In the recent Michigan Primary, President Joe Biden managed to secure a decisive victory. However, the win was not as overwhelming as some might have hoped, leading to rising concerns within the Democratic party. A significant number of voters, tens of thousands to be precise, cast their ballots for “uncommitted,” indicating a protest vote against Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
This protest vote was organized by a coalition of Arab-American leaders in Michigan through the “Listen to Michigan” campaign. The campaign involved organized protests and phone-banks, reaching tens of thousands of voters. They aimed to pressure the president into supporting an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.
Despite Biden’s victory, the high number of “uncommitted” votes has sparked concerns about the Democratic party’s prospects in the general election.
Wa’el Alzayat, CEO of the Muslim advocacy organization Emgage, expressed his concerns about the Democrats’ chances in Michigan, stating, “I don’t see a pathway for them to win Michigan with that many people not voting for them.”
In response to the 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.
On the Republican side, a similar debate about party unity has taken place. Donald Trump also won the Michigan primary convincingly on Tuesday. But the former president continues to face a faction of Republicans who refuse to back his candidacy despite his chokehold on the nomination.
The fissures in both parties have sparked concerns over how each candidate will fare in this critical swing state in November. For Trump, the threats have been both political and legal in nature. His unbroken swing of early state victories has given him a commanding position in Republican politics. But he remains embroiled in court cases stemming from his business practices and his time in office.
And he continues to slash at primary rivals — past and present — even after they have ceased to threaten him politically.
For Biden, the threats are strictly political. The “Listen to Michigan” campaign saw “uncommitted” easily clear the 20,000 votes mark, which was the figure from the last three Michigan presidential primaries. The campaign anticipates getting more than 15 percent of the vote in at least one congressional district, which would qualify it for a delegate at the Democratic National Convention this summer.
The “Listen to Michigan” organizers have not been persuaded by the steps the administration has taken. They had set 10,000 votes as its benchmark for success in a memo sent on Monday, noting that was roughly the margin Trump won Michigan by during the 2016 general election.
However, “uncommitted” earned about 20,000 voters in the last three Michigan presidential primaries. In 2012, “uncommitted” earned nearly 21,000 votes, when then-President Barack Obama ran with no opposition on the primary ballot in the state.
The “Listen to Michigan” campaign saw “uncommitted” easily clear that figure shortly after polls closed. And its organizers quickly declared that they anticipated getting more than 15 percent of the vote in at least one congressional district, which would qualify it for a delegate at the Democratic National Convention this summer.
“This means Michigan will be sending at least one delegate to Chicago to declare that they are uncommitted to the Democratic nominee as long as he or she funds Israel’s war in Gaza,” said Layla Elabed, campaign manager of “Listen To Michigan.”
In conclusion, while Biden’s victory in the Michigan Primary is a positive outcome for the Democrats, the significant protest vote and the rising discontent within the party over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war could pose challenges in the upcoming general election.
In his statement on Tuesday night, Biden emphasized unity and the importance of democratic participation: “Four years ago, it was Michigan’s diverse coalition that came together to reject Donald Trump’s MAGA extremism and sent me and Kamala to the White House. This fight for our freedoms, for working families, and for Democracy is going to take all of us coming together. I know that we will.”