He won by a hair. As readers know, two weeks ago Abdul El-Sayed won the Michigan primary by only a hair, but that one hair was enough for the win. Pollsters were wrong. They predicted a double-digit triumph over his opponent who had bushes of money and who ran unending ads against him. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t quit when the odds were not in his favor. Was it his looks, his medical degree, the color of his skin, his political agenda or his voice that acted as foils to a greater victory? No, it was none of these. It was his name.
In the old days, a man’s name was his most precious commodity. Even centuries later when we hear names like Plato, Aristotle, Kant and Adam Smith we’re intrigued even if we have no idea what dogma they expressed. Men like Washington, Lincoln, the two Roosevelts and Coolidge are more familiar to us although we might be able to define less than a handful of their accomplishments. In more modern times, political surnames of Kennedy, Nixon, Reagan and Clinton can make our hair stand on end. We loved them or were glad to see them go.
As I thought about names, I remembered how important they used to be. They’re small enough to fit in our mouth yet powerful enough to rule the world. I think that’s part of a quote, but I don’t know who said it. Abdul’s full first name is almost impossible to pronounce so he shortened it, but it did not change his character or lessen his ethical length. He’s not perfect because no one is, but he calls Michigan his home and that’s where he lives. To my knowledge, he doesn’t own and inhabit another, more lavish “vacation” home in Florida as does his rival for the U.S. Senate. He’s not ashamed to admit he has rental properties outside our country, counters his accusers with a simple phrase “Dubai is not Florida” and lets it go at that.
I remember a time when a politician’s name was considered “good” if his actions were honorable and above reproach. If his moral compass always pointed north and if he followed it, he was deemed noble, trustworthy and capable of representing his constituents regardless of their heritage or ethnicity. Abdul has promised he’ll fight for every Michigander whether Arab, Jew, Christian or atheist. He says he wants to get money out of politics and healthcare for all. He’s facing a mountain as high as Everest by voicing such astronomical goals, but isn’t that what we all want? To ease the suffering of others and improve the lot of all? Surely, we don’t want politicians under the thumb of doners.
When did we lose the core values that sustained our parents? Dad was a union man. Mom was a housewife. Neither graduated high school. Mom made it through 11th grade then left to care for her sick mother. Dad quit school when he was in third grade. Winter came. He had no boots. His flimsy shoes couldn’t protect his feet from the snow and ice. Yet even with limited education, they lived by an unspoken ethical code of conduct that brought no shame to their surname. When did society cast that code aside? When did we start judging a man or woman by his or her name rather than by their conduct?
In 1720, Alexander Pope wrote a letter to Lord Burlington in which he expressed this sentiment: “Statesman, yet friend to truth. Of soul sincere, in action faithful and in honor clear. Who broke no promise and served no private end. Who gained no title and who lost no friend.” If the fates will it, is it not better for Abdul to lose the race than win through a carpetbagger’s soiled money? Though his name be sullied, his integrity will be intact. Yet I so hope he is our next U.S. Senator.
To contact Sharon Kennedy, send her an email at sharonkennedy1947@gmail.com. Kennedy’s book, “The SideRoad Kids as Adults,” is available from her or Amazon.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Abdul El-Sayed and the power of a name | Opinion
Reporting by Sharon Kennedy, Community Columnist / The Petoskey News-Review
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sharon Kennedy, Community Columnist | USA TODAY Network
