Will Michigan Rewrite the Rules of Democratic Politics?

What? What is that doing snapping? Just. >> Oh, just some just testing. Looks like we've already got some people. going in. >> Just to the office. >> Yeah, just the office. >> From New York Times, I'm Michael Baro. >> Hello. >> This is the daily. >> They're here today to hear what Michigan. thinks about the race between Abdul. Elsayette and Haley Stevens. A few days ago, my colleague, political.

correspondent Michael Cruz, traveled. [music] to Michigan with two producers. from the Daily, AA Cherved and Anna. Foley to report on the most closely. watched Democratic [music]. primary of the year. block under. Michigan. >> A race for US Senate that not only tests. the growing appeal of left-wing. populism, but could also mark a turning. point in a longunning debate among. Democratic voters about the importance.

of electability. >> How many of you are going to vote on. Tuesday, August 4th? [music]. >> It is Tuesday, August 4th. So, Michael Cruz, happy to have you on. the Daily. I believe this is your first. time on the show. >> It is. Longtime listener, first time. caller. Happy to be here. >> Well, I'm a longtime admirer, so I'm. glad to have you. You just got back from. a reporting trip to Michigan with two.

producers from the Daily. And I wanted. to start by asking you to explain why in. your mind the Democratic primary that's. happening today in Michigan is such an. important moment in this longunning. battle over the future of the Democratic. Party. It is to date the most important. moment in this whole midterm cycle when. we are thinking about the question of. what the Democratic Party is and where. it is headed. Because I think in.

Michigan, we have the purest test yet of. whether a progressive vision of the. Democratic Party can succeed in American. politics. >> In the last year or so, we've seen. compelling progressive victories, but in. a certain kind of place, in blue places, Zoran Mandani in New York, congressional. primaries in Philadelphia and Denver. Graham Platner felt a little bit like a. test case, but his scandals, the way his.

campaign ended, hard to sort of. extrapolate grand conclusions from. Maine. So here in Michigan, we have a. race that feels like a much better, truer test of this fight between. progressives and moderates. And that's. because, Michael, this race is happening. in a swing state in the middle of the. country. Trump won here in 2016 and. 2024. >> And if the progressive candidate wins. this election in Michigan, it would.

really reorient our understanding of the. progressive movement's appeal in our. politics at this point in time. >> Right? All right. And just to put a. really fine point on it, it would show. that in places that we think of as. inherently moderate, Democratic primary. voters are ready to lurch meaningfully. to the left. And of course, this test. case you're describing is happening in a. race where the stakes are already quite. high just based on the math of the.

United States Senate. >> Right? This is a Senate seat that. Democrats almost have to hold if they. have any shot of flipping the Senate. And whichever Democrat wins on Tuesday, has a formidable challenger come. November because Mike Rogers, the. Republican waiting for one of these two. candidates, ran for Michigan's other.

Senate seat two years ago and lost by. not even 20,000 votes to Alyssa Slotkin. Very much a more centrist, more moderate. Democrat. Mhm. >> So the question of who comes out of this. primary is critical for Democrats hopes. this year. So introduce us to the two. candidates who embody this latest. chapter of that long-running clash.

between the incrementalists, the. moderates, and the progressives who. would like to bust it all up. So, the. more progressive candidate is Abdul. Elsed. >> I'm running for US Senate [music]. because in the state that built the. American dream, it shouldn't be this. hard just to get by. >> He's 41 years old, a former gubanatorial. candidate in 2018, former public health. official. I grew up all American here, became [music] a doctor to help people, and spent my career making government.

deliver for us. He is running on. Medicare for all anti-Israel platform. Wants to cut aid to Israel's efforts in. Gaza. Keep that taxpayer money here to. invest in public infrastructure, public. schools. >> The disease is the corruption of our. politics by billionaires and. corporations. It's worth noting though. that he does not call himself a. socialist. He's not a member of the DSA,

the Democratic Socialists of America, even though he's endorsed by key. socialist political figures like Bernie. Sanders and Alexandria Okassio Cortez. >> Understood. >> So that's his platform, but the way his. vibe reads is not say the stereotypical. lefty. [music] And yeah, I'm a bro with. a podcast. >> to dig into the epidemics America's. facing. >> of economic. quite conventionally charismatic. One of. his aids in one of our conversations.

described him to me as Muslim Bruce. Springsteen. [laughter] He lifts weights. in his gym in his basement. I spent some. time down there earlier this summer. working on a profile watching him do. squats and pull-ups. He is not the. picture of the nerdy socialist that I. think some critics might have. >> as it gets. I'm Dr. Abdul Al and I'm. running for US Senate. Let's go.

