4 minPolitics
Obama to rally with Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed
Former President Barack Obama will appear at a rally Saturday with Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, whose past criticism of Obama and uneven support among Black voters have drawn attention.
Former President Barack Obama is set to rally Saturday with Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, a appearance that puts the spotlight on the progressive candidate's standing with Black voters in a battleground state where their turnout could prove decisive. Obama formally endorsed El-Sayed earlier this month, filming a campaign ad that ran on Oct. 12 urging his supporters « to support Abdul El-Sayed for the United States Senate. »
The event has drawn scrutiny because El-Sayed has previously criticized the former president. In a sharply worded 2012 essay published in the Huffington Post, El-Sayed accused Obama of failing to deliver on the promises of his presidency. « I realize that I have little hope because there has been less change, » El-Sayed wrote. « But I have to say now what I’ve been holding in throughout his campaign and what I think all of us have to admit: Obama was not the right choice — he just wasn’t the wrong one. » He went on to fault the then-president for perpetuating war, violating civil liberties and carrying out more deportations than any previous president. El-Sayed has since walked back some of those criticisms, saying it is possible to disagree with someone while still admiring them and praising how Obama operated under the circumstances.
Conservatives have argued that the El-Sayed campaign is leaning on Obama to build support among African American voters, a constituency that Democrats need in Michigan to keep their path to Senate control open. Claims that El-Sayed has received only lukewarm backing from the Black community began during the Democratic primary against Rep. Haley Stevens. El-Sayed performed strongly among Arab American voters but narrowly defeated Stevens after polls showed her attracting stronger support among Black Democratic voters. Low turnout or defections to the Republican Party among African Americans in Michigan could seriously endanger the Democratic Party’s Senate prospects.
A Fox News Digital poll conducted in late September found that just 77% of Black voters supported El-Sayed, a figure well below where Democrats typically perform with the group. It is unclear what effect Obama’s involvement will have on the race. Fox News Digital spoke with more than a dozen Black voters in Detroit, who offered mixed reactions. Several undecided voters said Obama remained a leading figure in the Democratic Party but gave his endorsement little weight. One undecided Black voter, Mercedes, said, « Honestly, it’s a turn-off just because I’ve seen too many candidates use him just to manipulate the Democratic vote. » Another undecided voter said Obama had succeeded on the question of hope but had not, in her view, done enough for minority-owned businesses and the community. Rita, an undecided voter who said she had recently been homeless, said the endorsement would not move her, and Juanita, who was unsure how she would vote in November, said she did not want to be pushed toward a candidate because someone else backed him.
Even some Black voters who had already cast early ballots for El-Sayed said Obama’s backing mattered little to them. One such voter said many people judged a candidate more by who he is than by an endorsement. Undecided voters were divided on El-Sayed’s shift in position toward Obama. Juanita said she did not understand how a candidate could endorse someone who had been an opponent while that person held office. Another voter said she viewed the change as a flip-flop but also as an opportunity for El-Sayed to explain how his views had evolved and why their objectives might now align. Others noted that such pivots are common in politics, pointing to Vice President JD Vance, who was once a staunch critic of President Donald Trump.
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