Anger against Joe Biden’s pro-Israeli line emerged on Tuesday in Michigan, where more than 100,000 voters voted “blank” in the Democratic primary. Beyond highlighting the deep divisions within the Democratic Party over the war in Gaza, this protest vote could jeopardize the American president’s chances in a crucial state where the race with Donald Trump is already tight.
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Tuesday, February 27, city of Dearborn, central Michigan. A scent of victory floats in the city, where nearly 6,300 voters checked the “noncommitted” box – or “uncommitted” – on the ballot for the Michigan Democratic primary. In front of the screen which announces the results, the supporters of the blank vote dance the dabkeh to the tunes of traditional Palestinian music and chant together “ Ceasefire! “.
In the state of Michigan, where there is a large Arab-American community, more than 100,000 voters used this sanction vote as a means of protest against the White House’s pro-Israeli policies. In total, around 13% of the ballots placed in the ballot boxes carry the words “uncommitted”. For the “Listen to Michigan” group, which has been campaigning in this direction for several weeks, it is a “ victory » aimed at warning the Democratic candidate. “ Don’t count on us to finance the war and genocide in Gaza », writes the movement on X, ex-Twitter.
If it was not enough to defeat the president in the state of Michigan or to change – for the moment – his unconditional support for Israel, the result was ” massively exceeded our expectations », greeted the group this Tuesday, February 27. “Listen to Michigan” aimed to reach 10,000 blank votes, the equivalent of the margin by which Donald Trump had beaten Hillary Clinton by a breath in this state in 2016. Enough to worry the tenant of the White House, who won it in 2020 with only 154,000 votes ahead of the outgoing president. “ In this state, a few votes can make a difference », Points out Nicole Bacharan, political scientist and historian, specialist in the United States.
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A State as decisive as it is tight
While most of the latest polls show Donald Trump winning next November, an angry vote in a state as decisive as Michigan is certainly a thorn in the side of his Democratic rival. “ Michigan is a key state: it provides 16 electors for the final election and it is one of these famous “swing states”namely a pivotal state which sometimes swings to the Democratic side, sometimes to the Republican side », analyzes Nicole Bacharan. Gold, ” If Biden doesn’t win Michigan, it bodes very poorly for his victory in November “, she specifies.
As the number of Palestinian casualties increases in the war in Gaza, Joe Biden sees the support of Arab-Muslims crumbling in this territory. Yet these traditionally Democratic votes proved crucial to his 2020 victory. It is in this state that Democrats have long been able to count on the loyal support of voters from minorities resulting from waves of immigration », affirms Simon Grivet, lecturer in history and civilization of the United States at the University of Lille, at the microphone of Marine Lebèguejournalist in the international service of RFI.
Could this sanction vote during the primaries be repeated next November? According to several “Listen to Michigan” organizers, most pro-Palestinian Democrats will put Biden’s name in the ballot boxes during the presidential election, but only on the condition that he changes course regarding his support for the Jewish state. “ We don’t want a Trump presidency, but Biden put Netanyahu before American democracy », writes the group.
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The risk of demobilization
Under pressure, the candidate for his re-election has increased the signs of attention towards his pro-Palestinian electorate, whether by taking sanctions against Israeli settlers or by evoking a potential truce in the fighting. As the primary approaches, on the set of the show “Late Night with Seth Meyers”, this Monday, February 26 on NBC, the American president once again raised the prospect of a “ temporary ceasefire ”, which could lead to “ a process to achieve a two-state solution », although far from immediate. “ Israel has received overwhelming support from the vast majority of nations. If he continues with his incredibly conservative government, he will lose the support of the whole world », he warned during the interview.
This balancing act, however, was not enough to resolve the divisions within the Democratic camp. “ While we have noticed a slight shift in language from Mr. Biden as a direct result of the pressure from this campaign, we know his words are not enough “, we read on the X account of “Listen to Michigan”. According to them, the White House tenant should call for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
An impossible maneuver for Washington, long-time supporter of Israel, which vetoed three resolutions of the United Nations Security Council on the subject. “ Biden must find a balance between reassuring the center and center right, who would naturally be Republican voters, but who still want to oppose Trump, and his left which is in a posture of critical supportexplains Simon Grivet. The president cannot afford to have insufficient mobilization if he wants to beat Trump. If there is no ceasefire and if there is a bloody Israeli offensive on Rafah, it will be much more complicated. »
In a press release, Joe Biden reacted to his victory in this primary by thanking “ all Michiganders who made their voices heard », but without ever mentioning this protest vote.
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