NPR's Michel Martin speaks with political consultant David Axelrod about Democrats' road to November and what's ahead for Michigan's Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
We're going to talk more about this with a political adviser to another candidate that some considered a long shot. David Axelrod was a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama and the chief strategist for both of Obama's presidential campaigns. Good morning, Mr. Axelrod. Welcome back.
MARTIN: So let's start with Michigan. On Wednesday's All Things Considered, Senator Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont that – you, you know, might call him the elder statesman of the progressive movement…
MARTIN: …Had this to say about El-Sayed's primary win.
BERNIE SANDERS: This is the most extraordinary victory in modern American politics. He took on everybody and over $60 million. That he won by one vote would've been an extraordinary victory.
MARTIN: OK. So let's account for some election night adrenaline spillover, OK?
AXELROD: Is that what adrenaline sounds like? I don't know.
MARTIN: Was it as extraordinary as Senator Sanders says?
AXELROD: Yes. No. Look, it – I don't think it was the most extraordinary victory in history and so on, but it was a very, very impressive one in the sense that he was outspent vastly in that race. It may be a commentary on the limits of money in politics, but he survived that. But it was a lot closer than the polls suggested and, I think, than he expected. And I, Michel, think there is virtue in that. There's value in that because one thing that I think El- Sayed needs – he's incredibly talented as a candidate. He's passionate about issues. But, you know, he is very sure of himself in ways that can be off-putting.
And I think there was a humbling element to this for both factions of the Democratic Party. They need each other. He did extraordinarily well with, you know, highly educated voters and with young people, but among rural voters, among African American voters, not so much. And that – there's – but, you know, when you're talking about a working-class movement, you got to bring the working class along with you.
MARTIN: I'm wondering if you see any comparison to Obama, in the sense that Obama's opponents tried to tie his name and his background to radical politics, similar to what Republicans are already doing with El-Sayed. Do you see any similarities there that perhaps El-Sayed could learn from?
AXELROD: Well, for sure, I mean, there are similarities. I mean, the difference is that Barack Obama was very much a center-left politician. And he focused on the issues that unified the largest number of people – basic bread-and-butter issues that people were concerned about and, of course, at that time, the war in Iraq. And he basically – he did wage war on conventional politics in Washington of both parties. And in that sense, there's a similarity.
But what El-Sayed needs to do is focus on that – on the putting-money-in-people's-pockets element of his triad there because that's what is motivating people very much today. I mean, the cost of things is what's motivating…
MARTIN: But he's – El-Sayed is emphasizing protecting healthcare – he is a doctor – strengthening unions…
MARTIN: …Clean air, clean water. You don't think he's doing that, or do you feel that part of his message has been subsumed by messaging on ICE and Gaza and so forth? Do you think…