Recent polling in the Michigan Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate is running favorable for Abdul El-Sayed in his campaign against Congresswoman Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow.
That has to concern the political establishment, which is lined up behind Stevens because it thinks she has the crossover appeal needed to defeat Republican Mike Rogers in the general election.
Whether Democrats like it or not, El-Sayed has positioned himself as the reform-minded candidate in the Senate race. The one who won’t play by the traditional political playbook. That appeals to a growing number of young Democrats who don’t believe the establishment speaks for them or represents authentic leadership.
To them, the establishment is about preserving power, relationships, donor class network and political careers. It is not willing to exercise courage or conviction on the defining issues of the day.
An issue that has been waiting for Democrats to create a campaign out of has been the systematic dismantling of DEI programs across the country, an initiative that has been one of the cornerstone achievements of the civil rights movement.
Are Michigan Democrats asking questions about these issues? Are they discussing how the elimination of DEI is affecting businesses of color across the state?
No.
The party leadership is busy sending fundraising emails to supporters asking them to chip in one more time instead of calling attention to the issues that would actually incentivize urban voters to support the party.
This level of political inaction is also part of the reason El-Sayed’s campaign is making such headway in a contentious primary, where Stevens should be easily pulling ahead.
Some see the party as suffering from establishment politician syndrome, a culture where caution replaces conviction and scripted talking points replace moral clarity. The result is politicians who will do anything to survive and keep their elected seats as opposed to risking everything to do the right thing.
There is a generational rejection taking place as unconventional candidates push to defeat establishment politicians who are often seen as untouchable. This is not an accident. It is a symptom of a much deeper frustration inside a party where many young people are economically suffering, including those saddled with student loan debt, and can’t wait for the incremental adjustments that politicians offer while their own lives are being torn apart daily by inequality.
That kind of anger is transformed into support for people like El-Sayed, because establishment politicians are not viewed as speaking from the heart. They are guided by political choreography, where every word spoken has to be approved by high paid consultants instead of being emotionally aligned with the young people in the party who are demanding change.
Democrats can’t take this revolt lightly or dismiss it with institutional arrogance because it is existential. It is an identity crisis. They are facing new voices who want to revitalize the party and challenge the complacency of leadership on an array of issues.
At the same time, the yearning for authenticity expressed by the campaigns of candidates like El-Sayed must be matched with discipline, competence and the all important work of coalition building. Experience matters. Expertise matters. Institutions matter.
Several years ago, El-Sayed asked that we meet for coffee on Woodward Avenue after his failed bid for governor in 2018.
During the meet up, our conversation veered off to how there is a deep distrust of the political culture and how too many politicians are in office but are afraid to challenge the system. El-Sayed casts himself as someone who is willing to take the risk in protecting those who are struggling.
The reality is that, in an era being shaped by social media amidst a distrust of our institutions, there are young people who are clearly drawn to candidates that they believe sound more human than those acting like they need the permission structure to approve their position on issues.
The leadership of the party must speak to the disillusionment and the hunger for authenticity that is playing out in the Senate race.
No matter the party affiliation, the only candidates who will succeed are those who are willing to cross party lines and speak to the wounds of racial injustice, rising cost of living and the failed school systems that many communities are facing, regardless of geographical boundaries.
X (formerly Twitter): @BankoleDetNews
bankole@bankolethompson.com
Bankole Thompson’s columns appear on Mondays and Thursdays in The Detroit News.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: El-Sayed’s momentum reflects a revolt against the Dem establishment | Thompson
Reporting by Bankole Thompson / The Detroit News
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