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Notes -
I opened TheHill.com this morning and see that the Michigan Democratic Senate primary is too close to call and high drama as far as summer politics go.
On one side we have Abdul, a progressive Democrat middle Eastern man. On the other hand, we have Stevens a white liberal affluent woman - described as a “centrist Democrat”, mentored by Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. A real “battle for the Democratic Party”.
My politics have be quite odd for a while now. Historically I voted republiclan and came of age in the George W years. About 10 years ago I switched registration to non affliliated and would describe my politics as MAGA (until MAGA was redefined to being pro-Israel movement). My tongue in check response on politics would be to sometimes describe myself as a Francoist or Facist fellow traveler.
Back to Michigan, I was thinking to myself “gun to my head” who would I prefer? The middle eastern Muslim progressive or white woman establishment Dem. I reviewed their Wiki policy positions and quite easily decided I’d prefer Abdul. Stevens is so odious to me that it wasn’t even close. What’s a bigger threat? A dem that publicly calls their regular trips to Israel transformative? Or a Muslim that wants to abolish ICE? Both are big problems. Stevens is a big “public health” nut so that’s pretty much puts two enormous Xs next to her name for me. Abdul is anti monopoly and these days it’s hard for me to disagree that there are some major problems with the corporate class (despite me being a part of it).
It was a fun little thought experiment. What do you all make of it? For those that are generally against the progressive project, what’s the lesser evil? For those that are for it, who do you trust?
Edit:Abdul won.
This was a three-person race not too long ago. Mallory McMorrow was the best candidate on paper. Every neoliberal Twitter poaster loved her, but her campaign was done in by a series of forced and unforced errors, most revealing of which was the discovery that she doesn’t actually like Michigan, preferring New York or California (shocker).
I’m not convinced that Stevens would do better in November than El Sayed. A lot of people in Dearborn simply would not vote for such an openly pro-Israel candidate.
I clicked through out of boredom and saw that one of her tweets was her dream that "the US amicably broke off into The Ring (coasts+Can+Mex+parts Mich/Tex) and Middle America". The coasts, Canada, and Mexico? That's so silly it's almost beautiful, I want to see the fantasy map.
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