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Spartan legend Magic Johnson endorses Biden with Slotkin and Peters at Everett HS rally

Sen. Debbie Stabenow also attended the rally

October 19, 2020
<p>MSU basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson and other members of the 1979 national champion basketball team on the court before MSU vs. Minnesota. MSU beat Minnesota 79-55 at the Breslin Center on Feb. 9, 2019.</p>

MSU basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson and other members of the 1979 national champion basketball team on the court before MSU vs. Minnesota. MSU beat Minnesota 79-55 at the Breslin Center on Feb. 9, 2019.

Photo by Matt Zubik | The State News

Magic Johnson hit Michigan's campaign trail to endorse presidential nominee Joe Biden along with other national Michigan Democrats.

At his alma mater Everett High School, Johnson joined Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-08), and U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters. Slotkin and Peters are both up for reelection.

Slotkin said she couldn’t envision a better representative for the state of Michigan or a better person than Johnson to come and get the vote out.

“I was thinking about it as I was driving here," Slotkin said. "Why did I like him so much? I mean the Michigan thing is obvious but the truth is, he is a decent, civil, lovely person in how he interacts with people but also in how he played on the court."

She emphasized on Saturday the election was a mere 17 days away. She felt that this election would leave everything on the table. It would show us what country we want to be, how we project to the world and what our children would learn when they turn on the television.

Thus, this election is an integral part of our future, according to Slotkin. She said you will tell your grandchildren what you did a couple of weeks before the most important election of your lifetime. She wants you to make sure you tell them that you did more than you ever thought you’d do because our country is at stake.

“People want to tell you their pain, and then they expect you to go fight for them in Washington," she said. "While I’d been in service my whole life in a different way, this is the best and most important thing I’ve ever done and I hope to be able to do it again." 

Stabenow spoke next and discussed how her first job out of undergrad was at Everett High School, which is also how she met Johnson. 

She had just started working there while Johnson was just starting high school. There was talk about how there was this awesome basketball player. To her, no one knew at the moment just what he would become, and she’s very proud of the person he is and all he has accomplished.

When asked about why people should tell their 18- or 19-year-old to vote, she tells them about 2018 and just how the people of Michigan made change happen.

“We didn’t agonize," Stabenow said. "We organized. We fundamentally changed the leadership in our state.”

She then discussed the importance of getting Peters reelected so that the country can have a Democratic Senate to go with the Democratic House. So that eventually we can rebuild and heal our country, “Build Back Better.”

Stabenow said Peters is working with Stabenow to protect the great lakes, protect jobs, protect healthcare and do the things they need to do to make it better. Peters is also leading the efforts in protecting our post offices.

She said many issues fundamental to Americans are on the ballot.

“There has never been a more important time if you care about healthcare," Stabenow said. "If you care about protecting our land and air and water. If you care about having racial justice and criminal justice reform. If you care about having a plan for COVID-19. An actual, real plan that moves us forward, that protects us, that allows us to be safe and healthy, protects our livelihoods, and allows us to open our businesses and get our kids back in school.”

Peters then said he witnesses the lack of leadership from the Trump administration firsthand.

“The fact that we’re all here still in our masks still dealing with this pandemic, part of that reason is just colossal mismanagement from the Trump administration,” Peters said. “This is a time for leadership. This is a time for someone who understands and takes a national response to deal with a national disaster."

Peters said he believes that Biden will need a Democratic Senate so that everything he wants to do while in office isn’t blocked. 

He discussed the impact billionaires are having on this election and how they are trying to buy it as he was speaking, but they only get one vote like the rest of us.

He left the stage with one final sentiment.

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“We know that when Democrats vote in Michigan we win," Peters said. "We know that."

Lastly, Johnson arrived. He had just come back from an event in Detroit, which was getting Black men to vote in this election. 

Johnson said he strongly believes that electing Biden and Kamala Harris is important to our country.

“The country is so divided right now, so divided," Johnson said. "I’ve never seen it like this. We need leaders that are going to bring us together. We need leaders that are going to bring this country together, be united.”

He said President Donald Trump ignored the early signs of COVID-19 and as a result, we’ve lost thousands of lives in Michigan and hundreds of thousands of lives in the country.

We’ve also lost small businesses and when you lose those, people lose their jobs as well, Johnson said.  

“Joe Biden has a plan to bring the economy back, to bring jobs back," he said. "To not only the state of Michigan but also to the country." 

Johnson is excited about Biden being the candidate for the Democratic party and is also excited about him having a strong vice president in Harris.

He said that losing the affordable care act would cause 700,000 people in the state of Michigan to lose health care.

“It’s very important that we tell our friends, our family members, get out and vote and vote early,” Johnson said.

Voting is easier than it ever has been before. You don’t have to stand in long lines in November.

Johnson also said that along with supporting Biden and Harris, we need to support Peters because he’s done a great job.

Johnson got involved in politics a long time ago because he knew how important it was to discuss policies as they are going to affect his life, his family's lives and his friend’s lives. It’s important that people understand why it’s so important for all of them to vote.

When it comes to racial injustice, Johnson said the Biden administration cares about educating people.

Johnson said while Biden talked about the country and what he was going to do for the people of America, all Trump talked about was himself.

He also believes that people in other countries are laughing at us. In about three weeks we have the chance to change all of that. 

“Make sure you tell everybody, this is the most important election of our lifetime,” Johnson said.

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