>> So, tell us about his opponent in this. Democratic primary. His opponent is. Haley Stevens. >> I remember being handed the keys to my. [music] first car. I'm Haley Stevens and. I bet you do, too. a moderate four-term. member of Congress. She is 43 years old, so similarly aged, but much more of an. old school type of politician. >> As chief of staff to President Obama's. [music]. auto rescue, we helped save over 200,000.

Michigan jobs and stabilize our economy. >> She has worked in various presidential. administrations or campaigns. Her basic. pitch is, I'm a legislative workhorse, not a show horse. Incremental changes to. healthcare. Aid should continue to. support Israel. She is by far and away. the most Apacup supported candidate, not.

only in this race, but in any race ever. >> Wow. >> She is the pick of the Democratic. establishment. Growing up in Michigan. [music] meant being surrounded by. innovation, ingenuity, and pride in hard. work. >> And she makes the case that she is made. in Michigan. The classic Michigander. Abdul Elsed was born and bred in. Michigan, too, but she has this folksy, almost zany way about her.

>> I'm proud of [music] Michigan, and I'll. never get tired of saying it. It would. be my honor to fight for you in the. Senate. So with all that in mind, Michael, tell us about the time that you. spent with both of these candidates and. campaigns when you were in Michigan. >> Who was here for their very first time? Never came this before. Also fantastic. In fact, let's give. >> So, we went to Lancing, the state.

capital, pretty blue, especially in the. part of Lancing we were in to watch Elsa. whip up his supporters to go knock on. doors around that area. >> All right, y'all. Money out of. >> money in your. >> He came out on the stage and did what he. always does with his events. Thank you. for. >> started with a chant of sorts, a call in. response. >> Shouldn't be this hard IN THE RICHEST, MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY IN THE world to.

afford to fill up your truck. Shouldn't. be this hard. to get a second bag of groceries. Shouldn't be this hard. >> We talked about how politicians, elected. officials need to respond. to their constituents. more than their donors. >> Doctor, how you going to pay for that? I. don't know. Uh maybe instead of fighting. dumbass wars we had no business fighting. in the first place, we can keep our. money here and start investing in. healthcare and basic services here.

[applause]. >> It sounds like what he's really tapping. into here is a profound disaection with. modern politics. No question. >> Thank you so much for yourself. Thank you [cheering] so much. [applause]. Yeah. >> So, we're we're out for the UAW. >> I'm an aesthetician. >> So, I'm a student, but I work at a. daycare. Um, >> the people we talk to at the event.

>> Why are you team Abdul? [music]. >> Everyday Americans are not being heard. and represented by their government. >> They talk about a real disaection with. politics as usual. >> Money out of politics. AP pack the you. know it's obscene how our money is spent. in [music]. >> not being able to live the same lives. that their parents did. >> Like I graduated high school in 2020. So.

basically as long as I can remember. things have been getting like. significantly worse. >> Can't afford their rent. Can't afford. healthare. >> You know this is not the future I want. for my kids. and uh. >> and a sense that Democrats [music]. are very much part of the problem, too. >> Everybody's sick of this nonsense that. [music] we get every election cycle that. we just have to go for the middle of the. road moderate, boring, bland candidate.

that doesn't [music] stand for anything. >> And so now, why vote for the same old. kind [music] of Democrat that they've. voted for before? At the end of the day, I don't want crumbs. [music]. Like, I just want healthcare. >> What is it like when this room full of. volunteers then heads out and attempts. to make this pitch to voters in Lancing? >> We got Mike.

