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Posted by
Olog-hai
on Thu May 17 09:35:27 2018
Great way to fend off "Islamophobia", never mind trying to conflate it with "racism". Michigan gubernatorial candidate Abul El-Sayed (D) to counterpart Patrick Colbeck (R).
MLive Media Group
Governor candidates from both sides talk media, Michigan MuslimsBy Emily Lawler
May 10, 2018Democratic and Republican candidates for governor gathered onstage all together for the first time at the Michigan Press Association convention on Thursday, sharing their views on the media, transparency and sharia law.
On the Republican side, candidates are Brian Calley, Patrick Colbeck, Jim Hines and Bill Schuette. Democratic candidates are Abdul El-Sayed, Shri Thanedar and Gretchen Whitmer. All seven attended the MPA forum, the first such bipartisan event of the cycle.
On other questions, the responses were a bit more nuanced.
An audience question posed to candidates asked whether they thought Sharia Law was a real issue in Michigan or a made-up one.
Colbeck, who has been in the media for comments about the Muslim Brotherhood lately, said the media had conflated his objections to a political organization with a general objection to Muslims in general, which he does not have.
But he is concerned with El-Sayed's affiliation with the Muslim Student Association, which Colbeck has said is associated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
"I have very deep concerns around that," Colbeck said.
Thanedar, relying on his own immigrant story, said he was devoted to the country and our country was great because it was such a melting pot. He said candidates with low poll number sometimes create issues like this to "get some love" from the media.
El-Sayed, the only Muslim candidate for governor, said the constitution guarantees everyone to pray the way they want to. What frustrates him isn't blatant racism "on the part of certain people," but how other Republican candidates have reacted.
"What I have not heard is the Republicans on this panel decisively and swiftly call out this kind of islamophobia, this kind of racism, in the context that they are running to represent the state that has the highest per-capita number of Muslim-Americans in the country. Now you might not hate Muslims, but I'll tell you Muslims definitely hate you," El-Sayed said.
Asked if state-level candidates should have to submit financial disclosures like federal candidates do, there was strong support among the group.
Whitmer said it was important to know a candidate's financial interests so you knew who they were working for.
"I think that our priorities are something that the public needs to know," Whitmer said.
The only candidate to not express immediate support was Schuette, who said he would support it after everybody on stage released their income taxes.
Calley took a shot at Schuette for not filling out the federal disclosure form, saying he was hiding behind a blind trust and it "appears as though he's been directing the purchase and transfer of millions of dollars in offshore assets while Attorney General." Schuette used a rebuttal to say he was abiding by the rules of a blind trust and Calley went around the state making accusations that were not true.
"You're so desperate, you're so behind, there's nothing you won't do to try to make false accusations and attacks," he said in a comment directed at Calley.
El-Sayed pointed to the Republicans as being hypocritical by talking about tax reforms when they both supported the first president in history to not release his tax return. He supports disclosure and thinks in politics you've got to be able to follow the money.
"I've got nothing to hide. I live with my in-laws, for god's sakes; if I had any money, it would be a different story," El-Sayed joked.
On some questions, there was a clear divide between Republican and Democratic candidates. All Democratic candidates supported a proposal for no-reason absentee voting and early voting, while all Republicans were against it. All Republicans supported making English Michigan's official language, while all Democrats opposed it. And all Democrats supported the ballot proposal on redistricting, while all Republicans were against it.
The partisan divide was also evident in a question about whether the media was treating President Donald Trump fairly. Republicans largely said no, though Schuette read the crowd of local press people.
"No, I don't think the national media has been fair to President Trump. All the local media here in Michigan I love you all," he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
Hines, too, said he'd had a positive experience with local media but doesn't think Trump has been treated fairly.
Calley said Trump coverage was not fair, but "gotcha"-style journalism.
"I don't see how any objective person could come to the conclusion that it has been fair," Calley said.
Democrats largely thought the media was fair to Trump, though El-Sayed said the real question was if Trump was fair to the media, since he went around calling them "fake news."
The forum lasted for an hour.
The primary election takes place on Aug. 7. The winners of the party primaries will compete in the general election on Nov. 6, 2018.
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