More than 100,000 Democrats went to the polls in Michigan for the sole purpose of casting an “uncommitted vote in the state’s Democratic primary.
There were about 750,000 votes cast in the primary, making the “uncommitted” vote the second largest.
It was a shocking repudiation of a sitting president considering that the effort to get people to vote “uncommitted” only began in earnest two weeks ago. The campaign was poorly funded and was hampered by the perception that the backers were pro-Hamas.
But when 100,000 Democrats in a swing state expressed what amounted to a “no confidence vote” in Joe Biden, the president and his handlers had problems beyond the war in Gaza.
“I don’t see a pathway for them to win Michigan with that many people not voting for them,” said Wa’el Alzayat, CEO of the Muslim advocacy organization Emgage. “I just don’t.”
It certainly is a handicap that Biden can ill afford.
To counteract the palpable discontent over his Israel policy, Biden dispatched top administration officials and allies in Congress to Michigan to talk with community leaders about the Israel-Hamas conflict. The state’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer, encouraged Democrats to vote for the president even as other Democrats — including Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who represents parts of Detroit and Dearborn, and former presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke — pushed voters towards the “uncommitted” line.
Notably, Biden said on Monday he thought a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas could be in place in a week — “I hope by the end of the weekend,” Biden told reporters, when he was asked about the timing. His comments came ahead of Tuesday’s vote, but they’re also timed with ongoing talks between the U.S., Israel, Egypt and Qatar over a six-week pause in the fighting between Israel and Hamas.
“It is not lost on me that this president has softened his language and begun to recognize Palestinian suffering. But what is not enough is lip service. What we need is a withdrawal of support” for Israel, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said as votes rolled in Tuesday night.
“Tonight, we will watch the votes tally. But what’s most important is to understand that the White House is listening,” Hammoud added.
Sorry, Abdullah, there are five times the number of Jewish voters in the U.S. than Muslim voters. There’s no chance that Biden will withdraw his support from Israel.
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), a strong Biden ally, thinks the key is in winning back younger voters.
“We have to talk to young people,” Dingell said, pointing to Washtenaw County, where the University of Michigan is located. “Women who turned out in record numbers last year, and get in the union halls.”
Whatever Biden is going to do, he better do it quickly. Trump is making definite inroads against Biden in Michigan among Muslims.
Shaher Abdulrab, 35, an engineer from Dearborn, said Tuesday morning that he voted for Trump. Abdulrab said he believes Arab Americans have a lot more in common with Republicans than Democrats.
Abdulrab said he voted four years ago for Biden but believes Trump will win the general election in November partly because of the backing he would get from Arab Americans.
“I’m not voting for Trump because I want Trump. I just don’t want Biden,” Abdulrab said. “He (Biden) didn’t call to stop the war in Gaza.”
Biden performed well enough to stifle calls that he drop out. But there are still murmurings, especially from the radical left wing of the party. As Biden continues to exhibit signs of mental decline, the Democratic left flank is getting restless.
As for Trump, he’s not home-free yet. There are several constituencies — young people, college-educated, and most worrying, suburban voters — who are refusing to fall in line behind the former president. A stubborn third of the GOP electorate is resisting Trump as nominee and may continue to do so until the former president’s legal challenges are over.