DETROIT (CN) — As Michiganders head out Tuesday to vote in presidential primaries that appear already decided, voters from both parties still hope to deliver a message to the candidates. President Biden could learn how his support for Israel resonates among a diverse voting base, while Nikki Haley may see if her campaign against a dominant front-runner can survive another loss.
In the Republican primary, former U.N. Ambassador Haley is the last challenger against former President Donald Trump, who seeks a third consecutive presidential nomination and is widely expected to get it.
Haley trails Trump in polling but has remained visible with a steady level of support that may not be enough in the end. She has forged on with the help of robust fundraising, waiting in the wings if Trump becomes too swamped with legal problems to carry on a campaign.
A voter who gave her name only as Mrs. Watts chose “uncommitted” because while she likes Haley, she thinks the candidate needs to stop trying to please everyone.
“She needs to be committed to who she is,” Watts said as she held her dog on a leash and waited for her husband to finish voting. “If she stands on her own business, I can roll with her all the way, but right now she’s a little flip-floppy.”
Haley lost to Trump in her home state of South Carolina on Saturday by more than 20 points but still managed to garner close to 40% of the vote and was steadfast about remaining in the race.
“Today is not the end of our story," she said in her concession speech.
She told Fox News on Monday that Trump’s use of Republican resources to support his legal troubles would devastate the party.
“This is ship that has a hole in it; it is going to sink,” she said.
Clark concluded that Haley just could not corral enough political momentum.
“Other than Chris Christie, there hasn’t been a consolidation of support for her,” he said.
John A. Clark, a professor of political science at Western Michigan University, said during a recent phone interview that this was not a traditional political season.
“I think most folks would be surprised that a state going as early in the process as Michigan might still have relatively nothing to say about the nomination outcome,” he said.
Thomas Bishop of Berkley said he voted for Haley because Trump is just too much of a loose cannon.
“He scares the blank out of me,” he said.
Bishop didn’t want another Trump term but conceded he would vote that way if Biden was the opponent.
“If it’s Biden v. Trump, I gotta go with Trump,” he said.
In a recent poll showcasing a hypothetical 2024 presidential matchup, Biden received 45% support to Trump’s 47%, according to a Fox News survey of Michigan registered voters.
On the Democratic side, after some leaders in Michigan's large Arab American population urged voters to show their displeasure with the Biden administration and vote "uncommitted" in the primary, the president attempted to smooth over relations.
He sent high-ranking aides to meet with local Arab American leaders over concerns about the continuing retribution dished out by Israel against Gaza for the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas.
Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from Detroit, caused a stir when she encouraged a vote against Biden in the primary.
“This is the way you can raise our voices. Don’t make us even more invisible right now. We feel completely neglected and just unseen by our government. If you want us to be louder, then come here and vote uncommitted," Tlaib said in a video posted online.
Listen to Michigan, a group that touts itself as “multiracial and multifaith,” says their movement can make a difference.
“If we can demonstrate our political power and discontent through thousands of 'uncommitted' votes in the Michigan Democratic primaries, then Biden would feel more at risk of losing Michigan in the general election, prompting a potential reassessment of his financing and backing of Israel’s war in Gaza,” the group says on its website.
Elaine Wesman of Birmingham voted for Haley in the primary to “swing it in the right direction” and was not confident Biden had a plan for the conflict.
“I’d love to think Biden is going to fix what’s going on in Israel and the Middle East but, we just need a change,” she said.
That sentiment is a problem for Biden in the general election, says Marjorie Sarbaugh-Thompson, a professor of political science at Wayne State University.
“He risks losing Michigan if things continue as they are in the Israel-Gaza war," she wrote in an email. "There are things he could do to repair the rift. But it won't be easy.”
Clark cautioned against that backlash and said it could lead to more harm than good for the constituency's goals.
“If they choose not to support him, they may end up with a worse alternative for those issues of concern to them,” he said.
Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer agreed in a recent interview with CNN.
"I understand the pain that people are feeling," she said, referring to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. However, she cautioned that "any vote that's not cast for Joe Biden supports a second Trump term."
Democrats will award all 117 of their delegates based on the primary's outcome.
Republicans will award their delegates differently this year. The popular vote will determine how only 16 of the 55 delegates are assigned, rather than all of them. Candidates will have one more hurdle to face: A state convention scheduled for March 2.
Convention attendees will vote for the remaining 39 delegates during the nominating convention. Each of the state's 13 congressional districts will have a separate vote to determine who wins their three delegates. The presidential candidates and their supporters will campaign before each group votes.
Clark said the new system could be a surprise for voters not paying attention.
“Some of their delegates will be selected in the primary, but the majority will be selected in caucuses after the primary, and that’s a little unusual," he said. "A lot of folks in Michigan haven’t noticed that yet."
Also unusual is the tug-of-war for that convention between new Michigan GOP chair Pete Hoekstra and recently removed chair Kristina Karamo.
Hoekstra, a former Michigan representative, recently announced plans for a convention in Grand Rapids, while Karamo continues to claim she was removed illegally and intends to hold a convention the same day in Detroit with the help of supporters.
Marilyn Harris of Warren had a simple wish for all the candidates.
“I just want them to get back to business,” she said. “Get something done for the people.”
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