A Resurfaced Clip Meets a State Treasure
Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is facing online backlash after a clip from the 2020 documentary How to Fix a Primary resurfaced. According to The Midwesterner, the film followed his unsuccessful 2018 run for governor. In the video, El-Sayed walks near the Grand Hotel as horses pass by and says, “I hate Mackinac so much.” He then jokes that the island could become his summer home if he won the governor’s race, before adding, “Every time I’ve ever come here, I’ve hated it. Why am I here?” For a statewide candidate, that is one way to shake hands with voters, provided the hand is holding a lit match.
The Follow-Up Did Not Cool Things Down
After the clip spread online, El-Sayed responded by taking aim at the island’s well-known car ban. He wrote, “Not sure about ‘End Wokeness,’ but I don’t think the most ‘American place in MI’ can be a place that…bans cars.” That line may play well with people who think every scenic view needs a parking structure, but it did not exactly read like a love letter to Michigan tourism. Campaigns usually spend large sums trying to make candidates look relatable. Here, the internet provided a free lesson in why old footage and local pride should never be left alone in the same room.
Why Mackinac Island Is More Than a Vacation Stop
Mackinac Island is one of Michigan’s best-known landmarks. It is famous for horse-drawn carriages, historic sites, natural beauty, and fudge shops, which is about as close as tourism gets to a bipartisan platform. The Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau has promoted it as the nation’s top summer travel destination and the top island in the continental United States. The Michigan governor’s official summer residence has also been located there since 1945, according to the tourism bureau. Critics online said El-Sayed’s remarks showed contempt for a place many Michigan families see as part of the state’s identity. Others argued that a candidate running statewide should not need a focus group to show basic affection for a signature Michigan destination.
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