A campaign to get Democrats to vote “non-binding” as a protest against President Joe Biden’s foreign policy dashed hopes in the Minnesota primary, but there were mixed results in other state primaries on Super Tuesday.
The Listen to Minnesota campaign, which is calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, had modest expectations of 5,000 absentee ballots in a statement sent out Tuesday afternoon, after voting opened but before any results were reported.
As of Wednesday morning, more than 45,900 unbound votes had been counted—19 percent of the total—resulting in 11 unbound delegates to the Democratic National Convention.
Elsewhere, the campaign kept its cards close to the chest. When asked about their expected numbers across the country on Tuesday afternoon, organizer Shabd Singh said. reason they are “Keep that information for now.“
The unorganized campaign in Iowa has slightly increased its results since 2012, when the Occupy movement expanded in the state. Same challenge To then President Barack Obama. The undecided vote this time was 4 percent, compared to 1 percent in 2012.
About 9 percent of Democrats voted “no preference” in Massachusetts this time, down slightly from the 2012 results. About 12 percent voted in North Carolina, a state where 20 percent of Democrats voted unaffiliated in 2012.
Last week, Biden campaign co-chairman Mitch Landrieu told NPR that the “message has been received” but that he believes unaffiliated voters will not elect Donald Trump, “in a much, much worse way than what’s going to happen.” that we It’s time.”
The uncontested campaign was launched in Michigan to show Arab Americans and other supporters of Palestinian rights that Biden’s support for Israel and attacks on Yemen could cost him a swing state. Heard in Michigan, a pressure group organized a month before the primary, Boost A A quarter-million dollar budget and the endorsement of Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Talib.
Also Armenian Americans in Michigan supported them At the last minute on the campaign, Armenia’s enemy to protest US military aid to Azerbaijan.
After the Michigan primary ended with 100,000 votes cast and two uncontested delegates, organizers in other states sprung into action. The New York Times Described as a ragtag, sometimes chaotic rush To capture the momentum that had started in Michigan.
The Snow Minnesota campaign, for example, was launched a day after the Michigan primary. According to organizers, a total of $20,000 was spent on advertising and other campaign expenses. Yet Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, did not support the campaign.
Despite the last-minute nature of the campaign, there is no sign of groups trying to claim unsolicited votes for other reasons. The Unidentified Campaign (American-American rather than Armenian) has focused its message on the American role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Biden “and his administration have changed their rhetoric, but the policy of opposition to a permanent ceasefire and support for arms aid [to Israel] “We know the power of our vote and we plan to exercise that right to tell the president about his Palestinian lives.” Disrespect will cost him dearly.”
The Biden administration began Call for a ceasefire In Gaza – although a Temporary, conditional– At the end of last month. This was a major change from October 2023, when State Department officials were also prohibited from using the phrases “reduction“and “end of violence/bloodshed.”
Of course, it’s hard to tell how much of this change is a result of Democratic voters, as opposed to anti-democratic voters. growing hunger A desire to avoid bloodshed inside Gaza and during the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, a possibility Biden called “Very dangerous“
Other Democratic challengers to Biden include spiritual writer Marion Williamson, E The pigeon on the leftand former Minnesota Congressman Dan Phillips, whose foreign policy Like a horse around Like Biden’s. Williamson first suspended his campaign, then “unsuspended” it after the Michigan primary.
They both lost by “involuntary” in every state where it was on the ballot. When it comes to democratic alternatives, it seems that “nobody” is more popular than anyone.
“Congratulations to Joe Biden, The Unknown, Marian Williamson, and Nikki Haley for appealing to more Democratic Party loyalists than I do,” Phillips wrote in one. Description of social media on Tuesday night.