Detroit's Mayor Mike Duggan listens to voters and endears himself to immigrants. So now he's running for governor as an independent.
Mark Yonkman is the founder of the newly created Super PAC Reclaim the Rural Vote and a rural vote messaging expert. Mark’s background straddles not only the rural and urban worlds but the black/white, gay/straight, and farm/professional worlds as well. Read more of his Rural Whisperer columns here.
I have learned to be very cautious when the advocacy class, donors, and coastal elites come up with a new moniker to describe classes of people.
“LatinX” is the poster child for this. While the legacy news media and advocacy groups were pushing for this, every Latino I knew hated it.
So I never used it. I don't refer to people by names they don't like.
I have also asked legal immigrants, both green card holders and citizens, how they refer to someone who is here illegally. The answer is “it depends.” They use both “illegal alien” and “undocumented immigrant.”
However, they are different things.
If you came through legally but then overstayed your visa, you are an “undocumented immigrant.” Because you actually did immigrate legally, were vetted by immigration, and then became undocumented. It is the vetting that is important.
But if you came in without being vetted, then you are an “illegal alien.” (Though they also feel a child carried over or born here would be an undocumented immigrant because they had no choice in the matter).
One pointed out that it would be just as silly to call a Russian or North Korean who crossed the border illegally into the Ukraine an “Undocumented Immigrant” or “Newcomer,” even if they planned to stay in the Ukraine assuming they win the war.
There are, in fact, people who cross into the U.S. from Mexico carrying guns.
This division seems rational and clear.
I know several Trump supporters – but not MAGA Republicans – who are on the same page. And who would be willing to create a path to citizenship for immigrants who overstayed their visas?
Again, it is the vetting that is important to them.
Unfortunately, the MAGA contingent is flying the plane right now.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said: “ICE has a list of who they're looking for, who are illegal immigrants, who have committed crimes . . . And when one of the people we've arrested comes up, they will contact us. And if we have them in custody at the Detroit detention center, we will turn them over to ICE.”
He seemed to be using the term correctly from an immigrant voter's point of view.
Nine immigrant groups (who advocate for non-voters) immediately denounced him for using the “I” word, and the news media launched into action.
The Detroit News reported that “Immigrant rights groups slam Detroit Mayor Duggan for using the ‘I-word.'”
They could have just as easily reported, “Mayor Duggan refuses to bend to the whims of 9 voters.”
I couldn't find any reporting where the reporter actually went out and asked a legal immigrant what they thought.
But he didn't cave.
Duggan added: “Groups who oppose this position are criticizing me today over the political correctness of my statements, but I do not apologize for providing a clear explanation of Detroit's position. It is a position we have followed consistently through the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations.”
He did exactly the right thing.
First of all, 9 groups are just 9 votes and perhaps some of their staff. Legal immigrant citizen voters, on the other hand, are hundreds of thousands in Michigan. He is listening to voters, not lobbyists and donors.
Second, he is showing strength. I have said many times that a successful politician needs to push back on the base from time to time. It is one of the reasons people like Trump. He doesn't follow his base – he leads his base.
And third, co-opting “Immigrant” to be the same level as the “N-word” did not go over well with many Black voters.
It is also possibly one of the reasons he is running for governor as an Independent. The Democratic Party would have eaten him alive for this.
Democrats need to pay attention to this and stop eating their own.
All too often, Democrats will immediately cave to the views of just a handful of advocacy groups or donors. It feels like those groups lead Democrats around by the nose. Even when it upsets millions of voters. It is why Democrats fell down the rabbit hole with “LatinX.”
That is not the way for Democrats to win elections.
Indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if Duggan completes his transition and ends up running as a Republican.
Michigan now has straight-party ticket voting, which favors Republicans because of the high turnout among rural voters.
I can't see Duggan winning as an Independent, but I suspect it would be an easy win for him on the Republican ticket.
It will be interesting to watch this play out.
