Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
First there was New York, then Colorado. But can a progressive candidate win a primary in the Rust Belt? And if so, what does that mean for the general election? Michigan has become the ultimate battleground for the future of the Democratic Party.
This week on America, Actually, host Astead Herndon dives into the party’s civil war by speaking to Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate running in a must-watch Senate race in Michigan.
00:00 What does it mean to be “electable?”
07:22 The Democratic Party's internal ideological war
14:54 Why Trump won Michigan in 2024
16:16 The story that Democrats need to sell to voters
18:47 Financial transparency
19:45 Rethinking America’s relationship with Israel
25:50 The stakes beyond Michigan
America, Actually publishes video episodes every Saturday tackling key issues in politics, culture, and the economy. Subscribe to Vox’s YouTube channel to get them. Listen to episodes of America, Actually on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app.
If you enjoy our reporting and want to hear more from Vox journalists, sign up for our Patreon at patreon.com/vox. Each month, our members get access to exclusive videos, livestreams, and chats with our newsroom.
Subscribe to our channel! goo.gl/0bsAjO
Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com.
Watch our full video catalog: goo.gl/IZONyE
Follow Vox on Facebook: goo.gl/U2g06o
Or Twitter: goo.gl/XFrZ5H
First there was New York, then Colorado. But can a progressive candidate win a primary in the Rust Belt? And if so, what does that mean for the general election? Michigan has become the ultimate battleground for the future of the Democratic Party.
This week on America, Actually, host Astead Herndon dives into the party’s civil war by speaking to Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive candidate running in a must-watch Senate race in Michigan.
00:00 What does it mean to be “electable?”
07:22 The Democratic Party's internal ideological war
14:54 Why Trump won Michigan in 2024
16:16 The story that Democrats need to sell to voters
18:47 Financial transparency
19:45 Rethinking America’s relationship with Israel
25:50 The stakes beyond Michigan
America, Actually publishes video episodes every Saturday tackling key issues in politics, culture, and the economy. Subscribe to Vox’s YouTube channel to get them. Listen to episodes of America, Actually on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite app.
If you enjoy our reporting and want to hear more from Vox journalists, sign up for our Patreon at patreon.com/vox. Each month, our members get access to exclusive videos, livestreams, and chats with our newsroom.
Subscribe to our channel! goo.gl/0bsAjO
Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com.
Watch our full video catalog: goo.gl/IZONyE
Follow Vox on Facebook: goo.gl/U2g06o
Or Twitter: goo.gl/XFrZ5H
