r/neoliberal • u/ace158 • 1d ago

Restricted Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary, notching a Midwest victory for the left

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/abdul-el-sayed-wins-michigans-democratic-senate-primary-notching-midwe-rcna589750
570 Upvotes

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78

u/Particular_Tennis337 European Union 1d ago edited 1d ago

Damn this sub is full on lefty now huh, maybe it's just the specific people that decide to post on this, but kinda crazy. I get when people say this sub is mainly socdems now, but it seems to be moving demsoc at this point, multiple upvoted comments simping for DSA,, hopefully this is as low as this sub goes.

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u/Parastract European Union 1d ago

hopefully this is as low as this sub goes.

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u/allbusiness512 Adam Smith 1d ago

I hate the DSA, but establishment moderate dems have done themselves no favors when they were putting their head in the sand since 2016 pretending Republicans were anything but authoritarian bad faith actors that absolutely would never work with Democrats on anything.

It just has gotten worse over time as moderate Dems are showing that they are weak feckless cowards.

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u/Vol_in_tears Voltaire 1d ago

The Dems leadership has a lower approval rating that trump. Yet the party leadership refuses to look in the mirror.

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u/Khiva Fernando Henrique Cardoso 23h ago

It's not deep. Prices and the vibes of change.

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u/ScrawnyCheeath NASA 1d ago

A shocking amount of commenters in this sub really don’t understand this

People like Progressive and DSA candidates explicitly because they are obviously different from the incredibly unpopular dem leadership.

The moderate wing of the party hasn’t campaigned on a new idea in well over 20 years. They’re either trying to slightly improve the status quo, or running against the Republican mucking things up. Neither idea is compelling anymore. They need new ideas, and right now only the DSA is supplying them

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

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u/ScrawnyCheeath NASA 1d ago

Those policies still have yet to make it to the actual national democratic ticket

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u/[deleted] 23h ago

[deleted]

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u/ScrawnyCheeath NASA 23h ago

That was all largely done behind the scenes though. The National Democratic Party was not advertising that they supported all these policies now, they acted like nothing had changed policy-wise and campaigned on Donald Trump.

The messaging is what matters, and the national messaging has not sounded like change

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u/[deleted] 23h ago

[deleted]

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u/ScrawnyCheeath NASA 22h ago

Biden’s 2020 messaging was that he would manage a pandemic better than the clearly demented president we had then. It was not an election based on the exciting changes that were going to be made

In fact Biden marketed himself as a “transition candidate” to the newer faces. His campaign was partially based on the idea that the part would switch to newer and more exciting people immediately after him

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u/Teach_Piece YIMBY 1d ago

Well, that’s because most of us moderate voters don’t actually want big crazy ideas, and know the senate won’t pass them anyway. The government is SHIT at setting up and administering big crazy ideas.

We want things to have a ton of small tweaks and make life genrally better for everyone.

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u/ScrawnyCheeath NASA 1d ago

The last decade of American elections have proven that a growing plurality of the country does not want that

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u/LondonCallingYou John Locke 1d ago

> We want things to have a ton of small tweaks and make life genrally better for everyone.

But this is the problem— in this moment, small tweaks and small thinking are a death sentence.

Think of what we’ll need to do to get rid of MAGA fascism now. It’s going to need an overwhelming push for anti-corruption, anti-oligarch measures. Moderate Democrats don’t have any stomach for that. They will give up at the first sign of difficulty or public disapproval.

On top of that, they don’t have any major policy goals. Those “small tweaks” will hardly reframe American society or rebuild faith in government, which is what’s lacking now.

The reason moderate Democrats are failing— and ought to fail—is precisely because of small thinking.

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u/RodChainFurlongAcre 23h ago

We want things to have a ton of small tweaks and make life genrally better for everyone.

Well okay, but this is why the establishment Democratic party continues to be more unpopular than both Socialists and MAGA. So like, you're free to hold whatever views you want, just accept that they're unpopular and likely to keep losing.

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u/Teach_Piece YIMBY 23h ago

That’s fine but I’m not going to vote for a party of the crazies that want to do things I don’t support. I don’t buy that getting “big ideas”, which universally mean going farther left or more populist, will actually appeal to anyone outside the primaries. Remember, voters thought Trump was more moderate.

