Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 

 Biden Will Not Get Votes from Most of the Democratic Party Base, Because of his Support for the Israeli Genocidal War on Gaza

January 23, 2024

This includes the dissatisfied and progressive Democrats, peace activists, as well as Arab and Muslim Americans.

 

Pro-Palestinian peace activists lift their red-stained hands up in protest against US Secretary of State, Blinken, for his support of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, during a Congressional Senate hearing, on October 31, 2023	Biden hugging Netanyahu, as a show of support for the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza strip, committing American treasure, and military support, October 18, 2023

 

American activists urge voters to write 'ceasefire' on US ballots

WASHINGTON, Tuesday, January 23, 2024 (WAFA) -

American peace activists are urging US voters considering candidates for November’s presidential election to instead write “ceasefire” on their ballots in protest over Joe Biden’s handling of Israel's aggression on the Gaza Strip.

“Vote Ceasefire” — a coalition of local anti-war groups — says the effort allows Americans to give voice to their anger at the Democratic president over the mounting toll of civilian deaths in Gaza.

“For the last three months, as the world has watched the war in Gaza continue to worsen, the Biden administration has refused all demands to call for a ceasefire and to end US support for Israel,” the campaign posted on X, formerly Twitter.

“So we’re taking our fight to the place Democrats care about the most — the polls. While Joe Biden will almost certainly win the Democratic nomination later this year, he must know that the road to get there will be long and hard if he refuses to listen to his constituents.”

“I’m doing this as over 80 percent of Democratic voters are in favor of a ceasefire for Gaza and are opposed to the continuing slaughter of civilian men, women and children in Palestine, with the United States-supplied weapons,” campaign volunteer and former Democratic state representative Chris Balch said in a video posted to X.

K.T.

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Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer warns Biden could face protesters in Michigan when he visits

Story by Hanna Panreck 

Fox News, January 23, 2024 

I think, caused pain for everyone as we spoke to Loaded: 81.88% Current Time 0:14 / Duration 1:13 FOX News Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer warns President Biden could face protesters when he visits

Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer warned on Sunday that President Biden could face protesters when he visits the state, as he faces backlash over his support for Israel.

"As we spoke to one of your constituents last night who said he went door to door for Joe Biden in 2020 and he’s lost his vote in 2024, and he said he plans to protest against him. Is President Biden going to face protesters when he comes here because of this one issue?" CBS host Margaret Brennan asked. 

Whitmer said, "he may."

"A lot of voters are going to vote for things like individual freedoms, like the basis of our democracy, climate change, so there are a lot of things that are going to come into play as we get closer and closer to the election, but certainly these are legitimate and raw feelings that people have, and they’re entitled to their opinions," she added.

Brennan also asked how Biden would be received in Michigan as the state is home to roughly 300,000 Arab-Americans.

"No community is monolithic. I will start with that. I will say that one of the great things about this state is, this is where people came from around the world for a good-paying job and a high quality of life. It’s true today, but it’s why we have such a robust and beautiful Arab community in Michigan and a robust Jewish community in Michigan. These two communities have lived as neighbors in harmony for decades, and what’s happening in Israel and Gaza has certainly, I think, caused pain for everyone," Whitmer said. 

Democratic strategists and voters in Michigan told the Wall Street Journal that there was concern for the president's chances, as polls continue to show former President Trump ahead of Biden in hypothetical matchups.

"The level of concern is growing, and it should be," Adrian Hemond, a Democratic strategist based in Michigan, told the media outlet. "The problem is not policy. The problem is the man."

One Democrat said the president's support for Israel was "costing him" in the state. 

"It’s costing him here in Michigan," David Haener, a Democrat from New Boston, Michigan, told the media outlet. "I wish he would see that he’s leaving a huge demographic behind." 

A December poll found Michigan voters were very unenthusiastic about the president.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Atkinson, N.H., Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) AP Photo/Matt Rourke© AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Just 27% of Democrats in the state say they are "enthusiastic" for Biden as their party's presidential nominee, according to a Washington Post-Monmouth poll. 

Approximately 51% of Democratic voters in the state say they would be "satisfied" with Biden as the Democratic nominee, and 19% say they would be "dissatisfied" or "upset."

Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer warns Biden could face protesters in Michigan when he visits (msn.com)

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Biden Dismissed Arab Voters Threatening Not To Vote For Him. They Say He Shouldn't.

Huff Post, January 23, 2024

Story by Rowaida Abdelaziz  

President Joe Biden continues to dismiss reports that Arab and Muslim voters are increasingly vowing not to vote for his reelection, even as those voters vocalize their frustrations with the president and distance themselves from him.

