Question 1): The Michigan Democratic Party convention closed last weekend without gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson on stage at the same time as Abdul El-Sayed and the rest of the Democratic ticket. Defeated Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Haley Stevens, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and Attorney General Dana Nessel didn’t show up. Neither did any Democrat in the state’s Congressional delegation. So, are Michigan Democrats united, or not?
Answer 1): There was no “family Christmas card” photo op, that’s for sure. Many Democrats, including Jocelyn Benson, are uncomfortable being associated with Abdul El-Sayed and will avoid being linked with him this fall as much as possible. That will be one of the big stories, here in Michigan and nationally, between now and Nov. 3. Democrats are united on only two things — affordability, and fear and loathing of Donald J. Trump.
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Question 2): How would Mike Duggan be doing if he were still in the governor’s race?
Answer 2): He’d probably still be as close in the polls to the two major party nominees as he was when he exited the race, but he’d be creating a lot more interest in the Governor’s contest than where it is right now, which is B-O-R-I-N-G with two unprepossessing candidates. Looking at Jocelyn Benson and John James, nobody is saying: ‘Wow, that’s what I’ve been looking for!’ Duggan would have put a scare into both of them, at the very least, and the real question would be how much attention they would have had to put into fending off Duggan rather than attacking each other. Could he have won? It’s entirely possible, but he might have been just as likely to have been a spoiler, which he said was the last thing he wanted to become.
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Question 3): What happened to those heated efforts just three months ago to reform the way Michigan
chooses its Attorney General, Secretary of State, and members of our major university governing boards?
Back in June, a legislative attempt to place a ballot proposal on the August 4 primary ballot that would allow
the Governor to appoint board members at MSU, U-M, and WSU failed, 52–54, far from the necessary 74 votes
needed. Only one Democrat voted for the resolution. Supporters claimed the very short runway to make
the primary ballot did not allow enough time to build the necessary coalition. Advocates vowed they would
continue their efforts to get the Legislature to put the proposal on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
This was in the wake of MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz’s announced departure for Clemson University,
supposedly because he felt was being undercut by a dysfunctional MSU Board of Trustees.
At the same time, a group called Voters Not Insiders was working on a proposal focused
on moving the nominations of Attorney General and Secretary of State from convention to
the primary ballot. Their proposal would also give party nominees for Governor the exclusive right to
choose their running mate, removing a requirement that the convention approve LG choices.
Now, the Sept. 4 deadline for getting these proposals on the general election ballot has come and gone
without even a vote in the state House or Senate. Both proposals are dead. What happened?
Answer 3): For one thing, Guskiewicz changed his mind and decided to stay at MSU after all. The hullabaloo
over MSU’s bumbling board immediately died down, and the only story has been how MSU basketball coach
Tom Izzo and former governors John Engler and James Blanchard (both Spartan alumni) supposedly convinced
Guskiewicz to stay. End of story, at least for now. Meanwhile, the University of Michigan went through a smooth
presidential selection process before picking Vanderbilt University Provost C. Cybele Raver, who comes into
the job with positive reviews.
Polling on the two proposals is split. For example, a survey conducted by the Glengariff Group in January 2024
showed 80–9% support (62% strongly) among Michigan voters for switching the A.G. and SoS selection process from convention to a primary. Among Trump Republicans, support was even higher, 88–3% (81% strongly); among Bernie Sanders-type Democrats, support was 78–11% (62% strongly). Voters also strongly supported allowing gubernatorial nominees to choose their LG candidates without convention approval, 61–25%. The rest of the country evidently agrees —
Michigan is one of only two in the nation that still uses conventions to choose candidates.
However, every poll that has been taken on the other question — the one on whether to remove from the electorate the right to choose state education board seats and give that authority to an appointing governor — meets with resounding disapproval. No matter how poorly informed the general public may be on who university board candidates actually are, voters resist strenuously any effort to take away their right to select them .
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VERY Informative I couldn’t add more to these answers. Excellent comments Bill Ballenger on Off The Record
ANSWER#1: Haley Stevens was in Israel where she gave an interview to a Jerusalem Post reporter at the Mamilla Hotel in Jerusalem. She labeled anti-Zionism as a “sickness” that has taken over America and bitterly criticized the attitudes of both Bernie Sanders and the mayor of Dearborn Heights, among others. “I was on the verge of being attacked physically.” She related that the hatred “has infected Democrats worse”.
Governor Whitmer had earlier voiced “unequivocal support” for Israel.
Despite these opinions of Stevens and Whitmer, El-Sayed is now leading Mike Rogers by 5% in the latest independent polling.
Pro-Israel Democratic insiders wisely avoided the latest Michigan Democratic Party convention. Everything went peacefully.
