At first glance, Graham Platner and Adam Hamawy share little in common. Platner, an oyster farmer and US Marine Corps veteran, is burly and outspoken. Hamawy, a New Jersey doctor, is soft-spoken and modest. Both are Democrats who won their primaries and will run in the fall elections.

Their key common trait is authenticity, which American voters seem to prize this year above all else. In an era of raucous right-wing politics, the Democratic Party has struggled to offer a compelling alternative. Joe Biden won in 2020 by projecting a safe hand, while Kamala Harris appeared stage-managed and phony.

Democratic voters want politicians unafraid to speak the truth, and few truths are more obvious than the situation in Palestine. The willingness of novices like Platner and Hamawy to speak plainly about Palestine has made them leading candidates. Hamawy worked in Gaza and speaks with empathy about children he operated on. Platner draws on his military experience to criticize Israeli tactics.

The party establishment has not welcomed them. In Maine, Platner faces a Republican incumbent, with Chuck Schumer trying to engineer a different candidate. In New Jersey, Hamawy has endorsements from Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The Democratic National Committee's autopsy of Harris's failure never mentions Gaza, despite evidence that her support for Israel was a key factor. A senior staffer claimed voters don't care, but the victory of pro-Palestine candidate Zohran Mamdani in New York suggests otherwise.

Source: www.aljazeera.com