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.

 

After Michigan and Super Tuesday Success, 'Uncommitted' Movement Spreads to Other States, Particularly Georgia

March 7, 2024

 

Saint Paul City Council unanimously approved a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to US military aid to Israel, March 6, 2024	In Michigan primary election, 100,000 voters marked their ballots 'uncommitted', March 6, 2024
Placards adorn a wall at an Uncommitted Minnesota watch party during the presidential primary in Minneapolis on Super Tuesday, March 6, 2024	Getting Palestinian victims from under the rubble of a house which was destroyed by an Israeli genocidal air strike on Dair El-Bala'h, on March 6, 2024

After Michigan success, Biden ballot protest movement heads to Georgia

Campaign to ‘leave it blank’ or vote ‘uncommitted’ aims to increase pressure on Biden to stop Israel’s incursion in Gaza

By Melissa Hellmann

The Guardian, Wed 6 Mar 2024 16.16 EST

A protest movement in Georgia – a swing state that President Joe Biden narrowly won in 2020 – is seeking to apply pressure to the incumbent over his support of Israel before the 12 March Democratic primary election.

On Monday, a group of multifaith and multiracial groups called the Listen to Georgia Coalition launched the Leave It Blank campaign, which urges voters to submit a blank ballot next Tuesday. The push follows a similar grassroots effort – Listen to Michigan – in which more than 100,000 voters marked their ballots “uncommitted” last month.

Biden’s support of Israel’s war in Gaza, where more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed over the past five months, has been a major point of contention for Democratic voters. A majority of Democrats favor a presidential candidate who doesn’t support military assistance for Israel, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Made up of some 300 people from groups including the Georgia Muslim Action Committee, Jewish Voice for Peace Action and Arab Americans 4Ward, the Listen to Georgia Coalition highlights the growing discontent among voters who helped Biden win the state by 11,800 votes in 2020. Some 57,000 Arab Americans live in Georgia, and coalition participants hope their effort garners 1,200 blank ballots, equivalent to the votes needed for a 10% margin of victory for Biden.

At a press conference in the Georgia statehouse on Tuesday, the group said it hoped the effort would serve as a wake-up call for the Democratic party and Biden, who it said is at risk of losing the 2024 presidential election if he does not demand a ceasefire in Gaza.

“The people of Georgia do not want our tax dollars spent overseas funding a genocide,” Edward Ahmed Mitchell, a civil rights attorney and board member of Cair Action – a new political arm of the Council on American-Islamic Relations – said at the conference. “We want our tax dollars spent here at home, helping people across our state.”

Georgia organizers worked closely with the Listen to Michigan founders to ensure similar messaging between the campaigns and to learn effective outreach strategies. Michigan activists emphasized the need for phone banking, which Jewish Voice for Peace Action and Muslim American groups began in Georgia this week. The group also plans to spread the word through social media.

A similar effort launched in Minnesota last month, where about 19% of voters cast an uncommitted ballot on Tuesday. Washington, North Carolina, Massachusetts and Colorado activists also formed protest vote campaigns, and the nation’s largest socialist group, the Democratic Socialists of America, recently endorsed the national movement.

Ghada Elnajjar, a Palestinian American organizer and coalition member, campaigned for Biden in the 2020 election, but said during the conference that she felt “betrayed by [the president’s] policies on Gaza”.

More than 75 members of Elnajjar’s family have been killed since October, she said, and many of her relatives are now homeless after their houses were destroyed. “To me, this is painful and deeply personal and I cannot in good conscience support a president who will willfully and repeatedly supply bombs to Israel that are daily killing my relatives and innocent others,” she said.

But Elnajjar and other coalition members are adamant that they don’t support Donald Trump’s candidacy. If elected in the fall, the former president has vowed to reinstate his first-term travel ban on several Muslim countries and to prohibit the entry of refugees from Gaza.

Trump told Fox on Tuesday that Israel has to “finish the problem” in Gaza. He has otherwise said little about the war, but touted that “no president has done more for Israel” than him. During his presidency, he was particularly close to Benjamin Netanyahu, and threw US support behind much of Israel’s wishlist, from defunding the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees to moving the US embassy to Jerusalem.

“We are terrified of another Trump presidency and what it could do to all of our communities,” said Clara Green, an organizer with Jewish Voice for Peace Action. “But when Democrats carry out the very same policies that have resulted in over 30,000 dead Gazans, and when they refuse to listen to the overwhelming majority of the American public who want an immediate and lasting ceasefire, we have no choice but to disrupt the very system that so many of us helped to build.”

When a reporter at the Tuesday conference asked whether this form of protest could negatively affect Biden during the general election in November, Mitchell from Cair Action said: “If Democratic leaders are concerned about what impact this might have on President Biden’s chance in 2024, they should tell him that.”