>> Hi. How are you? >> So, we ended up tagging along with a. volunteer named Mary. Um, I couldn't. help but notice your your vote for Abdul. bracelet. >> I've got my friendship bracelets. Finally, >> white woman, 70s, retired. She had been a school teacher. She had. been a lobbyist for the United Auto. Workers Union. She's been active in Democratic politics. for decades. >> Spare the when I went to the nudest.

colony to talk about healthcare story. >> Whoa. But I did. >> What I did? >> I think you got it. She talked to us. about efforts at healthcare reform in. the '9s led by then first lady [snorts]. Hillary Clinton when Bill Clinton was. the president. >> And this guy's like, "Will you come talk. about healthcare?" When do you pitched. them? Sorry. Were they wearing clothes? No. >> But now. >> the money and politics thing is the the. thing that just sticks with me and the. need for new ideas and new people. She,

I think, has felt really let down by. Democrats that she voted for, that she. knocked on doors for. >> It's like a sports team. You don't. change the players, you're going to get. the same result. >> And now is. so much a supporter of. >> Elsa that she knocks on door after door. after door. >> around Michigan on his behalf. we're. going to see the kind of change that I. think. >> she sees the thing that in her mind all.

these previous Democratic. >> campaigns and even elected officials. have failed to deliver. >> We just need changes, which is why I'm. out here busting my ass. I'm like, this. is the hill I'm going to die on. This is. the one. >> So, here we go. >> And how did it go for Mary when she's. knocking on these doors? >> So, >> so we're going to start over here. >> We were in kind of the suburban. outskirts of Lancing. >> Hi there. >> Hi. How are you? >> Good. How are you? >> How's it going? >> Surprise. You're on candle camera. Kidding. My name is Mary. I'm a canvaser.

for these candidates. >> Do you think we can count on your. support? >> Oh, yeah. I actually sent in my absentee. ballot. So, >> excellent. Okay. Well, thank you. >> Many of the doors she knocked on [music]. were already Elsa supporters. >> I [laughter] know. I love [music] that. >> Are you on board, too? >> Oh, yes. >> Okay, good. >> He's my husband. Yes, >> I know. Trust me, I've got one at home, too. You [laughter] need all the vote. To be quite frank, >> please. >> Um, I'm not a big Bernie supporter.

Okay. >> We did encounter though some people who. were more skeptical. >> What I'm seeing with the Democrats is. a lot of them are are going further left. than they used to be like with woke and. words like woke and words like. socialist. So, I'm not really sure. what's going on. For instance, this guy. John, former Republican voter at this. point wants Democrats to take control.

Not sure though what kind of Democrat. that should be. >> Well, these are progressive candidates. They've both been endorsed by Bernie. Sanders. You'll see that on their leg. >> I like Bernie, but he scares me a little. bit, too. He's got a lot of ideas, but I. don't know how he expects all those. things to be funded. What what about. Haley Stevens? What's your opinion on. her? >> Um Haley Stevens campaign. She's taken. all kinds of corporate money. She's. getting all kinds of money from Apac. That is not acceptable.

>> He wanted to know, I think, more about. Haley Stevens. And he wanted to know. >> with them. >> Who's more likely to beat the. Republicans. >> who would have the better chance to beat. the Republican come November after this. primary? >> He's invoking that classic Democratic. concept of electability that has. dominated Democratic politics, you could. argue, for quite some time, all the way. back to Hillary Clinton 2016, Joe Biden.

2020, and [snorts] it sounds like is. still a factor for a certain kind of. Democratic voter in 2026. >> and supercharged by the spectre of. Donald Trump and Republicans who have. his backing. Who can beat Donald Trump. and these kinds of Republicans? What is. the right kind of Democrat? The. conventional way of thinking about. electability for Democrats for as long.

as most people can remember has been the. more centrist, more moderate candidate. is the more electable candidate. >> So what does Mary, as you're standing. with her, say to that electability. question that a voter like John is. asking? Mary's argument in essence is. that this is a different moment. >> because of the change people want and. they will appeal. >> a sort of moment that requires a. different kind of voting vote for the. change candidate because this is a.

change election. >> Abdul is polling at 80 plus% in the 18. to 44 year old demographic. That. demographic if not this year by 2028 is. going to be the biggest voting block in. this country. If if they'll. >> if they'll vote. >> if they'll vote. >> Absolutely. But there's a lot of. enthusiasm and I think if the Democratic. party is looking at its future, it's got. to take that into consideration. And in. that sense, she's arguing Elsa is. electable.

