IN 1960, JOHN F Kennedy, seeking to assure voters that his presidency would not open a trapdoor to Papal influence, told Americans “I am not the Catholic candidate for president. I am the Democratic Party’s candidate for president, who also happens to be a Catholic.”By assuaging Protestant fears through a mix of charm and oratorical skills tailor made for the television era, he made history as America’s first Catholic president.

In 2008 Barack Obama overcame a more daunting challenge by adapting the Kennedy playbook; running as a candidate who happened to be Black, rather than as a Black candidate.

But Obama’s sunny confidence – which was lauded as charisma in Kennedy and Clinton – grated on many Americans who didn’t consider themselves racist. Republicans called him ‘uppity’; a word with a long and sinister history that was often used as a precursor to, or excuse for, violence against successful Black Americans.

Abdul Al Sayed, the Democratic candidate for an open Senate seat in Michigan, is facing a similar challenge. Only more so; Islamophobia is the last acceptable prejudice in America.

Abdul El-Sayed greets supporters during a campaign event Wednesday 14 October. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

It’s not only tolerated, in Republican ranks it’s actively celebrated. When the Muslim in question is also a first generation Egyptian American of Arab descent, it generates an online free for all, and a pile-on at Republican rallies and events where naked bigotry is rewarded with cheers and laughter.

Al Sayed is a Rhodes Scholar with a PhD in public health and a graduate of Columbia University’s prestigious School of Physicians and Surgeons. Instead of building a lucrative private practice, he became one of Michigan’s most effective public health directors, whipping two bloated, ineffective bureaucracies into shape to the benefit of the state’s most underserved citizens.

Along the way, he became an associate Professor, wrote books and peer reviewed reports on public health care and served as an advisor to the Biden administration.

Detroit, Michigan, USA. 7 Sep, 2026. Abdul El-Sayed campaigned as thousands of union members marched in Detroit's Labor Day parade. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

A future Democratic president could go a long way towards righting the havoc Robert F Kennedy Jr has wreaked on America’s public health systems by appointing Al Sayed as Health Secretary.

I’ve spoken with several Democrats who agree that Al Sayed is on a par with........

© TheJournal