Biden’s senior advisers met with Muslim and Arab American leaders in a hotel in Dearborn, Michigan, last month, during which the deputy national security adviser, Jon Finer, admitted to “missteps in the course of responding to this crisis since October 7”. Some meeting attendees said the officials were apologetic and receptive to their concerns. And last weekend, the vice-president, Kamala Harris, issued a sharp rebuke of Israel over the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza, saying: “People in Gaza are starving … The Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid. No excuses.”

Listen to Georgia participants say their campaign will discuss future steps closer to the general election.

For Elnajjar, it’s not too late for Biden to change his handling of the war in Gaza and to win the support of Georgia voters. She hopes that the effort will push him to call for a ceasefire and the disbursement of aid in Gaza.

“Michigan set the way forward,” Elnajjar said, “and all the attention is on us right now.”

After Michigan success, Biden ballot protest movement heads to Georgia | US elections 2024 | The Guardian

Related: ‘Biden needs to be pro-peace’: Michigan anti-war campaign hails huge vote tally Read more

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Saint Paul City Council passes Gaza ceasefire resolution

Story by Kyle Stokes  

Axios, March 6, 2024 

The St. Paul City Council unanimously approved a non-binding resolution Wednesday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel.

Why it matters: St. Paul's vote is the latest sign of discontent on the left with the Biden Administration's policy toward the Israel-Hamas war.

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The big picture: A growing list of U.S. cities — including Minneapolis — have passed similar resolutions.

On Tuesday, the "uncommitted" movement racked up nearly 19% of the vote in Minnesota's Democratic presidential primary — enough to secure delegates to the Democratic National Convention.

Flashback: The St. Paul Council vote is an abrupt shift. Last week, a pro-ceasefire crowd in council chambers left disappointed when the body adjourned its meeting without adding a resolution to the agenda.

At the time, Council President Mitra Jalali, who personally supported the "uncommitted" campaign, said the measure hadn't been formally proposed and didn't have the votes to pass.

What they're saying: Council Member Cheniqua Johnson, who brought the resolution forward, said she introduced it in hopes of not letting "divisiveness foster."

Jalali apologized for protestors' frustration with the process, noting that it's a sharp departure for the council to take up matters on foreign policy.

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'Uncommitted' movement spreads to Super Tuesday states

NPR, March 6, 20244:12 PM ET

By Elena Moore

Hundreds of thousands of voters across the country cast their ballots for no candidate in Democratic primaries on Super Tuesday, instead selecting versions of "uncommitted," as a movement opposing President Biden's handling of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza grows across the country.

The results came just a week after the Michigan presidential primary, where the "uncommitted" choice on the ballot garnered over 100,000 votes. The results followed a three-week campaign run primarily by younger Arab American and Muslim organizers from Southeast Michigan.

Their goal was to urge voters to push Biden to call for an immediate, permanent cease-fire and halt U.S. aid to Israel — and for him to make these changes ahead of the general election or risk losing Democratic voter support.

After Michigan, organizers in states including Minnesota, North Carolina, Colorado and Massachusetts launched last-minute efforts to get voters to cast protest votes.

In Minnesota — which started an organized campaign in the days after Michigan's primary — the uncommitted option received nearly 46,000 votes and is expected to receive five delegates at the Democratic National Convention this summer, according to counts from the Associated Press.

It brings the delegate count for "uncommitted" up to seven, following the two delegates awarded in Michigan.

Not every state has an uncommitted or no-preference option on their ballot. In states that do, the choice typically receives thousands of votes in presidential primaries. It can be hard to compare apples-to-apples between election cycles in any event.

Despite some totals being small, organizers behind these movements cite their results as a win that could have meaningful impact, especially in what is expected to be a highly competitive race between Biden and former President Donald Trump.

How Biden is responding

Despite the protests, Biden handily won in all the primary states Tuesday that offered an uncommitted option on their ballots. In Minnesota, he received over 171,000 votes and 71% of the vote share, while uncommitted received 19%.

"The President believes making your voice heard and participating in our democracy is fundamental to who we are as Americans," Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt said in a statement to NPR.

"He shares the goal for an end to the violence and a just, lasting peace in the Middle East. He's working tirelessly to that end," she added.

The Biden administration has been involved in various negotiations around the war, which began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7., killing over 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages, according to the Israeli government.

Since then, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's war campaign, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Most are women and children, but the ministry does not distinguish between civilians and Hamas combatants.

The White House remains steadfast in its support for what it calls Israel's right to defend itself from Hamas, but has urged caution to minimize the impact on civilians. Israel opposes calls for a permanent cease-fire, arguing that it would allow Hamas to regroup and launch new attacks.

Administration officials say there is progress on plans for a temporary cease-fire — at least for six weeks — but the bombardment continues, and the United Nations says there is widespread hunger and growing malnutrition, especially among children.

Vice President Harris gave one of the most forceful speeches from the administration in favor of a temporary cease-fire on Sunday in Selma, Ala.

Organizers claim a partial victory

While there's no way to directly link the votes in Minnesota to any one political cause, organizers behind the uncommitted push see the results of Tuesday as a win for the cease-fire movement.