is electable because the electability. question itself. has changed because of where we've. gotten to in politics because of the. sense that voters across the political. spectrum feel like politics is. unresponsive is so irreparably broken. that we need to do something so very. different and the different candidate. here and therefore perhaps actually the.

more electable candidate is Abdul Elsed. rather than the moderate. >> And uh I can't guarantee you which way. I'm going to go. I I was kind of leaning. toward Stevens, but one thing I can tell. you for sure. I I don't know who I'm. going to vote for, honestly. But it's. it's not going to be a Republican. So, I. hope that makes me feel a little bit. >> makes me feel better about November, but. I'm hoping you'll be with us when you. when you actually fill it out. >> But most of all, I appreciate you. listening. >> And that's the question [music]. >> here in Michigan. Does electability at. this point mean something different?

Or does it mean what it's always meant. that the candidate more like Haley. Stevens is in fact the most electable. candidate? [music] We'll be right back. So, Michael, you next spend time with. the campaign of Congresswoman Haley.

Stevens, the moderate in this race, the. traditionally electable candidate in a. race like this. Right. We went to see Haley Stevens canvas. kickoff in a suburb of Lancing called. Okamus. Could not have been more different than. the Elsa event. First of all, it wasn't. a rally at all. It was at a supporter's. house. >> Well, I got cookies and water in a. bathroom, so you know, I got it all. going on. >> It was barely more than a dozen people.

There were more reporters. and staffers there than door knockers. >> Huh. She stepped out of her black SUV. >> and a staffer started a Haley chant. [cheering]. >> How fun. How fun. How fun. >> And she Hello. >> did her version of retail politics. >> We got some big time people here like.

the Blue Brigade. [cheering]. >> There is no character in politics quite. like Haley Stevens. >> You know what? This argument of ideas, you know, to have real debates, not just. on the twit. I call it the twit. That's. what I call it. But. >> corny language. >> I'm going to stick it to him. All right. Her. Michigander accent, >> the way she interacts with people is its. own kind of.

endearing. I think she understands that. she is this way and embraces it and she. went into her pitch. >> We need honest, dedicated public. servants. >> I'm the workhorse working for you in the. halls of Congress. >> Bills, what? What about lowering the. cost of groceries? I I actually have a. piece of legislation on that. >> All of which landed on. >> We're going to win baby in November. >> Absolutely. >> You know, I mean, and we're going to.

win. I'm going to beat Mike Rogers. >> I'm the candidate who can beat Mike. Rogers and her proof. >> There certainly has been consistent. evidence that the Republicans want to. run against him to duel. Mike Rogers. leaked a phone call to that tune. Mike. Rogers essentially says so himself. >> He thinks it makes it easier for him to. win and. >> says that he would rather run against. Elsed than against her. >> So electability is explicitly.

Haley Stevens argument so much so that. she says look my own Republican rival. thinks that I'm the most electable fears. me the most. >> Right. I'm I'm I'm going to make sure. that we are heard in the halls of power. and I'm going to make damn sure then. Mike Rogers goes back to Florida. [cheering]. >> Thank you. >> So after Steven has made her remarks, we. all split up and. >> Excuse me. Hi. >> Hi. >> One of the daily producers I was with.

York and uh she spent a bunch of time. with two door knockers. >> And have you been in Michigan your whole. life? >> No, but I've been here I've been here 50. years. >> There was Alyssa. I'm really proud to be. a Michigander. >> She's a former librarian. Originally. moved to Lancing for grad school, never. left. >> Okay. So, you're going to drive? >> Yes. >> She was joined by Marie, >> a Chevy. Very classic Michigan. [laughter]. >> Yeah. >> No doubt about that. >> She's a former elections clerk. >> Then I retired and I became a precinct. chair. And then you said, "I'm not done.

