  We have extended our study of the competition between the drive and
stabilization of plasma microinstabilities by sheared flow to include
electromagnetic effects at low plasma $\beta$ (the ratio of plasma to magnetic
pressure). The extended system of characteristic equations is formulated, for a
dissipative fluid model developed from the gyrokinetic equation, using a
twisting mode representation in sheared slab geometry and focusing on the ion
temperature gradient mode. Perpendicular flow shear convects perturbations
along the field at the speed we denote as $Mc_s$ (where $c_s$ is the sound
speed). $M > 1/ \sqrt{\beta}$ is required to make the system characteristics
unidirectional and inhibit eigenmode formation, leaving only transitory
perturbations in the system. This typically represents a much larger flow shear
than in the electrostatic case, which only needs $M>1$. Numerical investigation
of the region $M < 1/\sqrt{\beta}$ shows the driving terms can conflict, as in
the electrostatic case, giving low growth rates over a range of parameters.
Also, at modest drive strengths and low $\beta$ values typical of experiments,
including electromagnetic effects does not significantly alter the growth
rates. For stronger flow shear and higher $\beta$, geometry characteristic of
the spherical tokamak mitigates the effect of an instability of the shear
Alfv\'{e}n wave, driven by the parallel flow shear.
