Michigan campaign leader refuses to support President Biden, stands firm against intimidation
Michigan Leader Warns Campaign Won’t Support Biden in November
A prominent Michigan leader in the effort to oppose President Joe Biden is sending a strong message: her campaign won’t be won back in November. The “Abandon Biden” campaign is urging Michigan voters to cast their ballots “for anybody but Biden” in the primary and general elections. According to Samra’a Luqman, the organization’s Michigan co-chairwoman, the campaign will eventually endorse candidates. Luqman stated, “We are attempting to oust Biden, and so you could vote for a third-party candidate, you could write in something, you could do [former President Donald] Trump.”
Luqman, a realtor and former Dearborn City Council candidate, expressed her dissatisfaction with Biden’s position, stating that she wrote in Sen. Bernie Sanders on her 2020 general election ballot because Biden is “too much in the middle” for her. She emphasized the significance of her stance, saying, “To hear myself saying, ‘I’m even willing to go to the other side or to accept that there may be a Republican president, no less Trump, in order to oust Biden,’ that’s a huge thing for me.”
Contrasting Campaigns
The Abandon Biden campaign stands in contrast to the Listen to Michigan campaign, endorsed by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, which aims to organize Democrats to mark themselves as ”uncommitted” in the primary but ultimately support Biden in the general election. Both campaigns have faced criticism from Democrats, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who argue that they empower Trump.
Luqman responded to these criticisms, stating, “I’m not going to be scared into voting for Biden, and I think it’s a real insult to Muslims in the United States to act as if we don’t know what living through a Trump presidency would mean.”
Arab and Muslim Communities
Republicans have been able to capture some share of Michigan’s Arab and Muslim communities, despite their historical alignment with the Democrats. However, Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’s Michigan chapter, clarified that a protest vote does not necessarily mean voting for Trump. He explained that many individuals may vote for a third-party candidate or focus on other races.
Similarly, Sameh Elhady, vice chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party’s Arab American Caucus, expressed his lack of fear towards Trump. He stated, “Let Trump come. If he does something wrong, we’re going to protest against him. We’re going to use the constitutional rights. We’re going to fight. So for us to be scared of Trump coming to the White House, that’s OK. Let him come.”
Shifting Support
Nura Sediqe, a political science assistant professor at Michigan State University, conducted research among Michigan’s Arab and Muslim populations. Her findings revealed a significant shift in support, with only 20% of respondents indicating they would vote for Biden in the 2024 general election, compared to 60% in 2020.
The Abandon Biden campaign plans to measure its success by comparing the president’s performance in Michigan’s Arab or Muslim majority voting precincts in 2020 and 2024. Meanwhile, the Listen to Michigan campaign aims to secure 10,000 uncommitted votes, the number by which Hillary Clinton lost the state to Trump in 2016.
Luqman believes that not only is Biden ”in trouble,” but Democratic down-ballot candidates are as well. She argued that the Abandon Biden campaign has gained traction with Michigan’s independent voters.
She concluded, “If the Democrats wish to save what they have worked so hard to achieve, both in Michigan and in Congress, then I’m sending a message that they better get Biden to call for a ceasefire and stop this immediately and save lives immediately, but as for Biden himself, he is no longer going to be somebody we endorse ever again.”
What potential impact could the Abandon Biden campaign, led by Luqman, have on Biden’s support in swing states like Michigan
Rical support for Democrats. Luqman’s campaign aims to mobilize these communities and tap into their dissatisfaction with Biden. She believes that Biden’s policies do not align with the interests of Arab and Muslim Americans, particularly in areas such as foreign policy and immigration.
Luqman argues that by supporting Biden, Arab and Muslim Americans would be compromising their values and priorities. She wants them to consider alternatives, including third-party candidates or even a write-in vote for Trump. While these options may seem extreme to some, Luqman believes they are necessary to send a strong message and bring about change.
The Listen to Michigan campaign, on the other hand, emphasizes the importance of party unity and the need to prevent another term for Trump. They argue that supporting Biden, despite any disagreements, is the only way to ensure progressive policies and protect marginalized communities.
The divide between these campaigns reflects the larger ideological struggle within the Democratic Party. Some believe that compromise and incremental progress are the best strategies, while others believe in more radical and transformative change.
As the Michigan primary and general election approach, the fate of these campaigns and their impact on Biden’s support remain uncertain. However, the fact that prominent Michigan leaders are openly voicing their opposition to Biden highlights the challenges he faces in winning over a diverse and sometimes fractured electorate. The Arab and Muslim communities, in particular, could prove crucial in determining the outcome in a swing state like Michigan.
In conclusion, the Abandon Biden campaign in Michigan, led by Samra’a Luqman, is sending a clear message that they will not support Biden in the upcoming elections. Luqman believes that Biden’s policies do not align with the interests of Arab and Muslim Americans, and therefore, she is urging voters to consider alternative candidates. This campaign stands in contrast to the Listen to Michigan campaign, which seeks to rally Democrats around Biden despite any reservations. As the political landscape in Michigan evolves, the outcome of these campaigns could have a significant impact on Biden’s prospects in the state and beyond.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
