Arab Americans Losing Faith in Bush - - - Look to Democratic Candidates

[papau]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAENVX6VLD.html

Arab Americans Losing Faith in Bush Look to Democratic Candidates
By Nedra Pickler Associated Press Writer
Published: Oct 16, 2003

WASHINGTON (AP) - The support of Arab Americans, who favored President Bush over Al Gore in 2000, is up for grabs this election, reflecting Arab disillusionment with the Bush administration's foreign and legal record since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Arab Americans have expressed frustration with stalled peace talks in the Middle East, voiced anger over Bush's handling of the war in Iraq and fear government steps to restrict their civil rights under powers to pursue terrorists in the USA Patriot Act.

Rima Nashashibi, vice chair of the Orange County Democratic Party in California, said she has helped many Arab-American Republicans register as Democrats."Most people came from other countries, and the reason they came to the United States was the civil liberties' aspect and the protections of the Constitution," she said. "They see the Patriot Act as a flashback to the countries they came from."

Bush's support has dropped to one-third among Arab Americans, according to a poll conducted by Zogby International in July. That's down from the 45.5 percent of Arab Americans who voted for Bush in 2000, compared to 38 percent for Democrat Al Gore and 13 percent for Green Party candidate Ralph Nader, a Lebanese-American. <snip>

Zogby notes that part of their clout is geographical - Arab Americans have significant populations in important political states such as Michigan, California, Florida, Ohio, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

Zogby, a Democrat, said Bush recognized that Arab Americans could boost his candidacy and won them over by speaking out against the use of racial profiling and "secret evidence" - anonymous accusations used to detain immigrants. But Zogby said Bush has not lived up to his promise. <snip>

[Dan]

1. And the third that support Bush

Are probably in prison camps somewhere where the support for Bush is beaten into them.

[WinstonChurchill]

8. Some of Those Arabs Aren't Americans

Like the seven in Portland, all of whom plead guilty to planning terrorism and will serve 20 years or so. We don't want them as Democrats, that's for sure.

[kwolf68]

2. Arab Americans a Republican strong hold?

LMAO. It is implied Arab-Americans were solidly Bush. Take Gore and the Greens toghether and Bush gets waxed.

I know several Arab-Americans (from Iran, Pakistan and various other places) and think they are awesome people....Certainly, not a group of people who you'd think would be big Bush supporters.

I guess the only Arabs who really support this jackass are the monarchs running their countries; Bush reminds them of themselves.

[Tempest]

7. Arab-Americans voted heavily for Bush

In Florida and Michigan, two of the largest populations of Arab-Americans, they voted heavily for Bush.

Arabs in Michigan voted approx. 80% for Bush, in the high 70% in Florida.

You can find the exact figures using Google.

[Hawkeye-X]

14. You can see two major ethnic group voting ZERO for *.

1) Arab Americans
2) Asian Americans

Hawkeye-X

[dbt]

3. A Coalition Of The Screwed

Might be a helpful thing in the coming election. Can you imagine the SIZE of it by 11/04?

:evilgrin:
dbt

[papau]

5. I like that title - much better than coalition of the willing or coerced

or bribed!


:-)

[Voltaire99]

4. Which Arab-Americans still have faith in Bush?

Other than the sycophants one finds in The New Republic, of course.

[yankeedem]

6. The religious conservatism

Is what drew many Arabs/Muslims to Bush in '00, but every Muslim and Arab I talk to knows someone in their community that disappeared after the roundups following 9/11.

[revcarol]

11. They thought he was "moral." as opposed to that "immoral" Clinton

who wasn't running. The repugs tarred Gore with the same brush.

[Goldenboy]

13. Gore's long-standing pro-Israel stance

plus Poppy's track record in the Middle East may have drawn Arab American voters towards Dubya in 2000. I think they're going to have to reassess if they want to vote for Dubya in 2004 now!

[NWHarkness]

9. In Michigan alone

You are probably looking at a 70,000-80,000 vote shift from Bush to a Democratic candidate from 2000 to 2004.

[Noordam]

12. 40,000 of the 50,000 Muslim votes in Florida went to Bush in 2000

That is a big block of voters that we can swing to the Dem side, if we play our cards right.

[Dan]

18. You don't even have to play your cards right,

With this administration, any person from/or with ties to the middle east is at risk.

If they don't know that by now, let Bushie get a second term. I suspect that he will request Congress to fund Death-Camps.

And given this lapdog Congress, I'm sure that they'll bend over backwards to do it.

[UTUSN]

10. Kick for what-do-ya-know. n/t

[Loyal]

15. Arab-Americans

are generally socially conservative, and somewhat fiscally conservative too. I'm glad to have them on our side, but I feel that it's more a general disgust of Bush than support of Democratic policies.

[Loyal]

16. Well

It is also important to balance the ideas and needs of our Arab-American base with those ideas and needs of our Jewish-American base. We should have both groups in the party.

[dArKeR]

17. Take a vacation to any place in the world. The World has lost faith in

Junior and he's dragging us into that category with him!

[jiacinto]

19. Personal anecdote

My best friend is of Palestinian and Jordanian decent. He is a Democrat. Most of his family, however, all voted for Bush. They've all told me that it was "the biggest mistake" of their lives.

Arabs and Muslims are a natural GOP constituency. Of all the minorities in this country they tend to be the most educated. Many of them work as doctors, lawyers, and businessmen. They own a lot of small businesses and work very long hours to make ends meet. They are also very conservative on social issues.

What proposition 187 did to the Republicans in California (at least before Arnold won last week) is what Bush is going to do Republicans in state with Arab populations. They are going to polarize that group against them.

I just wonder, though, if Jews would then flock to the GOP. Given the I/P issue I wonder how well the Democratic Party can handle both groups without alienating them.

[Loyal]

20. I would wager

that they are one of the most educated minorities. I would say that the Jews here tend to get educated slightly more than the Arab-Americans.

[JNelson6563]

21. Michigan will go Dem in '04

Between all the mitigating factors of our populace, oh yeah, Jr's screwed.

Seems the mitten is giving Team Bush the finger. I love it.

Julie

[Michigander4Dean]

22. I hope so.

I'd love to keep Michigan in the Democratic column!