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Uncommitted National Movement voters splintered before election

November 4, 2024

A national movement aiming to hold the Democratic Party accountable for its compliance with the war in Gaza remains splintered before the election. 

The Uncommitted National Movement is a protest campaign led by anti-war activists who initially pressured President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and an arms embargo in Israel. It advocated for voters to vote uncommitted in the Michigan Democratic Primaries to send a message to Biden and the Democratic Party. 

The movement well surpassed its goal of 10,000 uncommitted votes in Michigan with over 100,000, making up over 13% of total votes cast. 

In September, the Uncommitted National Movement announced it would not be endorsing Harris after she failed to meet the movement's requests, while still urging uncommitted voters against supporting a Trump presidency in any way.

For those who participated in the Uncommitted National Movement's campaign in Michigan, opinions on the presidential candidates are divided.

Many Arab American voters specifically, have taken a stance against supporting the Democratic party.

Thasin Sardar, trustee for the Islamic Center of East Lansing, proudly said he has worked for the Democratic Party in the past and still identifies as a Democrat.

Yet, he said he feels left out by the party. 

"We feel disenfranchised, our voices are not being heard," Sardar said. 

When it came time for the Democratic primaries, Sardar said joining the Uncommitted National Movement was "a no-brainer" for him. 

But the movement has split into many directions, Sardar said, with some not supporting Harris and others believing her to be better than Republican candidate Donald Trump. Others have gone even further and embraced Trump, which Sardar said he disagrees with but understands. 

"I think a lot of it is primarily from people not being vested enough in American politics and just going off emotions," Sardar said. "He is infamously known for his Muslim ban and his stance against immigrants, refugees, female reproductive health, freedom. Not many people know all the facts, but being driven by the images from Gaza, they think that Trump would be a better alternative."

Sardar wants to vote and is currently leaning toward Green Party candidate Jill Stein, but is willing to be swayed if Harris changes her policy on Gaza. 

"So far, that doesn't seem to be the case," Sardar said. "She has lost my trust and faith... To vote for Kamala at this time would be like to say we are OK with genocide, and I'm just not able to get over that mental barrier."

Unless Harris makes a dramatic policy change, Sardar said he will vote for Stein.

"Jill Stein has actually appealed to our conscience," Sardar said. "She has promised to not support the genocide, to bring an end to it. She has actually taken part in the protests on university campuses with the students in support of the Palestinian struggle. So for one, I feel she needs to be acknowledged and appreciated with our support."

Sardar plans on voting Democrat down ballot, he said, believing that those running better reflect the values he aligns with. 

Sunrise co-founder Will Lawrence said voting in this election was the hardest vote he has ever cast.

"I voted for Harris by mail," Lawrence said. "I'm 34, so I voted a few times for president, but this one was definitely the hardest. And I am not at all looking forward to a Harris presidency. I'm looking forward to a Trump presidency even less."

Lawrence said he fears for the people he cares about more under a Trump presidency than a Harris one.

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"But the situation is intolerable either way, which is why I believe that all the people who voted uncommitted, and everybody of conscience in this country, has to keep working to build an anti-war movement, a movement to stop the bombs going to Israel and a broader movement for peace and human rights," Lawrence said.

Abdo Korayem, an MSU doctorate student studying civil and mechanical engineering, voted uncommitted during the primaries and was involved in some protests.

He said he normally would vote Democrat, while also agreeing with some values on the Republican side, but believes both parties are currently captured by corporatism. 

"I would be more inclined to vote for Democrats as compared to Republicans," Korayem said. "However, given the sheer volume of destruction the Democratic Party has unleashed onto an innocent population, I cannot find it in myself that I would be willing to reward someone's evil just because he is going to be a lesser of two evils."

Korayem said he will most likely vote for the Green Party, agreeing with many of Stein’s policies. But Korayem said the two party system is flawed when it comes to voting for third party candidates.

There is also a small chance he may vote Republican, not because he likes Trump, but rather to see something different.

"If we're going to bring an end to this, we might as well just bring it as soon as possible," he said.

He said a Republican administration may try to end the war quicker, employing a more aggressive attitude toward it.

"Instead of the death by a thousand cuts the Democrats have been living on for a while now, at least if he does that, that would completely destroy or denature the fabric of Israeli politics in the Middle East and the Middle Eastern politics. It would be a huge destabilizing thing to Israel, which I think is a net good," Korayem said. 

Human biology senior Aamir Baig, who attended a few protests with the movement, believes the biggest problem with the U.S. is the two-party system.

"It really undermines the voices of the people," he said. "Right now, we're left in such a situation where we don't have another option. And because we're left in that kind of situation, we're not going to be rewarding the people who are funding a genocide."

Baig doesn't see voting for Harris as picking the lesser of two evils, he said. 

"If you really want the Muslim vote, if you want the Arab American vote, if you want the vote of the people who don't support the Israel-Palestine war, then you have to make some effort to try to end the war," Baig said. "You have to say things that are gonna help people make that decision towards you."

If Harris loses Michigan, or the election, Baig wants her to notice the lack of support from Arab Americans and understand the importance of their voices.

"It's clear that Kamala Harris doesn't care about the Palestinian voice," he said. "She doesn't care about the Arab American voice, and I don't think we can reward that just because there's no other option. That's just not how democracy works."

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