ANSWER#2: John James effectively lost the governor’s race when Duggan withdrew his independent candidacy – he is currently NINE points behind in the latest independent polling and his non-campaigning over a period of months severely damaged his chances at the governorship – his 10th District seat in Congress may be lost to a Democrat as well this election cycle.
Duggan is now practicing law.
ANSWER#3: Noted environmentalist William McKibben spoke in Ann Arbor in a speech that has been uploaded to YouTube that recognized a movement and political trend in America to return political power to local control and away from corporations and political insiders.
He was present to endorse the “Ann Arbor For Public Power” ballot initiative that would create a local public body to control electricity supply and divest DTE as the local electric power server.
Making educational choices at the local level is a trend that is embraced by Democrats and Republicans.
We are witnessing a political trend toward decentralization of power toward local bodies and individual voters.
I personally favor a convention process and I believe it has served Democrats and the GOP well in Michigan. I have spent years as a state convention delegate and believe we are best suited to choose our nominees for public office.
Leanne -your Comments are brilliant. You are welcome to stop by my 41 year Office-1142 S Main, Plymouth Tel. 734.459.8811. My wife calls my Law Office “My Michigan Museum”. BTW/Bill Ballenger loves Plymouth
“Despite the opinions of. Whitmer and Steven’s (in support of Israel)”, Leanne notes that El Sayed is up in the polls. This implies that El Sayed does not support Israel. There is no such evidence.
Nice article, Bill, and a good appearance on OTR.
For all the TBR family, Happy Labor Day! And this might be one of my longer posts as I am liberally quoting an article written by Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin.
As for question 1, they are united only in their desire to win office. Lame ducks not showing up at a convention suggests either sore losers, they were told not to come so as to avoid disruption, or they realized their presence there would be disruptive and they did not wish to disturb the aura of good feelings at the convention. Or any combination of the three.
The one non-appearance that should draw more attention is that of our fearless Attorney General. Ms Nessel famously said she would not be attending the convention as she feared for her safety. Let that sink in. Our sitting attorney general feared for her safety at her own party’s convention. But to atone for that “sin”, she told her fellow Jews to, in essence, suck it up buttercup, it’s for the good of the Party and vote blue.
Let’s have Reform Jewish Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin describe it as he did in the September 1, 2026, edition of Religion News Service, as he did better than I would do. And since my computer skills are, well, unchanged, I will capitalize his quotes.
“AND NOW, LET’S READ THE NOMINATIONS FOR “THE WORST THING A JEWISH PUBLIC FIGURE HAS SAID IN THE PAST WEEK.”
THE ENVELOPE, PLEASE: MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL DANA NESSEL.
SPEAKING RECENTLY TO THE MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC JEWISH CAUCUS AT ITS ANNUAL “SUMMER SIMCHA” GATHERING, WHERE THE CAUCUS HONORED HER, NESSEL SAID: “WE HAVE A MORAL IMPERATIVE TO PLACE THE NEEDS OF THE WORLD ABOVE EVEN OUR OWN SELF-INTEREST AND, YES, EVEN OUR OWN SURVIVAL,” ACCORDING TO THE JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY.
SO, A JEWISH ELECTED OFFICIAL STOOD IN FRONT OF OTHER JEWS AND TOLD THEM THAT THEIR DESIRE TO STAY ALIVE AS A PEOPLE IS A SELF-INTEREST THEY SHOULD BE WILLING TO TRADE AWAY FOR THE GOOD OF HUMANITY. AND THIS WAS A SUMMER SIMCHA — A MOMENT FOR JOY?
SHE IS, TRAGICALLY, IN GOOD HISTORIC COMPANY.
SHE IS CHANNELING THE VOICE OF CLASSIC CHRISTIAN SUPERSESSIONISM, WHICH BELIEVES THAT THE NEW COVENANT HAS REPLACED THE OLD COVENANT, I.E., TESTAMENT, AND THAT THE JEWS SHOULD CEASE TO EXIST AS A SEPARATE PEOPLE. SHE IS ALSO CHANNELING AN ISLAMIC THEOLOGY THAT ASSIGNED THE JEW WHO WOULD NOT SUBMIT A DIMINISHED, TEMPORARY PLACE IN THE WORLD.
MOREOVER, SHE IS CHANNELING THE VOICE OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT, WHICH OFFERED EMANCIPATION TO JEWS AS CITIZENS ON THE CONDITION, AS ONE FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY FAMOUSLY PUT IT, THAT JEWS STOP EXISTING AS A NATION. OR, IT WAS WILLING TO OFFER JEWS CITIZENSHIP, BUT NOT AS THEY WERE. THEY WOULD FIRST NEED TO SHED THAT NASTY RELIGIOUS STUFF.
AND, SHE IS CHANNELING THE VOICE OF COMMUNISM, WHICH PROMISED THAT THE JEWISH QUESTION WOULD RESOLVE ITSELF ONCE JEWS DISSOLVED INTO THE PROLETARIAT AND STOPPED INSISTING ON BEING JEWS.