When asked by a reporter last Thursday about the Arab and Muslim groups who have pledged to not vote for him, the president made clear that he was a better choice than former President Donald Trump, who will likely be the Republican presidential nominee.

“Are you concerned with the Arab American votes voting for you during this election because of Gaza? Many say they will not vote for you,” asked the reporter.

“The former president wants to put a ban on Arabs coming into the country,” said Biden, referring to the travel ban Trump implemented that barred individuals from several Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. “We understand who cares about the Arab population.”

But Muslim and Arab votes said Biden is underestimating the community’s long-standing frustration with the White House. Muslim and Arab support for the president has rapidly dwindled since Israeli forces began a bombing campaign in Gaza in retaliation for the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants, with full support from the White House. The U.S. has contributed around $130 billion to Israel since its founding, making the country the largest recipient of U.S. foreign military financing.

Related video: Will Biden's 'threat to democracy' rhetoric hurt his chances at reelection? (FOX News)

He has the authority right now to do everything that Loaded: 11.66% Current Time 0:15 / Duration 9:26 FOX News Will Biden's 'threat to democracy' rhetoric hurt his chances at reelection?

Since October, Muslim and Arab organizers and advocacy groups have staged protests, signed petitions, written letters, and taken to social media to announce their disapproval of the president’s Israel strategy. Muslim American leaders from battleground states have vowed to mobilize their communities against Biden’s reelection. People who had their families killed in Gaza said they could not in good faith vote for him. And Muslim and Arab staffers working for Biden in the federal government have expressed their own frustration with the president.

The White House has hosted a handful of meetings for a selective number of Muslim and Arab leaders, but many say those efforts are not enough, citing concerns about the president’s lack of outreach to Muslim and Arab Americans at home, and about the administration not publicly showing sympathy for Palestinians in Gaza.

The White House directed a response for comment to the Biden campaign. The campaign declined to comment.

Youssef Chouhoud, an assistant professor of political science at Christopher Newport University, said Biden’s response to voters turning away was rooted in “undue overconfidence.” Biden presuming Muslim and Arab voters will walk back their vows not to vote for him is “selfish,” he added.

A poll conducted last October found that support for Biden’s reelection has plummeted among Arab American voters, dropping from 59% to 17%, a 42% decrease from 2020. A second poll released in November found that two-thirds of Arab and Muslim Democrats in Michigan said they plan to vote against Biden. While Muslims only make up 1% of the population, many reside in key states — including Michigan, which Biden won by just 150,000 votes in 2020.

Many voters haven’t decided if they’ll vote Republican — especially since Trump has vowed to bring back his travel ban if reelected — or third party, but they say one thing is for sure: They won’t be voting for Biden.

The number of voters who are turning away from Biden is increasing due to the administration’s overall policy and rhetoric surrounding Gaza, Chouhoud said. 

“There is a qualitative difference between the way that Biden and his administrative officials talk about Palestinians versus how they talk about Israelis,” Chouhoud said. “Each time it’s happened, it has cut that much deeper.”

Early on in the conflict, Biden publicly cast doubt on the Palestinian death toll ― which at the time totaled more than 6,000 Palestinians, including 2,700 children ― saying he had “no confidence” in the number even though his administration cited it regularly. Last week, the White House released an official statement marking 100 days since Oct. 7, sympathizing with the Israeli hostages Hamas had taken but making no mention of the mounting death toll in Gaza. (At least 25,000 people have been killed as of Sunday, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza.) 

Muslim and Arab groups met with Biden privately and told the president they supported a cease-fire, voicing concerns that many in their community, including those who had families trapped or killed in Gaza, felt dismissed and ignored. They still haven’t seen any changes from the administration that make them feel heard ― and for many voters, Biden’s lack of public support has reached a point of no return.

“It’s not really a matter of strategic consideration at this point,” Chouhoud said. “It’s a matter of maintaining your dignity when you enter that voting booth.”

Biden Dismissed Arab Voters Threatening Not To Vote For Him. They Say He Shouldn't. (msn.com)

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Biden approval rating plummets to 15-year low, poll finds

Biden's approval rating sits at just 31% – lowest on record for a US president in the last 15 years

 By Danielle Wallace Fox News Published January 15, 2024 12:02pm EST

Biden approval rating plummets to 15-year low, poll finds | Fox News

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Related articles:

Some Voters Are Turning Against Biden — And It Could Cost Him The Election

Americans Supporting Palestine Say They’re Paying The Price For It

Muslim and Arab Voters May Have Secured Biden's Michigan Win

Motivated Muslim Voters Could Prove Consequential In Key Swing States

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