Michigan Highway 37

First the good news, America!

There I was, driving south on M-37 through the heart of Michigan, which is sorta the heart of America, heading home from my yearly family vacation in that lovely state.

And there wasn't a Trump sign in sight. So that’s sorta good news, right? Especially considering that last year, the landscape was crawling with them. Flags, too. Yes, big old flags with Trump’s name emblazoned on them. Like the flag flyers were pledging allegiance to him. Not the country.

Man, they loved Trump. Someone loved him so much, they flew a Confederate flag.

That one caught me off guard. Michigan having fought with the Union back in the day when the confederacy was a thing. Thank goodness, Trump wasn't around in 1861, otherwise Michigan might have joined the fight for slavery. Which Trump says wasn't nearly as bad as people make it out to be.

That's your president, Michigan.

Of course, last year's homeward-bound trek was in the midst of a heated presidential election. Which Trump won. In Michigan and the country. One being a carbon copy of the other. Trump won 49.7 percent of the vote in Michigan and 49.8 percent of the national vote.

Shoulda voted for her, Michigan...

Please pause to think about that. He didn’t win a majority--much less a mandate. He barely eked it out. But don't tell that to the residents of Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, where Trump feels empowered to send in the troops. Just cause no one can stop him.

Not to re-litigate the 2024 election, but...

I  maintain the reason Trump won is that his opponent was Vice President Kamala Harris--a Black woman. Apparently, America, like Michigan, couldn't quite bring itself to vote for a Black woman. Even if she was, and is, more qualified on every level to run our country fairly and wisely than Trump.

Obviously, people confuse the passion with which MAGA flies their Trump flags with widespread support for the man or his agenda. They’re not the same. As Michigan demonstrated with that tiny Trump margin in 2024.

I did see one sign for Trump on my recent ride along M-37–on the east side of the road not far from Newaygo, a tourist town on the Muskegon River.

Not sure what to make of that lonely sign. Maybe its owner is lazy. Just hasn't gotten around to taking it down. Like the guy on your block who hangs his Christmas lights into April.

Or maybe, defiantly loyal to Trump, he feels compelled to let everyone know how much he loves Trump for sending troops to L.A. and D.C.

Still hasn't sent troops to Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo or Newaygo.

That's your reward, Michigan, for having voted for Trump. 

You can happily cruise along your M-37 while he locks other people up.