I got more elections than me. >> who just can't quit politics.". >> Can you tell me what you like about. Congresswoman Stevens? I just like her. record, what she's done, and I feel like. her moving from the House to the Senate, she's just going to be ready to run. And. we love her accent. >> Alyssa and Marie had knocked on doors. before, >> but this was their first time canvasing. for Stevens. >> So, we've got two on this side, two on.

that side. >> They got to a neighborhood about 5. minutes away from the Stevens event, just a couple hours before it got dark. They were dropping off a lot of flyers. because a lot of people weren't home or. weren't answering. The people they did talk to though. seemed fairly Stevens friendly, >> including an older black man named. Julius, who didn't answer his door, but. did talk through his doorbell video. camera. It's. >> very modern.

>> Have you heard of her? >> Oh, yes. >> Have you voted? Have you voted yet? >> Not yet. I plan to vote for her. Oh, terrific. Oh, thank you so much. >> Julius was a fan of Stevens. He was. actually so on board that he said Alyssa. and Marie could put a Steven sign in his. yard. >> That I mean that's like you know when. you're canvasing that's the thing if you. can get a sign. >> And after Alyssa and Marie were done. >> and this is my first interview I've ever. done through a Ring doorbell. So Anna.

stayed back and asked Julius a few more. questions about why he was interested in. Steven. >> endorsement but she worked on some very. important uh issues with Obama. That. itself is a selling point. >> You're a fan of his. >> He was familiar with her work years ago. for the administration of Barack Obama. Obama hasn't endorsed Stevens, but. there's an association that I think. still matters to a certain kind of.

Democrat. >> in Michigan. >> And I think that uh the governor has. endorsed her. >> He was familiar with the people who've. endorsed her. >> Gretchen Whitmer, the governor, Gary. Peters, the senator she's trying to. replace. these establishment. endorsements that are a bonus, a sign of. electability for Julius. >> So, did you ever consider any of the. other candidates? Did you ever consider. Abdul?

>> Oh, yes. I considered Abdul. I'm. thinking about who will have the best. chances of winning. >> the election. >> The general. >> Yes. It sounds like Julius is the kind. of voter that the Stevens campaign is. bending backwards to get. He's appealed. to by the very establishment credentials. that she presents as her calling cards. in this campaign. >> No question. Her core constituency is.

traditional Democratic base voters, black voters, older voters, perhaps more. moderate who still see themselves as. more moderate. >> A much more pragmatic Democrat. Without. them, she cannot win. >> I think it's time to stop. >> I agree. >> So, Alyssa and Marie wrapped up. They. were ready to go home, but before we all. left, we talked to them a little bit.

more. >> How do you feel about the AP pack money? >> Oh, I I don't feel great about it. Um, do I wish that she wasn't taking that. money? Um, yes. >> What I wish we could do is stop with the. purity test. Um, because I think both. sides are absolutely guilty of it. It. was interesting even as they knocked on. doors for Stevens. >> Marie did have some reservations about. all the Apac money. >> that we've got this real schism between. so-called establishment Democrats and.

Democratic socialists. And. >> I find that to be a bummer because. >> I support everything that a progressive. would support. I support the platform. but somehow or another I feel like I'm. relegated to a pearl clutching baby. boomer. But which I don't think I am. >> If you support, you know, like you. you're saying, like a more progressive. agenda, how does that lead you to, you. know, someone who is a little bit more. moderate? >> I think um it takes a lot of people to.

get stuff done. >> It's great to have all, you know, lofty. ideals. We all have them. But to really. get stuff done that impacts people every. day, we got to have some bipartisanship. But Marie said at the end of the day, we. need someone who can win, someone who. can get things done in Washington. >> It is important. Electability is. important. She has the best chance to. beat Mike Rogers. >> That would not. Marie and Alyssa both still see her as. the more electable candidate than Elsa.

>> Well, thank you so much for being so so. open. Yeah, of course. Of course. It's striking to me that even a. volunteer door knocker for Stevens, like. Marie, who's giving up pretty meaningful. amounts of her time to do this work, is. very freely telling you that she sees. Stevens as imperfect, but electable enough. And I guess what. she really means is electable against a.

