On occasion, the Michigan Democrats do their best impersonation of Michigan Republicans with a good goof up, and those of us living in the state just have to stand back and marvel. Actually, I think this time, the donkeys might have outdone their elephant counterparts.

Finally.

The Michigan Democratic Party on Saturday thought it would be a good idea to take an elitist shot at parents of children who attend public schools. Essentially, the post was telling the taxpaying parents to mind their own business and let the state teach your kids whatever the state thinks they should learn.

their now-deleted post from yesterday: pic.twitter.com/WwA9ykTYiW

— Corey A. DeAngelis (@DeAngelisCorey) January 17, 2022

Not sure where this ‘parents-should-control-what-is-taught-in-schools-because-they-are-our-kids’ is originating, but parents do have the option to send their kids to a hand-selected private school at their own expense if this is what they desire.

The purpose of a public education in a public school is not to teach kids what parents only want them to be taught. It is to teach them what society needs them to know. The client of the public school is not the parent, but the entire community, the public.

Isn’t that just a heartwarming post? Truly makes you feel warm and fuzzy about all the money that the (public school) parents spend on public education each and every year. The really amazing part of this post to me is that it was posted on the day that Glenn Youngkin was sworn in as Virginia’s new Governor. You remember that guy, he rode the wave of parents ticked off about being told to keep quiet about what their kids’ li’l minds full of mush were being taught in class. My colleague Bonchie covered this story right here with Glenn Youngkin and Company Start Things off by Going Scorched Earth in Virginia.

Man, they really did step in it this time.

As you can imagine, the Michigan GOP was thrilled to take advantage of a goof that they were amazed they didn’t make.

From Fox News…

“Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Democrat Party continue to be in the pockets of teachers unions and are so out of touch with Michiganders, they believe parents shouldn’t be involved in their children’s education,” Michigan GOP communications director Gustavo Portela told Fox News Digital in a Monday statement.

“Studies have shown time and time again that parent involvement leads to student success,” Portela continued. “Parent involvement is exactly what our students need now more than ever after a year of learning loss that will impact them for years to come thanks to Gretchen Whitmer’s shutdowns.”

The Michigan Democrats did decide to delete this and offered a weak-sauce explanation of what they thought they meant.

they said the quiet part out loud and now they’re backpedaling. pic.twitter.com/PrnapapKGe

— Corey A. DeAngelis (@DeAngelisCorey) January 17, 2022

You might initially think that this effort of a deleted post and half-ass apology is a little too little too late, but you would not be giving enough credit to the voters here in my beloved state. Michigan is a blue state that trends purple during a blue moon right after a red moon followed by a wolf moon.

Which is to say, it is pretty rare we go purple.

Currently, Governor Whitmer is running for reelection later this year and a new poll done last week from the Detroit News found that 56 percent of the people in this state approve of the mess she has done with her job as Governor.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s job approval rating has climbed to begin 2022, but Republicans have opportunities against the Democrat who is seeking a second term, according to a new poll commissioned by The Detroit News and WDIV.

The Jan. 3-7 survey of 600 likely general election voters found a competitive political environment, more people saying the state was on the wrong track than right and only 40% of participants indicating they plan to vote to reelect Whitmer in a pivotal midterm election. But her approval rating rose to 56%.

“I’d much rather be Gretchen Whitmer right now than any of the Republican candidates,” said Richard Czuba, founder of the Lansing-based Glengariff Group, which conducted the poll.

The GOP does not have a clear front runner yet but that 56 percent of people breathing oxygen in any poll think she is doing an okay job is mind-blowing. This is why I always say the Great Lakes State is blue except for that once-in-a-lifetime election.

Like in 2016 with Donald Trump.

With missteps like telling parents to shove it, maybe the Michigan Democrats could tip the balance to the Mi-GOP and make it competitive this November.

Maybe.