Barack and Michelle Obama, under the spotlight and on stage, helped warm the hearts of the Democratic people at the Chicago convention. The same stage where the so-called uncommitted pro Palestine. They are the ones who for months have represented the grassroots dissension movement against Biden and his attitude towards the war in Gaza. Now that the President is out of the race for the White House, after having “abdicated” in favor of Kamala Harris, the spontaneous movement, born in Michigan, is raising its voice with the Democratic candidate for the 2024 US presidential elections.
He also did so during the convention which represents the formal act of investiture of the Harris Ticket-Walz. The problem (because that is how it is felt today by the American Democratic Party) is that the uncommittedthey were not given the official microphone, but only a room far from the stage, where they could express their ideas and requests to the same presidential candidate. Requests that translate into a formal commitment by Kamala Harris to take a clear position on the crisis in the Middle East. Very clearly, she asks to stop aid – military and otherwise – to Tel Aviv, taking a position of support for the people of Gaza. Otherwise, the movement announces that it will not support the Democratic candidate in the race against Donald Trump, causing her to lose votes that could be decisive in key states such as Michigan and Minnesota.
It is no coincidence that the movement was born in Michigan, last February 6th, choosing as its name Listen to Michigan – Vote Uncommitted. Its members are mostly Arab and Muslim American citizens of Dearborn and Hamtramck, two satellite cities of Detroit where a large multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-generational community lives, particularly active on the political and civil front. Its leader is Layla Elabed,Palestinian-American and younger sister of Rashida Tlaibthe first Muslim woman to be elected to the U.S. Congress for the Michigan district, in 2019. If good blood does not lie, Layla also intends to make herself noticed and has certainly already succeeded in part. The spokesperson of the movement, however, is Abbas Alawiahalso a Palestinian-American, formerly head of Tlaib’s staff in Washington and later in the team of Cori Bush, Missouri congresswoman elected in 2021. It was thanks to Alawieh’s contribution that the movement obtained 101,000 votes uncommittedthat is, “not aligned”.
Who are they, exactly? They are those who, during both the Democratic and Republican primaries, have declared their intention to vote for the partybut without express preferences for a candidate in particular. It can be a way to express dissent towards someone, as happened last spring with Biden, or to send a clear message, as in the case of Kamala Harris: if she doesn’t take a clear position on the war in Gaza, she won’t have their vote. The support of the uncommittedhowever, however it could be decisive, precisely in Michigan and Minnesota, considered among the most important swing state. It is here that in 2016 Trump obtained a surprise and decisive victory against Hillary Clinton. Reconquered, albeit with difficulty, by Biden in 2020, Michigan is home to one of the largest Muslim communities in proportion to the total population, after the state of New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Illinois. It has about 250 thousand faithful and in Dearborn there is one of the most important and frequented mosques in the country.
If Kamala Harris wants to win the vote of the uncommittedmust show an openness towards their requests, also because their support – translated into numbers – translates into 30 delegates who in Chicago, sitting inside the United Center, did not hesitate to wear the keffiyeh and pro-Palestine pins, having time to show for a few minutes a banner with the words “Stop armingIsrael”before other delegates removed him.If Harris (who was absent at the time) has not commented for now, he has poured water on the fire. Joe Bidenthe same one whose attitude, considered too pro-Israel, had given rise to the movement. The President stated from the stage that the demonstrators, more numerous outside the arena, “have their reasons”. On the other hand, on this front the Democratic Party is showing some difficulty. We will have to wait, therefore, to understand if the choice of Tim Walzas a vice-presidential candidate will be enough to calm things down. The Governor of Minnesota, in fact, has positions closer to the Palestinian people than the other name that had been circulating for the ticket with Harris, that of his colleague from Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, a Jew and pro-Israeli. If this is enough, perhaps Barack Obama was right in inciting Harris, dusting off and adapting his old slogan, Yes, she can.
