There’s no way to quantify this, but suffice it to say reams and reams of column inches have been gobbled up as reporters chronicle the continuing dramatic soap opera within the state Republican Party now in its second year concerning who is the legit party chair.
So how ‘bout a little equal time for the Democrats who have their own internal headaches to sort through.
Some party dissidents, who consider themselves to be well meaning, are mounting a full throttled effort to send the sitting president a message regarding his handling of the Gaza-Israeli war. Their message is... knock it off and demand a cease fire to end the brutal human carnage which is now in its fourth month. 150,000 phone calls in one week on this and 87,000 to be contacted via email soon.
With the Feb 27 Michigan presidential primary just around the corner, the anti-war group is urging fellow Democrats to vote “uncommitted” rather than vote for Mr. Biden.
“This is not anti-Biden” one of the national consultants who is working with Michigan D’s to pull this off explains. It’s aimed at getting him to change course now.
But folks like the current Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and former Gov. Jim Blanchard are worried that when the dust settles, this effort will play into the hands of the Trump forces who will use it against Mr. Biden by suggesting that, “many of Joe Biden’s democrats are deserting him.” Mr. Blanchard figures this “threat on Biden won’t work” which means it won’t result in a policy shift and it could cost the president even more votes in November.
At the vanguard of this effort in Michigan is former Oakland County progressive Democrat and former Congressman Andy Levin who believes this will work if enough of his compatriots send a strong message by withholding their votes. Part of the coalition to do this includes Arab Americans, Muslin activists and young Democrats and Mr. Levin believes the president is at risk of losing the state in November if these folks stay home.
“They are not going to vote for Trump,” he reassures the White House but if they stay home, others figure that is indirectly a vote for Trump because it’s one less vote for the incumbent.
Mr. Levin describes this very serious internal revolt in terms of a loving marriage where you work out your differences in a peaceful give and take with the goal of not only staying together but making the relationship stronger. He thinks if 20% or more of the voters vote uncommitted, Mr. Biden will eventually “be the peacemaker” and go around the Israeli leader who is hell bent on destroying the enemy and a cease fire be damned.
Mr. Levin also believes after making their protest known, those Democrats will come home to the president. But what if they don’t?
Gov. Whitmer reminds the malcontents that this could help Donald Trump regain the White House and “this would be bad for your communities” of Dearborn and other districts where concern over the war is off the charts.
Mr. Levin counters he does not want to see the situation evolve into another anti-Viet Nam nationwide protest and given the number of demonstrations on college campuses and the like, the notion does not appear to be that far-fetched.
“The young people are very worried,” he reports.
And just like the Republicans, now the Democrats have something to worry about too i.e. losing to Donald Trump aided and abetted by members of their own party.