BUT, THIS IS THE FIRST AND ONLY TIME I’VE SEEN A JEWISH PUBLIC OFFICIAL MAKING SUCH A STATEMENT ABOUT HER OWN PEOPLE — AND TO HER OWN PEOPLE.
FAST FORWARD TO NEXT SHABBAT — TO ROSH HASHANAH MORNING — TO THE STORY THAT JEWS READ EVERY YEAR, AND THAT THEY TREMBLE TO HEAR EVERY YEAR.
ABRAHAM BINDS ISAAC TO THE ALTAR AND RAISES THE KNIFE. AT THE LAST POSSIBLE SECOND, A MESSENGER OF GOD STOPS HIM, STAYS HIS HAND AND SPARES ISAAC. ABRAHAM SEES A RAM CAUGHT IN THE THICKET, AND THAT BECOMES THE SACRIFICIAL ANIMAL.
THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT OF THE AKEDAH: THE GOD OF ISRAEL KEEPS THE EARLIER PROMISE TO ABRAHAM — THAT THE JEWS WOULD SURVIVE AS A PEOPLE.
NESSEL HAS OFFERED THAT VERY SURVIVAL AS A PEOPLE UPON THE ALTAR OF MODERN POLITICS. SHE OFFERED THE JEWS AN AKEDAH, BUT WITH NO ANGEL. THAT IS BECAUSE THE GOD SHE REFERS TO IS SOMETHING CLOSER TO THE MOLECH OF UNIVERSALISM, A GOD THAT HAS ALWAYS SUGGESTED THAT JEWS SHOULD, FOR THE SAKE OF HUMANITY, JUST KINDLY, WITHOUT NOISE, TASTEFULLY, GET OUT OF THE WAY.
BUT LET’S CONFRONT THE REAL, PREPOSTEROUS IRONY OF NESSEL’S REMARKS.
SHE INVOKED QUEEN ESTHER, URGING THE JEWS IN THE ROOM TO SET ASIDE FEAR FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY THE WAY SHE BELIEVES ESTHER DID.
PLEASE WAIT FOR PURIM, AND LISTEN TO THE STORY AGAIN — YOU GOT IT PRECISELY BACKWARD.
MORDECAI DOES NOT TELL ESTHER TO DISAPPEAR INTO THE PERSIAN COURT AND DISSOLVE HER IDENTITY FOR THE GOOD OF THE EMPIRE. HE TELLS HER PRECISELY THE OPPOSITE: THAT HER SILENCE WILL NOT PROTECT HER, THAT SHE WAS PLACED IN THE PALACE FOR EXACTLY THIS MOMENT, AND THAT IF SHE SAYS NOTHING, DELIVERANCE WILL COME FROM “ANOTHER PLACE” WHILE SHE AND HER FATHER’S HOUSE PERISH.
ESTHER SAVES HER PEOPLE BY INSISTING ON WHO SHE IS, OUT LOUD, TO THE KING, AT RISK TO HER OWN LIFE. SHE DOES NOT SAVE THEM BY ASKING THEM TO VANISH QUIETLY FOR THE SAKE OF PERSIA.
NONE OF THIS HAPPENED IN A VACUUM. NESSEL SPOKE AT AN EVENT THAT ALSO FEATURED ABDUL EL-SAYED, THE DEMOCRATIC MICHIGAN SENATE NOMINEE.
YOU WILL RECALL HOW EL-SAYED EVALUATED THE MOTIVES OF THE ATTACKER ON TEMPLE ISRAEL IN WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN: “HURT PEOPLE HURT PEOPLE.”
THIS PAST WEEKEND, EL-SAYED OFFERED WHAT SEEMED LIKE AN APOLOGY FOR THAT STATEMENT, BUT WHICH WAS ACTUALLY LESS THAN THAT: “TO ANYONE WHO FEELS LIKE MY COMMENTS MIGHT HAVE BEEN HURTFUL, I’M REALLY SORRY,” HE TOLD REPORTERS AT THE STATE PARTY CONVENTION. HE SEEMINGLY FRAMED THE EPISODE AS A PROBLEM OF PERCEPTION OR TIMING RATHER THAN SUBSTANCE, SAYING THAT GIVING THE RIGHT MESSAGE AT THE WRONG MOMENT MAKES IT THE WRONG MESSAGE.
THAT IS ACTUALLY A TEXTBOOK DEFINITION OF HOW NOT TO MAKE AN APOLOGY, BECAUSE HE HAS NOT INDICATED THAT HE BELIEVES ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT.