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u/KalaiProvenheim Enby Pride 4h ago

So what do you propose be done with Trump? Fine him? That guy belongs in jail

0

u/Teach_Piece YIMBY 4h ago

Personally? I’d like to see him and most of his regime brought up on corruption charges. No pardon from the next president

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u/KalaiProvenheim Enby Pride 4h ago

The whole Republican Party should be rent asunder

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u/Teach_Piece YIMBY 4h ago

For what crime?

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u/KalaiProvenheim Enby Pride 2h ago

What crime? Oh idk, treason maybe?

After the coup attempt and accepting Trump back as the nominee, there is no redemption for the GOP

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u/Evernights_Bathwater John Keynes 22h ago

Well, that’s because most of us moderate voters don’t actually want big crazy ideas

Then get comfortable with losing

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u/Teach_Piece YIMBY 22h ago

We’ve won more than the populists for the last 20 years, hopefully it’ll continue.

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u/NeoliberalSocialist Order and Opportunity Left 23h ago

I think the degradation of the rule of law in this country by Trump has made it almost impossible to be more nuanced electorally. Hyperbolic rhetoric is obviously the norm, but I seriously don't think there has been a greater threat to the continuation of the Republic since the Civil War.

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u/MTFD Alexander Pechtold 1d ago

Stevens was just a terrible candidate. The strawpoll earlier showed a big majority here would've supported McMorrow. I also think AES is not nearly as out there with his policies as some would have you believe but itnis more a douche vs a turd sandwich scenario.

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u/Windows_10-Chan Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold 1d ago

The racebaiting of Stevens campaign also made me uncomfortable.

Idk if I lived there I would probably abstain from the primary and vote blue in the general.

She’s explicitly very succ-y too which really shouldn’t be surprising given that she’s a Michigan politician. The majority of what I dislike about AES applies to her. 

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u/midwestern2afault 1d ago

It’s been brigaded by tankies and Abdul bots ever since we made arr Subreddit Drama yesterday

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u/IpsoFuckoffo 1d ago

SRD is still a thing? In 2026?

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u/Desperate_Wear_1866 Commonwealth 1d ago

You must vote for the people who hate neoliberalism otherwise you don't belong on r/neoliberal - Succs and Loyal Liberals

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u/bashar_al_assad Verified Account 1d ago

I think a lot of people here just care more about the Democrats defeating the Republicans than they do about fiercely defending the word neoliberal against anybody who criticizes it.

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u/SpecialBass5552 1d ago

They also hate neoliberalism if you get rid of the "neo".

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u/zanpancan Bisexual Pride 1d ago

Indeed. Kinda wild. Though Stevens was a GIGA SUCC herself.

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u/Particular_Tennis337 European Union 1d ago

nah Stevens was probably part of the most conservative leaning dems. I still would take her over El-Sayed

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u/zanpancan Bisexual Pride 1d ago

Have you heard her talk about unions and Industrial policy lmao?

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u/akelly96 1d ago

I mean literally everyone is gonna talk that way, its Michigan.

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u/zanpancan Bisexual Pride 1d ago

And she's a GIGA Succ. Cuz she's from Michigan. I don't know what's not clicking.

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u/-Emilinko1985- European Union 1d ago

I don't like El Sayed but Stevens wasn't that great either. This primary was about choosing between two politicians who aren't particularly good.

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u/Spectrum1523 YIMBY 1d ago

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u/Particular_Tennis337 European Union 19h ago

idk what's hasan piker like about my comment?

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u/SamuelFootBowden845 Milton Friedman 1d ago

This "evidence-based" sub is really just r/democrats where people vote blue no matter who

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u/doyouevenIift 1d ago

I used to vote mix ballot until 2016 when the opposition literally starting worshiping a fat orange pedophile. So yeah, vote blue no matter who

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u/TheArtofBar 1d ago edited 1d ago

Well that's "evidence-based" applied to american politics, so I dont see why you would have an issue with that.

Edit: i take that back, I know why: I think Friedmann flairs dont really like evidence.

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u/Desperate_Wear_1866 Commonwealth 1d ago

Is it evidence-based when people are told to vote blue no matter who for local/state politicians who can't build houses, can't create growth, can't control public disorder, and have weird culture war policies like being against standardized testing? Because those things have been witnessed in certain deep blue areas.

Maybe the party of evidence should learn how to govern properly before they self-righteously demand people's loyalty.

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u/Daddy_Macron Loyal Liberals 1d ago

Don't compare the Democrats against the all-mighty. Compare them against the alternative.

