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Democrats Turn to Springsteen as Michigan Senate Defections Raise Questions of Panic

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[The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons]
Walt RasingerBy
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Tea leaves are a strange thing. Is calling in Bruce Springsteen a sign of confidence, or a sign Democrats are getting nervous in Michigan? With Election Day approaching and several figures associated with the party backing Republican Mike Rogers, Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is getting a celebrity endorsement that does little to conceal the divisions inside his own coalition.

Springsteen endorsed El-Sayed on Monday, declaring that the candidate “is a fighter for our American Constitution, he’s a fighter for our American Democracy, and he’s a fighter against the corrupt, lawless, and anti-American leadership currently in the White House.” The singer added that he is “in his corner 100%,” according to The Hill. It was a familiar appeal built around President Trump and the supposed peril facing American democracy, arriving just as Michigan Democrats were struggling to keep their own ranks together.

The timing invites an uncomfortable comparison. Springsteen famously performed at Hillary Clinton’s election-eve rally in Philadelphia in 2016, joining a star-studded closing push before her shocking defeat to Trump. His appearance helped draw a crowd, but the celebrity spectacle could not deliver the presidency. Michigan was among the states Clinton lost.

Ten years later, the Democratic problem in Michigan is visible well beyond the absence of a famous musician’s blessing. Rep. Haley Stevens, who narrowly lost the Senate primary to El-Sayed in August, endorsed Rogers on Sunday after previously pledging to support her party’s nominee. She appeared alongside the Republican at Detroit’s Perfecting Church before announcing her decision in a video.

Stevens said El-Sayed, who has deep connections to people adjacent to Islamic terrorism, had made clear she was “no longer welcome in his campaign,” though Rep. Debbie Dingell said she had asked Stevens to skip a planned unity appearance because the dispute had become distracting. Either way, an event intended to demonstrate Democratic solidarity instead produced images of a Democratic congresswoman worshipping alongside the Republican candidate.

Other defections have compounded the awkwardness. Former Democratic Rep. Hansen Clarke has also endorsed Rogers, citing their experience serving together and shared priorities involving national security, quality of life, and bipartisan cooperation. Rogers highlighted that support in a campaign post, while state Rep. Karen Whitsett has participated in efforts to bring Democrats into his coalition.

National Democratic leaders responded with fury. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called Stevens’ endorsement a “despicable betrayal,” while Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel condemned efforts to divide the party. The fight has exposed lingering disputes over Israel, El-Sayed’s campaign associations, and the bitterness left by the primary.

Democrats do have evidence that the backlash is mobilizing their supporters. El-Sayed’s campaign reported raising $2.4 million Sunday, and party organizers described an increase in volunteers. Those developments complicate any claim that the defections have doomed his candidacy, although they hardly make the public rupture disappear.

The race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters could help determine control of the Senate, making every late development consequential. Against that backdrop, rolling out Springsteen looks less like an answer to the party’s problems than a familiar attempt to turn up the volume. Democrats tried a star-studded closing argument in 2016. Michigan voters have already demonstrated that an encore is no guarantee of victory.

[READ MORE: Congresswoman Shocks Dems With GOP Endorsement]

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