This summer, as millions of Americans were enjoying fireworks or gearing up for the fall football season, the campaign of the Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan was scrambling to cover up past statements denouncing both.You read that right: the campaign of Abdul el-Sayed was caught red-handed by CNN erasing hot takes declaring that "fireworks suck" and linking football to slavery.On one hand, you can’t blame him.El-Sayed is running for statewide office in Michigan, which voted for President Donald Trump twice in the last decade.
Better to take the hit on the flip-flop and sell voters on his canned declaration about his love for "Michigan football on Saturdays" than defend the indefensible.DEM SENATE HOPEFUL ABDUL EL-SAYED RECOUNTS SMASHING VODKA BOTTLE AFTER BEARD CRITICISMOn the other, if character is what counts when no one is watching, el-Sayed has shown who he is.Voters should believe him.Rep.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, left; Michigan Senate candidate Abdul el-Sayed, center, Sen.Bernie Sanders, right.
(Andrew Roth/Reuters)To be fair, he’s not the only candidate navigating the collision course between a hard-left worldview and the political realities of getting elected in a center-right country.In neighboring Wisconsin, Francesca Hong, the Democratic Socialist candidate, came up just short in her gubernatorial primary.Unlike el-Sayed, her past social media commentary surfaced before Election Day, including her support for canceling Thanksgiving.Down the home stretch, Hong’s campaign was overrun with similar questions about some of her past and current extreme views.
At one point, the candidate even declared Thanksgiving her "favorite" holiday, but the damage was done.FRANCESCA HONG REMARKS THANKSGIVING IS HER 'FAVORITE HOLIDAY,' ANSWERS SHE DOES NOT 'WANT TO CANCEL IT'While some expressed surprise at the narrow margin, the more appropriate question is how Hong came within roughly 4,000 votes of grabbing the nomination in one of America’s most purp...