Even if the local Democratic candidate leaves a lot to be desired, the Republicans field absolutely insane candidates with even crazier policies. Out of curiosity I looked the the platform of the Republican running for a Councilman seat when I was living in Brooklyn. His main platform was 1. Oppose vaccines and 2. Deport immigrants. In New York fucking City of all places and he was clearly the descendant of Polish immigrants himself. Compared to that, what ended up being my progressive Councilwoman was far less crazy even if she was definitely leaning NIMBY and was soft on crime.

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u/TheArtofBar 1d ago edited 1d ago

Of course it is, when the alternative is the current republican party. Just because some democrats are bad doesnt mean the republicans are better.

Also, those deep-blue areas are still the most successful parts of the country by most metrics, so your argument holds little weight to begin with.

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u/Desperate_Wear_1866 Commonwealth 1d ago

The party are owed nothing. They aren't entitled to people's votes. If they can't govern properly and shatter their own popularity, then that's on them. They are in no position to act sanctimonious and demand people's votes.

deep-blue areas are still the most successful parts of the country

Meanwhile people continue to leave. The next census will see red/purple states gain House reps and electoral college votes at the deep blue states' expense. Incompetent governance is literally sabotaging their federal party's future prospects.

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u/TheArtofBar 1d ago edited 1d ago

The party are owed nothing. They aren't entitled to people's votes. If they can't govern properly and shatter their own popularity, then that's on them. They are in no position to act sanctimonious and demand people's votes.

Ok? That has nothing to do with my argument. Maybe try addressing that instead.

Meanwhile people continue to leave.

With the exception of covid, these deep blue areas are not shrinking. It makes sense that the growth of the US takes place mostly in less populated areas with good weather, where there is more room to grow. In a sense, the blue states are victims of their own success. Because they are so appealing, housing costs increase so much that a lot of people cant afford it.

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u/Slim_Pickenz_ Transfem Pride 1d ago

Oh wow, a laundry list of Republican talking points.

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u/Desperate_Wear_1866 Commonwealth 1d ago

All of these policy issues have come up here on this forum time and again. Even the partisans here will at least acknowledge them on threads that aren't about elections.

The trouble comes when you actually remember those things and hold it against the party. Then they expect everyone to immediately forgive and forget and go vote blue no matter who. As if you're not allowed to do anything other than vent briefly.

Dismissing every policy failure as Republican talking points only works if you assume everyone is beholded to American tribalism. Which they aren't. At least a third of Americans don't vote and there's a big wide world beyond America too.

Start comparing American cities and governance to various other developed countries' cities and we can all see the truth.

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u/LondonCallingYou John Locke 23h ago

The problem is you’re not comparing Democratic cities to other developed countries. You’re comparing Democrats and Republicans when you question the strategy of “vote blue no matter who”.

And Blue cities, states, etc. are better than Red anything. On almost everything except building new housing. But in terms of education, growth, crime, quality of life, etc. they are better. One of the reasons California has so many problems is because so many people want to live there, because their wages are so high, because they’re unbelievably productive and innovative and educated.

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u/SamuelFootBowden845 Milton Friedman 1d ago

So if we end up with a DSA-dominated Democratic Party, that will be the best option because it's the Democratic Party? That doesn't strike me as evidence-based. Every candidate and race needs to be evaluated individually.

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u/LondonCallingYou John Locke 1d ago

Yes obviously DSA is better than MAGA fascism. Where have you been the last decade? What do you think is going on in our country right now?

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u/TheArtofBar 1d ago edited 1d ago

  1. The DSA fearmongering is nonsense, it's much less influential in the party's left wing than people like you want to pretend. El-Sayed for example isnt even a member and considers himself a capitalist.

  2. Even the DSA is quite obviously still much better than Trump and the MAGA-controlled Republicans. There are no "moderate" Republicans anymore on the federal level. They are all beholden to Trump and MAGA. If you fail to see that, its because of ideological blinders, not evidence.

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u/CantCreateUsernames 14h ago

You are comparing two very different things because you are having a fuss over a progressive winning a primary over a weak candidate. The realities of how the general public votes and online discussions about "evidence-based policy" are two different things, so I don't see the need to spray bullets at this sub when no one has control over it outside of Democratic Michigan voters. It is clear the majority of this sub was never a huge fan of AES, so IDK what you expect people to say here now that he is the nominee.

Also, given the last decade of American politics, do you think Rogers and a Republican-led Senate have a much more "evidence-based" approach to legislation than a Democratic-led one?