Will Loving Israel Pay Your Mortgage? The Question America Forgot to Ask Abdul El-Sayed

Michigan voters worried about medical bills and rising housing costs. Why did the political debate focus so heavily on Abdul El-Sayed’s Muslim faith and views on Israel?

A medical bill arrives at a Michigan home. The mortgage payment is due next week. Someone has already worked out how much the family can spend on groceries before payday.

On television, politicians are arguing about Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate candidate who has just won the election. They are questioning his Muslim faith and his views on Israel.

I keep returning to one question.

Will loving Israel pay that family’s mortgage?

I know foreign policy matters. Senators decide how America spends money overseas, including military assistance to other countries. Their decisions affect national security and American taxpayers.

But why should a candidate’s religion become a bigger political controversy than his plans for the people he wants to represent?

The Michigan election offers an opportunity to examine how American political debate works, and what gets lost when…