Abdul El-Sayed still fails to denounce Hasan Piker

Apparently, Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed just can’t bring himself to condemn and distance himself from controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker.

Recall that El-Sayed happily palled around with Piker, who said America deserved 9/11 and that authoritarian China is the ideal form of government , when he wanted to cash in on his cred to win the Democratic primary. But now that El-Sayed is competing in a general election for the votes of normies, including many Jewish Michiganders who don’t at all appreciate what Piker has said about Israel, El-Sayed is not sure what to do.

When he wanted Piker’s help, he was happy to bring him to Michigan, but now that Piker is a liability, he’s just some guy from California. How convenient!

On CNN, Democratic strategist Faiz Shakir tried — and, may I say, failed — to explain why El-Sayed shouldn’t have to say anything about Piker.

First of all, I don’t want ever again want to hear about Donald Trump dining with Nick Fuentes as some gotcha comment. Trump dined with Kanye West, who brought Fuentes to the dinner. Trump didn’t know who Fuentes was. If El-Sayed had gone out to dinner and been randomly seated at the same table as Piker, we would not be making a big deal about this. But that’s not what happened. El-Sayed chose Piker. Trump did not choose Fuentes. This is not an equivalent transgression.

Moreover, Trump is not on the ballot in Michigan! This isn’t really about Trump. It’s about what is right for the residents of that state: a senator who is frankly a fairly standard Republican, and a senator who represents the far-left fringe of the Democratic Party.

Also, it’s a bit rich for Democrats and liberal media figures to be complaining about cancel culture now. They’re just whining because they are largely out of power. If they had the same ability to summon social media mobs to denounce problematic persons and have their associates punished, the way they did eight years ago, of course they would be out for blood. I appreciate that Shakir never thought it made sense to cancel Joe Rogan, though that’s because at the time Rogan was actually a supporter of Shakir’s boss, Bernie Sanders. But so many Democrats made every effort to condemn people who made allegedly offensive statements. Tony Hinchcliffe ? Hinchcliffe is a comedian. And the right did condemn him! Again, there is no equivalency!

I think most of the people who are so mad that this controversy has legs are actually mad not because the standard is unfair, but rather secretly it’s because they don’t have a big problem with the things Piker says. Maybe they wish he wouldn’t say them, because his words are getting Democrats in so much trouble! But they kinda see his point about America deserving 9/11.

That’s because, in the left’s imagining of things, America is always the bad guy. Now most Americans, obviously, do not agree with that. The question becomes, are we ready to elect to Congress people who feel that way? People who represent the leftist fringe? Time will tell.

Robby Soave is co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising” and a senior editor for Reason Magazine. This column is an edited transcription of his daily commentary.