{"id":72322,"date":"2026-02-04T16:19:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T21:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/?p=72322"},"modified":"2026-02-04T17:33:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T22:33:20","slug":"ex-governors-urge-civility-minneapolis-could-be-any-place-in-michigan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/ex-governors-urge-civility-minneapolis-could-be-any-place-in-michigan\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-governors urge civility: Minneapolis &#8216;could be any place in Michigan&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Michigan\u2019s four living former governors gathered near the state Capitol to stress the need for political civility<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>In attendance: Republican Govs. John Engler and Rick Snyder, along with Democratic Govs. Jim Blanchard and Jennifer Granholm<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The forum was hosted by the Michigan Civility Coalition, a network of political groups hoping to turn the temp down on political divisiveness&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>LANSING \u2014 Amid national tensions over aggressive federal immigration enforcement, Michigan\u2019s four living former governors met near the state Capitol on Wednesday to urge political civility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf you look at Minneapolis, that could be any place in Michigan,\u201d said former Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, referencing the Minnesota city where federal agents working to deport undocumented immigrants <a href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/ice-in-michigan-more-arrests-detainees-and-protests\/\">killed two US citizens<\/a> last month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThink of Grand Rapids,\u201d Snyder told a packed crowd at the DoubleTree hotel in downtown Lansing. \u201cThink of other places in Michigan, and ask yourself the same question: If you would have had that many people showing up from the federal government, what would happen in any community, particularly in the Midwest?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Snyder, who served as governor from 2011 through 2018, said he thinks the Trump administration immigration enforcement surge went \u201ctoo far\u201d but is glad it is now being \u201cpulled back,\u201d with border czar Tom Homan announcing earlier Wednesday the withdrawal of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2026\/02\/04\/trump-homan-minnesota-ice-immigration.html\">700 immigration agents<\/a> from Minnesota.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Related:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/former-michigan-governors-teaming-up-in-defining-moment-for-civility\/\"><strong>Former Michigan governors teaming up in \u2018defining moment for civility\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/group-touts-signatures-to-put-citizenship-voter-id-question-on-michigan-ballot\/\"><strong>Group touts signatures to put citizenship, voter ID question on Michigan ballot<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/ice-in-michigan-more-arrests-detainees-and-protests\/\"><strong>ICE in Michigan: More arrests, detainees and protests<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Former Gov. Jim Blanchard said he hopes the national strife is an &#8220;aberration&#8221; but suggested there \u201cmay have to be more incidents before people \u2013 the leadership \u2013 brings us back to something more normal,\u201d even if still combative.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to be the way it is today in American society,\u201d added Blanchard, a Democrat who served as governor from 1983 through 1990. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t. The tone at the top is a lot to do with the issues that we\u2019re dealing with.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The forum, which saw Govs. Jennifer Granholm and John Engler join calls for political civility, was hosted by the <a href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/former-michigan-governors-teaming-up-in-defining-moment-for-civility\/\">Michigan Civility Coalition<\/a>, which includes Michiganders for Civic Resilience, the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, the Democracy Defense Project, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and the Oakland University Center for Civic Engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A return to civility?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The former governors argued it is not impossible to return to a time of more civil political discourse, but that it will certainly be difficult and require Americans to make a concerted effort and untangle facts from fiction promoted on social media-promoted or opinion-based media outlets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think that this algorithmic slicing, the siloing of people on social media, is a big culprit \u2014 and people aren\u2019t swimming in the same pond at all,\u201d said Granholm, a Democrat who served as governor of Michigan from 2003 through 2010. \u201cTheir realities, their facts, are completely different because their sources are completely different.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-attachment-id=\"72325\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/ex-governors-urge-civility-minneapolis-could-be-any-place-in-michigan\/attachment\/20260204_bridgemi-governors-forum_0005\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0005.jpg?fit=2400%2C1600&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2400,1600\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;X-H1&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;People fill a conference room at the DoubleTree Hotel in Lansing Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, to listen to four former Michigan governors participate in a bipartisan forum focusing on civil and respectful discourse in politics.&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1770212480&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;35.8&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;3200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.01&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"20260204_BridgeMI &amp;#8211; Governors Forum_0005\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;\u2018\u2019The greatest threat to America, in my view, is us, and that&amp;#8217;s our lack of ability to get along with one another,\u2019  former Gov. Rick Snyder said Wednesday during a forum on political civility in Lansing. (Brian Wells for Bridge Michigan)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0005.jpg?fit=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0005.