Rahm Emanuel expresses support for Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan

Rahm Emanuel has always thought he's the smartest guy in the room, so it must have pained him to say something this dumb. The former Obama chief of staff went on television to insist the Democratic Socialists of America are a "separate party" from the Democrats. Then he turned around and endorsed Abdul El-Sayed for Senate in Michigan. El-Sayed is the candidate the DSA rallied behind. You don't get to call them a separate party and then lean on their army when you need votes.

The split in the Democratic coalition is real, but Emanuel just proved it's also fake. When it comes to actually picking a candidate, the establishment and the socialists fall in line. El-Sayed wants Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, the whole progressive wish list. Emanuel knows this. He's betting Michigan voters won't connect the dots between the ambassador's nice-sounding denials and the endorsement that tells the truth. The denial was the endorsement.

This matters because Democrats keep trying to sell themselves as the moderate party. Then they back the most left-wing candidate on the ballot and expect nobody to notice. Michigan Republicans should take note. The person Emanuel chose isn't a fringe figure; he's the future the Left wants. Democrats just aren't allowed to say it out loud.

Maybe Emanuel thinks he's being clever. But in politics, when you have to explain why you don't actually belong to the party you're supporting, the voters usually figure it out before you do.