national media loved building Whitmer up as a potential presidential candidate, they’re just as prone to tear her down, mocking her for a seemingly innocuous misstep.  

NBC News headlined the governor’s day in D.C. as “A Disaster.” Fox News called it the “Folder Fiasco.” The National Review compared her to a “small child hiding from imaginary monsters.” 

A large reason for her presence in D.C. — her economic speech on tariffs — was pushed to the back page, if it were covered at all. 

Social media hasn’t been kind either. One meme has Whitmer as an action figure doll, complete with a blue folder and a moveable arm. Numerous posts have written out her political obituary. 

For her part, Whitmer has tried to laugh the thing off. She made fun of herself at the Detroit Economic Club, and all that, so she’s trying to recover. 

And maybe she’s skilled enough to do it. But the political landscape is filled with many tombstones of campaigns killed by that split second mistake: Dukakis’ military helmet. Howard Dean’s primary scream. And, of course, Romney’s brainwashing. 

History isn’t working in her favor.

(Kyle Melinn is the editor of the Capitol news service MIRS. You can email him at melinnky@gmail.com.)