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0005.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Michigan governors forum\" class=\"wp-image-72325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0005.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0005.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0005.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0005.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0005.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0005.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0005.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0005.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0005.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0005-1024x683.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u2018\u2019The greatest threat to America, in my view, is us, and that&#8217;s our lack of ability to get along with one another,\u2019  former Gov. Rick Snyder said Wednesday during a forum on political civility in Lansing. (Brian Wells for Bridge Michigan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Blanchard noted that the siloing was no more evident than during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he argued \u201ca couple million people died in this country because we had people out there saying it was a hoax.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He suggested returning the Fairness Doctrine, a Federal Communications Commission policy in effect from 1949 through 1987, which required broadcast license holders to present balanced and contrasting viewpoints on potentially controversial issues of public importance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think the four of us could agree that we believe in American exceptionalism, but I think we\u2019re going to lose it if we don\u2019t find ways to deal with these issues,\u201d Blanchard said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With major statewide elections coming up later this year, Engler stressed the importance of televised debates, arguing that journalists had a sizable role to play in the conversation about returning to civil standards of debate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDo something to get these candidates for office \u2013 after the primary, on television \u2013 having debates in statewide broadcasts that everybody watches, or has at least the opportunity to watch,\u201d said Engler, a Republican who served as governor from 1991 through 2002.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sentiment was met with a round of applause as Engler continued: \u201cThe media owes that for the millions of dollars of revenue they&#8217;re going to have. They owe an hour to the people of Michigan to put these programs together.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Trump factor<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Looming over the discussion was President Donald Trump, whose rhetoric has reshaped political discourse, earning him fans and critics alike.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe&#8217;re not sort of civility washing the actions of a president who \u2026. does not demonstrate\u201d values like \u201cpresuming goodwill or showing respect, or leading with humility and communicating truthfully,\u201d Granholm said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-attachment-id=\"72326\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/ex-governors-urge-civility-minneapolis-could-be-any-place-in-michigan\/attachment\/20260204_bridgemi-governors-forum_0002\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0002.jpg?fit=2400%2C1600&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"2400,1600\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;X-H1&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;From left, former Michigan governors Jennifer Granholm (on-screen), Rick Snyder, Jim Blanchard and John Engler participate in a forum Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Lansing.&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1770211469&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;52.7&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;3200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"20260204_BridgeMI &amp;#8211; Governors Forum_0002\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Joining fellow former governors in a forum on political civility, John Engler urged more televised debates in major statewide elections. (Brian Wells for Bridge Michigan)&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0002.jpg?fit=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0002.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0002.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"michigan former governors\" class=\"wp-image-72326\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0002.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0002.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0002.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0002.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0002.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0002.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0002.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0002.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0002.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0002-1024x683.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joining fellow former governors in a forum on political civility, John Engler urged more televised debates in major statewide elections. (Brian Wells for Bridge Michigan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Blanchard, a fellow Democrat, also criticized Trump several comments and actions. But neither Republican former governor mentioned the president by name during the forum.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe greatest threat to America, in my view, is us, and that&#8217;s our lack of ability to get along with one another,\u201d Snyder said of current political discourse. \u201cThat&#8217;s our greatest threat. We need to do something about it. It can&#8217;t be something passive. We have to be proactive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the forum, Engler told reporters he finds Trump \u201cfrustrating as a political figure,\u201d because \u201che throws out clickbait\u201d for journalists. He pointed to Trump\u2019s recent comments about wanting to federalize elections as an example of a \u201cfake news story.