Take two.

Abdul El Sayed ran for governor in 2018, and he asked one of his opponents to drop out so that he had a better chance at defeating the front-runner named Gretchen Whitmer. Opponent Shri Thanader rejected the overture to step aside and instead asked El Sayed to take an early shower. Well, he said no, and the rest, as they say, is history. The two men in the race divided up the vote, and she was the one being sworn in to be the state’s second female governor. And the two guys were left to ponder, what if one of them had set their egos aside to give the other a chance?

Fast forward to last week when physician El Sayed announced he was running for statewide office again. This time for the U.S. Senate seat. And he won’t be alone as state Sen. Mallory McMorrow is already running and, take this to the bank, there is no way that she will drop out, and likewise for Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who was seen taping what was expected to be part of her announcement for the job as well. And there could be more.

So with two beautiful daughters at home with his bride in Ann Arbor, why would he want to travel all over the state for the next 19 months to replace the current U.S. Sen. Gary Peters who is itching to get out the biz and ride his Harley all over the state but this time not hawking for votes?

His campaign says he is known as Abdul, and he’s in this thing to fight the President Trump/Elon Musk axis in D.C and defend the constitution, which he argues is being shattered to pieces by the aforementioned duo.

Since Trump won this state last November and since El Sayed is a progressive Democrat, although he is not fond of labels, how does he propose to win and maybe even attract some of Trump’s backers to get him over the top ala Trump?

“One of the most surprising aspects of his win in Michigan was he won the young men who are disaffected. They were sick and tired of feeling like people weren’t telling them the truth and there is no better person to win over disaffected young men than me, a relatively disaffected young man.” He is 38.

It’s apparent that he has done some deep thinking about these voters, and he is suggesting that one thing he has to do is to recalibrate what it means to be masculine.

“What does it look like to build a benevolent masculinity that being masculine doesn’t mean that you constantly are pounding down or punching at somebody else or bringing a certain level of just sneering or cynicism at everything. That you can be a masculine guy but also means empowering people in your life.”

Or in other words, he wants to re-giggle how some men relate to women, adding, “when women succeed, it is not at the cost of someone else.”

Wouldn’t that make an interesting political ad?

And would any of the MAGA young men even bother to listen?

If he can thread that needle in 19 months, it would be something to behold.

Here are some other observations he has as he begins this forced self-imposed march to D.C.

(1) He would have voted to shut down the U.S. government rather than support a Continuing Resolution that President Trump wanted from Congress and got. El Sayed argues there were so many bad things in that C.R. for so many needy citizens that he could not say yes as Sen. Peters and Sen GOP leader Chuck Schumer did.

(2) He will not wade into the quick sand the governor finds herself in as a result of her visit with you know who in the Oval Office. Some progressive Democrats are none too happy, but he says, “I’m not going to second guess somebody else’s decision making.” Asked if he were governor, what would he do? He punted.

(3) As a doctor, what grades does he give the guy running the U.S. Health Department? He awards JFK, Jr. an “A” and a “D.” An “A” for rising the nutrition issue but the “D” for bringing “the wrong solution categorically and ham-handed to be executed usually for his own gain.”

(4) He refuses to take PAC political contributions from corporations even if offered at the 11th hour when the money could produce the margin of victory. “I will not take it.”

(5) He’s not sure what impact Mike Duggan’s independent candidacy for governor will have on the overall vote in November 2026. “I understand what his frustration is with the two party political system but why not do the work of trying to move your party (Duggan is a disavowed Democrat) in the direction you think it should go? I’m not leaving the party.”

and (6) He admits that whoever the Democratic candidate is at the top of the ticket running for governor that could influence how well he does below that spot on the ticket. A clunker of a candidate could cost votes. So wouldn’t it be smart for him to pick somebody who can win? He punts again.

Maybe he should be trying out for a spot on the Detroit Lions?