Republican in the general. >> Exactly. She's thinking about November. more than she's thinking about August. >> So, Michael, you're describing what. feels pretty evidently like an. enthusiasm gap between these two events. and between these [music] two. candidates. What is the polling at this. point, right on the heels of the. primary, telling us about who's most. likely [music] to win? The polls say.

that he's leading and of late over. [music] the last couple weeks the polls. say he is pulling away. His margin in a. number of these most recent surveys are. in [music] double digits. >> Interesting. >> These are polls. Polls aren't votes. >> Mhm. Polls can be fallible as we've seen. over the years, [music] but especially. of late, polls show the momentum with.

Elsed more than Stevens. [music]. I have to think, Michael, that that. somewhat consistent and now at the end. of this race growing lead for Elsa. is telling us something about the. chances of progressivism in a purple. state and also something about this big. question of electability. >> Totally. And here's the thing. If we.

take polls at face value, it feels like. Democratic voters in Michigan are ready. to challenge this conventional notion. that the more moderate candidate is by. definition the more electable candidate. H. >> and we had a fascinating series of. conversations with some Elsa voters. about just this shift or potential shift. in a place called Manasty which is the.

western part of the state far more north. in the state on Lake Michigan. >> Yeah, nice to meet you. Hi. >> When we got to the office of the. Democratic Party of Manasty County and. you're wearing an Abdul for Senate. shirt, I didn't see that yet. >> Absolutely. So. >> there was no shortage of Elsa flyers, buttons, political paraphernalia, signs. of support for Elsa. Nothing for. Stevens.

>> This is the Manacey Dems mascot. >> I have one of them. >> Come on, set that up so they can see. your paws. >> There was even a [laughter]. poodle named Hazel. She has blue paws. >> and she was wearing an Elsad shirt. >> Amazing. >> Hazel's for Abdul. >> Little surprising because we were in a. Republican county, a county that is a. Trump county. Granted, we were in a.

small city and a blue municipality, but. still not a place where I expected to. see so much support for the more. progressive of the two Democrats running. in this primary. And we wanted to watch. people watch a debate between Stevens. and Elsed and talk to them about what. they made of the debate. >> Former Wayne County Health Director, Dr. Abdul Aladed. Stevens. >> So after we watched them watch the.

debate, >> I ended up asking them how they were. feeling and electability definitely came. up. >> When when people talk about. electability, what does it mean to you? What makes a. candidate more electable? >> I know what I think. I think it means. about who's who's more politically. connected. That's usually what that. sounds like to me. And it's like I don't. care about that. It's who's got a point. Who do I want to lead for me? Not who is.

electable. That's what I think. >> And. >> I feel the opposite. >> I feel that electability is everything. because if we don't take the Senate, much less the House, we're screwed. >> Amen. Yeah, >> some of them had this question of. electability still front of mind, >> but some of them had decided that to. some extent to hell with electability. >> We we always um I've heard of people.

that go to the polls and they vote for. someone because well the other person. can't get elected. Well, aren't we like uh chopping. ourselves off at the knees because if. we're assuming someone can't get. elected, then we're going to vote for. the person that maybe we don't think. will be the best one. >> Mhm. >> Uh we're selling ourselves short and. we're selling everyone else in Michigan. short. We're thinking that we know what. other people think and we don't know. What was so interesting was listening to. them get to a place where they're not.

going to try to play this electability. 3D chess and send the person they think. can win in November. They're going to. >> pick the person who is speaking to them. the most and let the chips fall in the. general. Um, which of which of these. candidates do you think your neighbors, your undecided neighbors, v non- voting. neighbors, maybe even Republican. neighbors are more likely to vote for. Abdul say or Haley Stevens?

>> Probably Haley. >> If they're Republicans are coming over, they're probably going to vote for the. Republican in sheep's clothing. I mean, some of them even acknowledge that some. of their Republican neighbors in Manaste. County, >> some of the more centrist independents. they know might not vote for Elsa come. November should he make it through the. primary. >> But then don't you have to keep the. Senate seat? So, how do you feel about. that given the. >> I'm willing to take my chances for a guy. that I think honestly has our best.

interest at heart, >> but that at least this time around would. not determine the decision they. themselves made in this primary. This is really interesting because these. voters seem to be taking things a step. further than Mary, that Elsa volunteer. who you were telling us about earlier. What Mary was saying was that she thinks. Elsa is electable. And what these voters.

