There’s a reason football great Deion Sanders was known as “Primetime.” Sanders epitomized his sobriquet with electric performances on “Monday Night Football” and in the playoffs.
But not every political candidate is ready for primetime.
The roadside is littered with political failures from both sides. Candidates are better suited for late-night public access in the suburbs.
Consider for a moment someone else who also wasn’t bad in primetime: former football star Herschel Walker. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1982. But when Walker ran for the Senate in Georgia in 2024, his political acumen could barely qualify him for a political practice squad.
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This year, Democrats trotted out political novice Graham Platner to try to defeat 30-year veteran Sen. Susan Collins, R-Man. But his Nazi-era tattoo and allegations of rape and sexual abuse revealed that Platner was more downtrodden than Down East.
So, how will some of this year’s political hopefuls fare?
Platner would have been the Democrats’ most controversial candidate of the 2026 Senate election cycle. But Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has eclipsed Platner.
El-Sayed is progressive. He holds extreme views and previously associated closely with left-wing influencer Hasan Piker.
During an appearance on Fox, El-Sayed compared Sharia law to canon law in the Catholic Church, pitched ditching the Second Amendment and somehow wound up discussing private parts.
El-Sayed’s performance scored headlines. But he also created headaches for Democrats. The party needs to hold the Michigan seat to flip the Senate. And El-Sayed is exactly what Republicans were looking for.
Since El-Sayed captured the Democratic nomination to face former Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., Republicans hope to use him to nationalize the midterms. They want to portray El-Sayed as “what’s wrong” with the Democratic Party and why he’s not aligned with mainstream voters.
The GOP believes that message will trickle down to other Democratic candidates around the country.
In other words, could El-Sayed’s echo undercut Democratic candidates beyond the Wolverine State?
When campaigning, El-Sayed promoted polished policy positions.
“You deserve good health care,” said El-Sayed. “You deserve protections at your job.”
But when asked on Fox about boys playing sports with girls and sex changes for kids, his rhetoric devolved to this:
“Circumcision is surgery on a kid’s ding-a-ling. So, you really want to bring that up? I just think you guys are really selective about how you guys want to talk about things,” El-Sayed told Fox’s Jesse Watters.
Political consultants on both sides of the aisle will likely agree. If a candidate finds himself on national television using euphemisms for private parts and not discussing the war in Iran or the cost of groceries, something is wrong.
El-Sayed also backs Medicare-for-all and slavery reparations.
“I just think it’s past time to have that conversation. That shouldn’t be a crazy thing,” said El-Sayed.
Republicans are clamoring to hear more from El-Sayed.
“It’s common sense versus communist crazy. And don’t believe my word. Listen to what El-Sayed says,” House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., told Fox Business.
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El-Sayed’s association with Piker worries Democrats because Piker espouses antisemitic views.
“Those comments were dangerous, malicious and antisemitic and shouldn’t be tolerated by anyone in the public square,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said.
But now El-Sayed is distancing himself from Piker.
“I got so much exposure and empowerment from the Jewish community,” said El-Sayed at a rally. “Jewish people are a light unto the world.”
But not everyone is buying it.
“His response was pathetic, and it did not answer the call,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., one of the most pro-Israel Democrats in the House, said on Fox. “This is not a guy who any of us should embrace.”
In fact, the campaign of Rogers went as far as to say that El-Sayed was making the case for their candidate.
President Trump recently escalated the trade war with Canada. He renamed Lake Ontario as “Lake America.”
El-Sayed vanquished moderate Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., in the primary. With all of this tumult, one wonders if Democrats would feel better wrestling with the president over trade with Stevens as their nominee versus El-Sayed.
That said, politics is a funny thing.
This doesn’t mean that El-Sayed is unelectable. Progressives throb with energy inside the Democratic Party right now. Someone like El-Sayed could actually bolster turnout among the left. This could work to the Democrats’ advantage if Republicans stay home because they’re disappointed in President Trump.
Or, as House Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman Ted Lieu, D-Calif., told voters this week, “Just go fu—– vote.”
On the Republican side of the aisle, few had heard of Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., until brother Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died unexpectedly. Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster quickly appointed Darline to her brother’s seat and cajoled her to run for the full term.
Darline Graham was a political neophyte. And despite President Trump tapping her for the permanent gig, it was far from clear that she was ready for primetime. During a debate in the GOP primary runoff with Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., Graham stumbled when asked about U.S. interests regarding Taiwan.
“I’m not that informed on national security,” said Graham. “But I do support the military.”
Of course, foreign policy was her brother’s forte. He died just after jetting back to Washington after meetings in Turkey and Ukraine.
But Darline Graham used the gaffe to pivot. She claimed that voters are more concerned with kitchen table issues.
“You know how many (people) brought up Taiwan or national security?” Graham said when stumping. “Not one. They’re talking about the rising cost of health care and affordability.”
A reporter pressed Graham for details about harnessing inflation.
“Is there something from you, affirmatively (could do like) a piece of legislation, to help drive down the cost of goods?” a scribe asked.
“We’ll see when I get there,” Graham replied.
Well, Graham is already “here.” She’s been in the Senate since mid-July. Some voters could interpret that response as another blunder, perhaps one better suited for Saturday afternoon syndication compared to primetime.
Norman homed in on economics.
“Prices are still too high. Groceries. Gas,” said Norman. “(Voters are) feeling it in their pocketbooks.”
Darline Graham vanquished Norman in the primary. And barring a major upset by Democratic South Carolina Senate nominee Annie Andrews, Graham is poised to win a full six-year term in the Senate in November.
That’s primetime. Ready or not.
