Democrats Must Unite
Centrists should back leftist winners. Leftists should back centrist winners. The goal is beating Republicans in November.
On Tuesday, Abdul El-Sayed narrowly squeaked out a win against Haley Stevens to be the Democratic nominee for senate from Michigan, a crucial swing state. The race was a contentious one, with El-Sayed, an anti-establishment progressive, enjoying significant support from roaring crowds and enthusiastic podcast bros, while Stevens, a more moderate candidate with a record of delivering for Michiganders and who was also backed by the Democratic establishment and funded by record donations from AIPAC, billed herself as someone who was more workhorse than show pony. Just before the election, El-Sayed’s team was crowing about polling showing him with a double-digit lead. Instead, he didn’t even clear majority support, and beat Stevens by a single point.
It was, in other words, not the blowout that anti-establishment Democrats wanted. But it was still a win for a candidate who was vastly outspent, and who campaigned not just against the Republican Party, but against mainstream Democrats, too. Either side of the Democratic Party divide over its identity — those who want it to be a populist-leftist party and those who say we can only win if we moderate — can claim some modicum of victory here. But elections have actual winners, and in this one, it was El-Sayed.
Michelle Goldberg wrote an important column this week about the biggest weakness of El-Sayed and the movement he represents, which is that he does not seem to think that people who disagree with him are genuine in their views. Politicians need to turn out supporters, but they also need to persuade — and to recognize that some people just don’t see the world the same way, and you might need to work with those people, too. Too many on the left seem to believe that their views are the only good and righteous ones, and people who disagree simply don’t understand — or else have nefarious motivations.
I was pleased, though, to see both El-Sayed and Stevens react to the results with grace. Both accepted the results. Both recognized the other’s service. It’s a model I hope Democrats and leftists can emulate going forward.
