GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — President Joe Biden is stepping out of the race, and Grand Rapidians have thoughts.
“I feel like it’s really late to make an announcement like that,” says Rowan Bixler, who intended to vote for Biden. But now, all that’s changed.
“Honestly, I’m excited about it, because I feel like somebody who is not so disconnected hopefully gets an opportunity,” says Rowan.
Jessica London says Sunday’s news is a motivator.
“I think it’s actually fantastic,” she says. “We just had a conversation yesterday. I wasn’t going to vote. There wasn’t anything to get excited about. The news that he’s dropping out — whoever the nominee — we’re going to get jazzed about.”
Political Analyst and Director of the American Communities Project at Michigan State University Dante Chinni says we’re now in uncharted waters.
“So what does it mean for the state of Michigan? I don’t know,” says Dante. “The fact is, I think it helps Democrats probably. We’ve got to see who the new nominee is going to be.”
Dante also weighed in on the possibility of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer running for president.
“Is this a good time for her to do this? I don’t know,” he says. “Are you really going to challenge the first Black female sitting vice president who’s going to be running now, and has support of Joe Biden?”
This change of pace is welcome news to the people we talked to on the streets of Grand Rapids.
“Hopefully now somebody who is not, like, really old and a little more in tune with what’s going on will have an opportunity,” says Rowan.
“I think it’s pretty much the only chance we’ve got against people who are passionate about things,” says Ryan Ward
I stopped many more people in downtown Grand Rapids Sunday to see if they wanted to talk. Most told me they’re not much for politics.
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