Obama should amplify Abdul El-Sayed, not replace Michigan voters

Attention is a tool, not a campaign plan

Obama’s appearance could introduce El-Sayed to people who have not been following the race. The event is also scheduled to include Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson and other Michigan Democrats, putting several campaigns on one stage.

There is a clear case for using Obama’s reach. AP reported that he taped two dozen ads for Democratic Senate and gubernatorial candidates in the week before its Oct. 5 report. At the time, the ads were expected to be released over the following days and weeks, as Obama planned more campaign stops in the closing weeks of the midterms.

Those are substantial campaign tools. But attention is not the same as support, and the reporting does not establish that Obama’s ads or rally will change turnout or persuade voters. His earlier Detroit campaign visits, in the 2022 midterms and the 2024 presidential election, do not prove what this appearance will accomplish.

The test should be what the campaign does with the attention: whether it creates meaningful ways for Michigan voters to shape its priorities and builds organizing beyond one event. Obama can help put the race in view. He cannot do that local work on the campaign’s behalf.

A narrow primary is no mandate to assume

El-Sayed’s primary win came after a contest that drew prominent support from different parts of the Democratic Party. AP reported that Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez backed El-Sayed, while Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer supported Rep. Haley Stevens. Some ads supporting Stevens featured Obama praising her.

That history makes coalition-building more important, not less. El-Sayed has worked to consolidate Democratic support for the general election against Republican nominee Mike Rogers, AP reported. A prominent surrogate can signal support, but voters still have to decide whether the campaign speaks to their concerns.

The county results also warn against treating Democrats as one uniform bloc. In Wayne County, which includes Detroit, Stevens received about 51% of the primary vote and El-Sayed received 45%, AP reported. The same report said more than three-quarters of Detroit residents are Black. Countywide results and demographic figures cannot explain how any individual voted or what that person wants from the campaign.

The answer is not to guess at voters’ priorities from aggregate numbers. It is to listen, organize and earn support across communities. A close primary makes that work urgent; it does not tell the campaign which issues people will put first.

Make the rally a starting point

The strongest argument for Obama’s involvement is straightforward: attention has value. His presence may help El-Sayed reach more voters and give the broader Democratic ticket a moment in the spotlight. Campaigns should use the platforms available to them to make their case.

But a rally cannot stand in for organizing, and a celebrity appearance cannot decide what a campaign’s priorities should be. The Oct. 24 event is also set to feature Benson, who is running against Republican U.S. Rep. John James. Michigan has other open races for statewide office and control of the state Legislature at stake, AP reported.

El-Sayed’s campaign should publish a plan for voter-led listening and organizing before and after the rally, then explain how that input shapes its priorities. Obama should use the attention he brings to elevate Michigan voices. The campaign has the power to make Oct. 24 an opening for that work, not its endpoint.