{"id":2638082,"date":"2026-07-31T07:07:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T11:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/is-the-nonsocialist-democratic-establishment-fooling-itself\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T07:10:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T11:10:42","slug":"is-the-nonsocialist-democratic-establishment-fooling-itself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/is-the-nonsocialist-democratic-establishment-fooling-itself\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the nonsocialist Democratic establishment fooling itself?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fis-the-nonsocialist-democratic-establishment-fooling-itself%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2638082&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses a shifting political landscape in MichiganS Democratic primary for the Senate. Recent polls show a surge for progressive candidate Abdul el Sayed over incumbent Rep. Haley Stevens, indicating a potential challenge to the Democratic establishment&#8217;s favor. The establishment efforts, including the involvement of prominent figures like Barack Obama, initially aimed to support Stevens, but the latest polls suggest a growing momentum for el sayed, who has received backing from left-wing activists and prominent Democratic figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Campaign dynamics include contested endorsements, internal party conflicts, and debates over socialism versus moderation. Similar tensions and insurgent campaigns are evident in wisconsin and Maine, reflecting a broader dissatisfaction among Democratic voters with the party&#8217;s leadership and approach, fueled by recent electoral losses and frustration over the party&#8217;s direction. The outcome of the upcoming primary will reveal weather the Democratic establishment can maintain control or whether a more radical leftist wave will reshape the party&#8217;s future.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It looked like the tide was turning in the Democratic primary for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/senate\/\">Senate<\/a> in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/michigan\/\">Michigan<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fresh off socialist <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/graham-platner\/\">Graham Platner<\/a>\u2019s implosion in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/maine\/\">Maine<\/a>, a poll came out showing Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) shellacking progressive<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/abdul-el-sayed\/\"> Abdul el Sayed<\/a> among black and working-class voters. Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gretchen-whitmer\/\">Gretchen Whitmer<\/a> (D-MI), who had beaten el Sayed in the 2018 gubernatorial primary, led Michigan Democratic officials in circling the wagons around Stevens.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4670409\/michigan-senate-poll-democratic-establishment\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Is the nonsocialist Democratic establishment fooling itself?<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4669758\/troy-jackson-swapped-out-campaign-official-super-pac-el-sayed\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Troy Jackson swapped out Senate campaign official also behind the super PAC backing Abdul el Sayed<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4669913\/tension-grow-in-michigan-7th-primary-outside-spending-closing-weeks-ambassador\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Tensions flare in Michigan primary as socialist surge threatens establishment picks<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Democratic establishment was <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4663234\/democratic-establishment-fights-back-against-socialists\/\">all in<\/a>. Former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/barack-obama\/\">Barack Obama<\/a> was neutral but <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2026\/07\/17\/politics\/obama-michigan-senate-stevens-el-sayed-ads\">constantly invoked<\/a> by the Stevens camp to her opponent\u2019s detriment.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But then came four straight polls showing el Sayed ahead by double digits. He is now leading by 9.4 points in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/elections\/senate\/2026\/michigan\"><em>RealClearPolitics <\/em>average<\/a> just a few days before Tuesday\u2019s primary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This includes a Tavern Research poll in which el Sayed is up by 10 points over Stevens. Earlier this month, the same pollster had Stevens up by 1, prompting el Sayed to tell MS NOW, \u201cThat poll seems to be funded by AIPAC.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Independent fact-checkers <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/politifact.com\/factchecks\/2026\/jul\/24\/abdul-el-sayed\/poll-tavern-research-aipac-haley-stevens\/\">found no evidence<\/a> linking the poll to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel group that spends heavily in the primaries and has become a progressive boogeyman. But now that the same poll finds el Sayed ahead outside the margin of error, his campaign has been blasting the results out.