SO, WE HAVE A CANDIDATE WHO STILL HOLDS THE VIEW HE EXPRESSED IN MARCH AND HAS ONLY CONCEDED THE PERCEPTION WAS BAD, WHO STOOD BESIDE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TELLING A ROOM OF JEWS TO SET ASIDE THEIR SAFETY FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOOD OF THE WORLD. GO BEYOND YOUR COMFORT LEVEL, NESSEL IMPLIED. CLIMATE CHANGE, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, NUCLEAR WAR, SHE SAID, ALL OUTWEIGH JEWISH SAFETY AND JEWISH PARTICULARITY.
IT ALL GOES BACK TO THE MISHNEH: “IF I AM NOT FOR MYSELF, WHO WILL BE FOR ME? AND IF I AM ONLY FOR MYSELF, WHAT AM I?” THOSE TENSIONS ARE ALWAYS WORTHY OF A DEBATE. BUT, IN FACT, THOSE TWO STATEMENTS APPEAR SIMULTANEOUSLY BECAUSE EACH ONE TESTS THE OTHER.
ANTISEMITISM IS NOT JUST A JEWISH ISSUE. IT IS AN AMERICAN ISSUE, BECAUSE WHEN A NATION ENTERTAINS ANTISEMITIC IDEAS, IT IS AMONG THE FIRST SIGNS OF ITS DECADENCE. SHOW ME A COUNTRY THAT GAVE FREE REIGN TO ITS ANTISEMITIC IMPULSES THAT ACTUALLY SURVIVED AND THRIVED. THEIR SHELF LIFE IS AMAZINGLY SHORT.
BUT, THIS IS NOT A DEBATE ON UNIVERSALISM VERSUS PARTICULARISM. RATHER, NESSEL IS ASKING JEWS TO VIEW THEIR OWN CONTINUITY AS A LUXURY ITEM, SOMETHING TO JETTISON AS THE REAL MARK OF VIRTUE. SELF-IMMOLATION AND ERASURE — THE GREAT MITZVOT.
NO, THANKS.
THIS IS AMONG THE THINGS THAT AMERICAN JEWS WILL BE CARRYING WITH THEM IN THEIR BULGING FILE FOLDERS OF THE SOUL AS THEY ENTER THE DAYS OF AWE. IT IS NOT THE MEANING OF OUR OWN EXISTENCE; IT IS WHETHER WE SHOULD GO TO LAS VEGAS AND BET THAT EXISTENCE AND SAFETY ON THE ROULETTE WHEEL OF ACCEPTABILITY.
MS. NESSEL, PERHAPS YOU MISSPOKE. PERHAPS YOU NOW REALIZE THAT YOU OVERSTATED THE CASE; THAT YOU BELIEVE (AS DO I) THAT WE ARE UP AGAINST TRUE EXISTENTIAL THREATS IN THIS COUNTRY, BUT THAT YOU PUSHED THE ARGUMENT A LITTLE TOO FAR.
THERE IS STILL TIME FOR YOU TO CLARIFY YOUR WORDS. AND EVEN, PLEASE, REPENT OF THEM.
Ms Nessel has shown a couple of things: Her religion is politics and that her personal safety is of paramount importance. Fellow Jews can take their chances.
As for question 2, the race is, indeed, a lot duller without Mike Duggan. His departure most likely helps Benson more, but Duggan will gain solace from the boatload of money he will earn, though it might have been fun to see him at U of M as the President. As for the outcome, a lot will depend on the media holding the candidates to account for their records in office. Ending corruption has not been an exactly strong suit of any Democrat for the past eight years. Neither Benson nor James have much to boast about, but James does have an “advantage” of being a rather junior member of the House and not holding an executive office. As for Benson, mail-in registration and driver’s licenses are nice, though some of that pre-dated her. And her “work” on lobbying, well, the less said the better. And has she done ANYTHING about Eli Savit using his county car and credit card for campaigning to get the AG nod (as referenced in the Flag Day 2026 edition of TBR)? But on a personal point, I do like the idea that they recycle my old photo on the driver’s license as I had more hair and less gray. Maybe it was a birthday present for me as I finish my 7th decade on the planet.
As for question 3, we will probably never see a change. Having never attended a state political convention, I am not sure if this is a good or bad thing, though having contested elections and floor fights (if they are televised) can be a good thing showing the folks democracy at work. It does allow the party activists the opportunity to make their zeal and effort seem worthwhile. Whether we get good AG, SOS and SBE nominees is another matter. Elected boards at our three research universities should be a good thing as elected representatives of the people are there to hold university presidents to account and let them remember who they work for. The unfortunate fiasco at MSU shows us a president who thought the Board of Trustees worked for him, not the other way around. But the three Trustees who thought they President worked for them -Dennis Denno, Rema Vassar, and I believe Mike Balow, have been taken to the appropriate woodshed. Not a good thing.
Again, happy Labor Day one and all!
Tim/