How much of a role will the state of Michigan’s economy play in deciding your vote in November? Last week, the presidential candidates acted as if it might be a big deal as they both made stops in Michigan to deliver speeches on jobs and the economy. Michigan, and Detroit, in particular, remain economically emblematic. But there are two stories to tell and the candidates each packed a different one for the trip. The candidates brought very different impressions of how things are going here since the Great Recession, the bailout of the auto industry and manufacturing in general, and the Detroit bankruptcy. Republican nominee Donald Trump declared the American dream has “long ago vanished” in cities like Detroit. “It was like he was in a different place,” retorted Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, and: “He is missing so much about what makes Michigan great!” Now, Trump was not all gloom and doom, and Clinton certainly acknowledged there are challenges and things that need to be fixed.
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