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trump, who has long disputed his 2020 election loss, said Monday on a podcast that he thinks Republicans should \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/rollcall.com\/factbase\/trump\/transcript\/donald-trump-interview-dan-bongino-podcast-february-2-2026\/\">take over the voting<\/a>\u201d in at least 15 places across the country. On Tuesday, he said the federal government should \u201cget involved\u201d in elections in Detroit and other cities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Current Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, said in a Wednesday statement that Michigan elections \u201cwill continue to be run at the state level as clearly stated in the United States Constitution.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With tensions high and political divides growing, former Michigan governors say it doesn\u2019t have to be this way. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":233,"featured_media":72323,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2026-02-04T21:19:23Z","apple_news_api_id":"f4d88d86-70c0-4f3b-a2c9-dea6d32ef081","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2026-02-04T22:33:26Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAg==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/A9NiNhnDATzuiyd6m0y7wgQ","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[2445],"tags":[905,4328],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[2457],"class_list":["post-72322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-michigan-government","tag-gov-rick-snyder","tag-top-of-homepage","entry"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ex-governors urge civility: Minneapolis &#039;could be any place in Michigan&#039; - Bridge Michigan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/ex-governors-urge-civility-minneapolis-could-be-any-place-in-michigan\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ex-governors urge civility: Minneapolis &#039;could be any place in Michigan&#039; - Bridge Michigan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With tensions high and political divides growing, former Michigan governors say it doesn\u2019t have to be this way.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/ex-governors-urge-civility-minneapolis-could-be-any-place-in-michigan\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Bridge Michigan\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BridgeMichigan\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-04T21:19:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-04T22:33:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0007.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jordyn Hermani\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@bridgemichigan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@bridgemichigan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jordyn Hermani\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/ex-governors-urge-civility-minneapolis-could-be-any-place-in-michigan\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/ex-governors-urge-civility-minneapolis-could-be-any-place-in-michigan\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jordyn Hermani\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/#\/schema\/person\/e1345693c1e664915491f95af159fa17\"},\"headline\":\"Ex-governors urge civility: Minneapolis &#8216;could be any place in Michigan&#8217;\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-04T21:19:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-04T22:33:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/ex-governors-urge-civility-minneapolis-could-be-any-place-in-michigan\/\"},\"wordCount\":1044,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/michigan-government\/ex-governors-urge-civility-minneapolis-could-be-any-place-in-michigan\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/20260204_BridgeMI-Governors-Forum_0007.jpg?fit=2400%2C1600&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"Gov. 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national unity before, and it can do so again through civil, respectful debate about our differences.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Guest Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Guest Commentary","link":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/category\/guest-commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/tom_watkins.png?fit=951%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/tom_watkins.png?fit=951%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/tom_watkins.png?fit=951%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/tom_watkins.png?fit=951%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 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Milliken&#039;s enduring legacy: civility, bridging divides","author":"Dave Dempsey","date":"October 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Milliken's biographer pauses after his passing to\u00a0revisit what the former Michigan\u00a0governor\u00a0was able to accomplish, and how he got it done.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Guest Commentary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Guest Commentary","link":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/category\/guest-commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/milliken1_0.jpg?fit=1120%2C720&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/milliken1_0.jpg?fit=1120%2C720&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/milliken1_0.jpg?fit=1120%2C720&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/milliken1_0.jpg?fit=1120%2C720&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bridgemi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/milliken1_0.jpg?fit=1120%2C720&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4810,"url":"https:\/\/bridgemi.com\/guest-commentary\/opinion-michigan-health-officers-should-lead-disease-not-politicians\/","url_meta":{"origin":72322,"position":4},"title":"Opinion | Michigan health officers should lead on disease, not politicians","author":"James Haveman","date":"January 5, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The Unlock Michigan ballot proposal would allow politicians to replace public health experts in making decisions on infectious diseases. 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