Washington Examiner economics columnist Tiana Lowe Doescher argued that Republican attacks against Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul el Sayed are rooted in his comments during the primary campaign, including remarks about his name and the political sensitivities surrounding his Arab American support.
“El Sayed is the one who, during the primary, said that if you can’t pronounce his name, it’s racist, right? Doescher said on CNN’s Group Chat on Monday. “So he started this. The NRSC is just jumping on it.”
Doescher’s comments come as the National Republican Senatorial Committee made el Sayed’s background and positions a central part of its criticism of him as Republicans look to make Michigan competitive in the midterm elections.
Doescher argued that the attacks are part of a broader Republican strategy to portray Democrats as increasingly aligned with socialism and what she described as “third worldism.”
“The White House is running on, ‘The Dems are communists, they’re socialists,’ whatever,” she said. “But also third worldism, which I think is inextricably linked with a lot of that messaging.”
Doescher defined the term as the idea that American politicians must accommodate the political views of particular immigrant or diaspora communities, specifically pointing to Dearborn, Michigan’s large Arab American population.
‘DEARBORN VS. DETROIT’ PROVES HOW ABDUL EL SAYED CUT INTO STEVENS’S BLACK VOTE: TIANA LOWE DOESCHER
She cited leaked audio clips obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, in which el Sayed was asked about the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Doescher suggested political sensitivities in Dearborn influenced his response.
Doescher argued that el Sayed’s own comments have given Republicans an opening to make his views and associations a central issue in their campaign.