| Andrew Marantz
Staff writer  “It does make me nervous, if I’m being honest,” former congressman Andy Levin says, of the Gaza protest movement. “I just don’t see any other way.” | Photo illustration by David Plunkert; Source photographs from Getty In February, ahead of the Democratic primary in Michigan, I spent a few days in and around Detroit, trailing some left-wing activists whose top priority was opposing the war in Gaza. They seemed to represent a constituency of about a hundred thousand likely voters—hardly a majority, but maybe, if the margins in November end up being as close as in recent elections, a big enough bloc to swing the state. I ended up taking four reporting trips to Michigan this year, driving hundreds of miles across the state. I spent time in churches and synagogues, hookah lounges and union halls. I met liberals who believe that the Israeli military campaign in Gaza is necessary and just; social conservatives who view the same campaign as a genocide; loyal Democrats who had become disillusioned Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., fans; and other voters whose policy demands seem to defy categorization. A lot has changed since February, obviously—both President Joe Biden and Kennedy have dropped out, for a start—but, for many of these voters, the basic ballot conundrum remains the same. To some, it seems obvious that the worst thing that could happen to the Middle East would be another Donald Trump Presidency, and so they are committed to getting Kamala Harris elected. To others, it seems just as obvious that the Biden-Harris Administration is responsible for continuing to arm the Israelis, and so they are determined to punish the Democrats at the polls. Where will these voters ultimately land, and how much will it matter? Six weeks or so until we find out. Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » | 
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