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">El Sayed is <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AlexThomp\/status\/2082936979377827947\">up on the air<\/a> with a high-fiving, Medicare-for-all\u2019ing ad featuring Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/alexandria-ocasio-coretz\/\">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez<\/a> (D-NY). \u201cThat\u2019s the part they can\u2019t stand,\u201d a beaming AOC said of el Sayed\u2019s support for government-run healthcare. \u201cThat\u2019s why billionaires are spending millions to bury Abdul and this movement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Socialists and others from the Democratic Party\u2019s far-left wing have descended on the state. While el Sayed isn\u2019t a member or endorsee of the Democratic Socialists of America, other candidates in Michigan are. But these activists and organizers aren\u2019t ignoring el Sayed\u2019s\u00a0Senate campaign. \u201cHe\u2019s fighting for the same things that a lot of our candidates are also going to be fighting for, and so that\u2019s why we\u2019re out knocking doors,\u201d Detroit DSA co-Chairwoman Lila Brickner <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/newsletters\/playbook\/2026\/07\/30\/a-left-turn-in-michigan-01016801\">told<\/a> <em>Politico\u2019s<\/em> Playbook.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">El Sayed told donors at a Zoom meeting that it would send the Democratic governing class a message if he won. \u201cYou put one ogre on a pike, and then everyone else gets the message, and all of a sudden starts to sound a lot different,\u201d he said. He <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4665388\/el-sayed-stevens-final-michigan-senate-debate\/\">later clarified <\/a>during a debate that he wasn\u2019t referring to Stevens, but Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), whom he said \u201cgot elected on a set of values, and is now completely throwing those values in the mud.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Wisconsin, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4659456\/wisconsin-governor-primary-democratic-party-proxy-war\/\">establishment efforts to deny<\/a> the Democratic gubernatorial nomination to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4642553\/francesca-hong-wisconsin-governor-primary-socialism\/\">DSA-backed state Rep. Francesca Hong<\/a> have clearly not gone according to plan. Hong\u2019s lead has only grown since Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley\u2019s reentry into the race despite the latter being endorsed by incumbent Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tony-evers\/\">Tony Evers<\/a> (D-WI). Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4669664\/mandela-barnes-drops-wisconsin-gubernatorial-bid\/\">dropped out of the race<\/a> on Thursday, apparently concluding Hong was unbeatable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even Platner, who withdrew from the race against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), was replaced by a candidate from the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4663826\/sanders-platner-endorsement-troy-jackson-maine\/\">same wing of the party<\/a> in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/troy-jackson\/\">Troy Jackson<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of these candidates have tried to position themselves closer to the mainstream. El Sayed denied to former White House press secretary Jen Psaki on MS NOW that he is a socialist. Hong has walked back support for defunding the police. Jackson has tried to distance himself from Platner, as have Democratic operatives associated with that abortive campaign.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But their continued competitiveness also comes from an angry mood among Democratic voters who are tired of losing to President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump<\/a>, fed up with their own party\u2019s entrenched leadership, and willing to at least contemplate far more radical change than under Obama or during the first-term, anti-Trump Resistance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4666636\/dsa-leadership-plans-2028-nationwide-general-strike-perfect-storm-organizing\/\"><strong>DSA LEADERSHIP PLANS FOR A 2028 NATIONWIDE GENERAL STRIKE: A \u2018PERFECT STORM\u2019 FOR ORGANIZING<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The failures of former President Joe Biden, the defeats of Hillary Clinton and former Vice President Kamala Harris, and the inability of Democratic congressional leaders such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to break through have left many Democrats with little patience for electability arguments or appeals for calm.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It looked like perhaps there were enough Democrats left who were willing to stand up to this movement. We\u2019ll find out on Tuesday whether that is true or if the Democratic establishment was simply fooling itself. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Michigan Dem primary shifts as polls favor Abdul el Sayed over Stevens<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2659,"featured_media":2638083,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/el-sayed-stevens-final-debate.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[5521,58426,33017,83208,12428],"class_list":["post-2638082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-democracy","tag-establishment-2","tag-political-analysis","tag-political-deception","tag-socialism"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/el-sayed-stevens-final-debate.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2638082","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2638082"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2638082\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2638086,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2638082\/revisions\/2638086"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2638083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2638082"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2638082"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2638082"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}