Participants on ABC’s “The View” were left wrestling with the massive “uncommitted” votes in Michigan’s Democratic primary on Wednesday.
As of early Wednesday afternoon the uncommitted votes totaled 101,436 or 13.2 percent of votes cast, according to The New York Times. Votes tabulated totaled more than 95 percent.
The uncommitted votes stemmed from concerns of those in Arab-Americans communities in the southeast part of the state about allegations of violence against Gaza residents in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, according to “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin.
“These are protest votes,” Hostin said. “These are votes — they’re uncommitted votes — and they’re saying, ‘Hear us. Listen to us. Hundreds of members of my family have been killed. Yes! That is my issue. That is my one issue.’”
It also is a critical issue among young voters, Hostin said, citing large numbers of uncommitted votes in the major Michigan college towns of Ann Arbor and East Lansing.
“The View” co-hosts debate the “Uncommitted” protest movement in the Michigan Democratic presidential primary:
Sunny Hostin: “They are telling you, this issue matters, hear us.”
Whoopi Goldberg: “That’s the same for me as sitting.” pic.twitter.com/NqLTVTGMze
— The Recount (@therecount) February 28, 2024
“What the Biden administration has to understand is that young voters — first time voters — are very concerned about this issue,” she said.
“And when it comes to Michigan, if you look at the breakdown,” Hostin continued, “19 percent of those votes came from the University of Michigan — young voters — in Ann Arbor.
Is Biden in trouble with young voters?
“In East Lansing – home of Michigan State – uncommitted got 15 percent of the vote.”
And Hostin warned of the consequences to President Joe Biden if Arab-Americans are not heeded.
“There are 300,000 of the Arab population in Michigan,” she said. “And Trump carried Michigan in 2016 by about 11,000 votes.
“They are telling you — this issue matters, hear us,” Hostin concluded.
Co-host Whoopi Goldberg voiced objection to votes of uncommitted as reflecting inaction.
“If I then say, ‘You’re not doing it fast enough for me, so I’m going to sit,” Goldberg said, then folding her arms, “that doesn’t help me.”
“They didn’t sit, though,” Hostin countered.
Goldberg replied: “They voted (uncommitted). That’s the same for me as sitting.”
A Reuters account indicated, the Biden campaign has been blindsided by seething resentment in Michigan over the administration’s support of Israel.
It puts Biden, a self-professed Zionist, in the middle of pressures from several groups, which traditionally vote Democratic.
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