Hamas sympathizers considered themselves victors in Michigan Tuesday as they touted taking their protest against the president “to the convention floor.”
Unsatisfied with traffic-stopping roadblocks, legislative-obstructing sit-ins and terror-inducing acts on college campuses, anti-Israel sentiments took to the polls Tuesday with a protest vote against President Joe Biden. Having mounted their Listen to Michigan campaign, led by Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s (D) sister Layla Elabed, the message at a watch party in Dearborn was “We have a huge victory tonight.”
Those words were spoken by former Michigan Rep. Andy Levin (D) who was joined by the state’s House majority leader, Rep. Abraham Aiyash (D), who himself told attendees, “It is my hope that after tonight’s results — and we’re going to Chicago, by the way — 174 days from now we’re going to be at the Democratic National Convention, pushing and growing this anti-war movement.”
“So if they didn’t listen….after 30,000 and they didn’t listen after the hospitals being bombed, maybe they will listen to Michigan,” he continued as early results were reported.
Watch: “Uncommitted” campaign hosts primary election night watch party in Dearborn. Abbas Alawieh, of Listen to Michigan, the group campaigning as a protest vote against President Joe Biden, leads a group in a dabke dance. https://t.co/mWN4A8Yp58 | : @jchambers_DN pic.twitter.com/tbgMyPfyqq
— The Detroit News (@detroitnews) February 28, 2024
Unofficial results from the Michigan Secretary of State accounted for 80 of 83 counties in reporting a nearly 82% landslide for Biden with over 482,000 votes. However, the uncommitted movement managed to pull in nearly 73,000 votes reaching just over 12% of the Tuesday total.
“And we have an opportunity in Chicago to take that message to the convention floor and push this party platform to finally change course on things like the unconditional aid to Israel, we start to have the conversation on what we do with settlements,” Aiyash had told the Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, writer Marianne Williamson edged out Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips with nearly 18,000 votes to his nearly 15,700 amounting to roughly 3% and 2.7% respectively.
Despite the majority leader’s optimism, those results meant that under the Democratic Party’s rules, only Biden had surpassed the 15% threshold to send delegates to the convention.
“I want to thank every Michigander who made their voice heard today. Exercising the right to vote and participating in our democracy is what makes America great,” Biden’s social media read in a statement that also demonized former President Donald Trump, suggesting he, “is threatening to drag us even further into the past as he pursues revenge and retribution.”
I want to thank every Michigander who made their voice heard today. Exercising the right to vote and participating in our democracy is what makes America great.
Four years ago, it was Michigan’s diverse coalition that came together to reject Donald Trump’s MAGA extremism and…
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) February 28, 2024
One day earlier, Biden had stated at a New York City ice cream parlor as he made a trip to appear on NBC’s “Late Show” that he hoped “by next Monday we’ll have a ceasefire.”
That was insufficient for Tlaib who had promoted the Listen to Michigan campaign and released a video after she had cast her own vote urging others to follow suit. “I was proud today to walk in and pull a Democratic ballot and vote uncommitted. We must protect our democracy. We must make sure that our government is about us; about the people. ”
A statement from @RashidaTlaib on voting uncommitted in Michigan today. pic.twitter.com/xOfOcYTFQn
— #ListenToMichigan (@Listen2michigan) February 27, 2024
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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