are saying is different. They're saying. maybe he is electable, maybe he isn't. But either way, we're done even dealing. with this electability question in the. first place, >> right? And this crowd was thinking. differently than they were thinking not. that long ago. >> in the last decade in how they decided. where to put their vote. So, in fact, like I um probably considered back um.

you know, like when Bernie Sanders was. running for president way back, I. thought he didn't have the electability. and now I wish to hell I would have. bought in. >> We did hear from people who wanted to. vote for Bernie Sanders but didn't. >> And this year, in a way that felt. >> pretty different and new and distinct, >> they were just going to vote for Eli. screw it. >> Donald Trump came in in 2016. Now, he he.

was not at all a middle ground. candidate, but he spoke to people that. hadn't voted in years. He wasn't trying to convert other. Democrats. He was trying to bring new. people into the process. And it worked. He won this county. And Abdul is saying, "Hey, we need to do something. different.". Think back to 2016. All of the. conventional wisdom up until election.

day that said surely Donald Trump could. not win. But clearly enough Republicans made him. their nominee in 2016 and then just. enough people in just enough places, the. places that matter the most, made him. the president. and perhaps Democrats. find themselves now a decade later at a. similar juncture. >> Looking forward every day. >> We'll be in touch.

>> Thank you. >> Thank you all so much. >> I love it. Thanks, guys. >> Bye. It feels like what you and Assa and. Anna really saw in Michigan was not just. the latest test of whether Democrats. want a progressive or a moderate, but a. genuinely. new approach to this for Democrats. anyway agonizing question of. electability. And that new mindset is that some of. these Democrats who are now behind Elsa.

have decided to stop talking themselves. out of picking the exciting disruptive. candidate for fear that their Republican. neighbors won't back them and instead. they're doing this more Republican thing. in the Trump era and they're just saying. we're going to follow our hearts. We're. going to vote for the person we like and. to hell with the consequences, >> right? And maybe the consequences. include you do get the person you.

actually want and want with your whole. heart. [music]. There is no shortage of voters across. the political spectrum, not just. Republicans, who are so angry at. politics as usual, at the system, that. they're willing to just say, you know. what, it's time for something different. It's time for something new. It's time. for the change candidate, even if we are. being told that the change candidate is.

not the electable candidate. >> Maybe the change candidate is the. electable candidate. >> [music]. >> Maybe electability is something totally. new in 2026 on both sides of the. political aisle. [music]. Well, Michael, thank you very much. Thank you. [music]. [music].

[music] We'll be right back. Here's. [bell]. what else you need to know today. [music]. After a rocky start to his confirmation. process, President Trump's acting. attorney general, Todd Blanch, won over. two crucial Republican holdouts in the. US Senate on Monday, paving the way for.

Blanch to be confirmed by the full. Senate as soon as this week. to plate. Republican senators Tom [music] Tillis. of North Carolina and John Cornin of. Texas. Blanch provided written. assurances of two actions. First, [music] that he had killed off a fund to. pay Trump allies who claimed they were. unfairly prosecuted by the government. [music] And second, that Blanch had. narrowed the scope of a deal to protect. Trump, his family, and their [music]. businesses from the IRS.

But the narrowed IRS deal still prevents. the IRS from auditing the previous tax. returns [music]. of Trump, his two oldest sons, and the. Trump Organization. An unprecedented act. of selfdealing by the president. And health officials have reported two. [music] deaths linked to the parasite. cycllospora, which is spread through. food contaminated with human feces. Both. of the deaths involved people [music] in.

Michigan with significant underlying. health conditions. The deaths come amid. the worst outbreak of the parasite in US. history. [music] Health officials have. confirmed or are investigating more than. 18,000 infections across 45 [music]. states. Today's episode was produced by OA. Cherved, Anna Foley, Eric Krupkkey, and. Claire [music] Tennis. It was edited by. Rob Zipco and Rachel Quester and.

contains music by Marian Lozano, Alicia. Baup, and Pat McCusker. Our theme music. is [music] by Wonderly. This episode was. engineered by Alyssa Moxley. [music]. That's [music] it for the Daily. I'm. Michael Bubaro. See you tomorrow.