"Minnesotans made it clear that Democrats want Joe Biden to change his policies," said Asma Nizami, a leading organizer behind the push in Minnesota, in a statement Tuesday night. "Stop sending weapons to Israel and use all possible leverage to end Israel's war crimes in Gaza," she added.

According to Nizami's statement, the campaign was organized in one week and spent $20,000. Organizers behind the Michigan push had three weeks and spent around $200,000.

A movement energizing young voters and progressives

In states with smaller movements, voters still turned out to cast a protest vote.

North Carolina's "no preference" option received over 88,000 votes on Tuesday, or about 13% of the vote, compared to Biden's 606,000, about 87%. That said, in 2012, the last time a Democratic incumbent was on the ballot — then-President Barack Obama — "no preference" received over 200,000 votes (about 21% of the vote that year).

At North Carolina State University in Raleigh on Monday, students marched throughout campus in support of the Palestinian people.

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Jamal Mohamad, a 21-year-old from Raleigh and second-generation Palestinian American, led the march. Speaking to NPR on Monday, he said he planned to vote no-preference.

"I don't know what to do," he said, "Joe [Biden] getting reelected is a slap in the face to every Palestinian in here. And every person that has been standing up for the Palestinian movement."

To 30-year-old Yunus Shabandri, voting no-preference in the primary was the right option.

"We need to do more to stand up for the beliefs that the U.S. says they're for — freedom, equality, human rights," he told NPR outside of his early voting location in Cary, N.C.

"If we say that this is what Americans believe," he added, "we're not demonstrating it on the international stage at all."

New campaigns ahead

Georgia's primary is set for March 12, and cease-fire supporters there have launched "The Listen to Georgia Coalition," a campaign calling for Georgia Democratic primary voters to submit a blank ballot in protest.

In a statement released Tuesday night, the group urged Biden to "take concrete action" on advocating for an end to the violence in Gaza or "risk losing the 2024 presidential election."

It's a state that will be key for both Democrats and Republicans this fall; Biden won it in 2020 by just 12,000 votes.

Super Tuesday states see "uncommitted" votes in protest of war in Gaza : NPR

Related: 'Uncommitted' in Michigan win delegate(s) after protest vote against Biden

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On the eve of the State of the Union address, President Biden is struggling — with his own party

Story by Chad Pergram

Fox News, March 6, 2024

Even if it were the former president Leader McConnell in Loaded: 60.34% Current Time 0:28 / Duration 1:49 FOX News Mitch McConnell asked about being 'comfortable' with Trump as nominee 0 View on Watch

President Biden faces two opponents heading into the election.

Former President Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee.

And then Mr. Biden must square off against Democrats who are despondent at the president’s performance. 

Anemic poll numbers are driving loyal Democrats away from President Biden.

"The challenges that Joe Biden has with his own party, his own base, are the biggest challenges he’s facing in this election," said David Cohen, a political scientist at the University of Akron. "He has a lot of issues with younger voters in the party. I think that can be directly linked to what’s happening overseas in the Middle East." 

Consider how progressives are hectoring the president over how his administration is handling the war between Israel and Hamas.

"We are requesting a meeting with President Biden," said Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., "We are demanding an immediate, lasting ceasefire."

Michigan is a state which is critical to Mr. Biden’s reelection campaign. It boasts 15 electoral votes. More than 100,000 voters marked their ballot as "uncommitted" in the Democratic primary last month rather than cast a ballot for President Biden. The president only captured the state by about 154,000 votes in 2020 over former President Trump. There are about 200,000 Muslim voters in Michigan. 300,000 voters say they have ancestral ties to the Middle East or North Africa. That bloc of voters was key to President Biden winning the state four years ago. 

"The results in Michigan this week made it plain voters are not happy with the United States' handling of the war in Gaza. And President Biden must change course," said Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., a member of the Squad.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., is a Palestinian-American. She implored the president to alter his course on the Middle East.

"Listen to us! Listen, not only to Michigan. But so many people. The majority of people are supporting a ceasefire," beseeched Tlaib.

A reporter then asked Tlaib if she will "vote for President Biden in November."

"Thank you very much," replied Tlaib. "Thank you."

Tlaib then walked away.

"A lot of younger voters, Gen Z, millennials are very unhappy with the Biden administration’s full support of Israel," said Cohen. "He cannot afford to have any slippage in the Democratic coalition and lack of enthusiasm. I don’t think those young Biden supporters that voted for him in 2020 are going to vote for Trump. But the worry for the Biden campaign is that they’re going to stay home."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sidestepped when yours truly asked if President Biden should make a pivot away from Israel in his State of the Union speech to satisfy the left.

"I’m not speculating about what the President should say in the State of the Union," replied Schumer.

Vice President Harris first called for a ceasefire. The President said he’d like a ceasefire by the start of Ramadan – March 10 or 11. But it’s unclear if the administration can get what it wants from the Israelis, despite taking a harder line stance.

But it’s just not Middle East policy which is turning off key sectors of the Democratic coalition. 

Via executive order, President Biden has erased a staggering $138 billion in student loan debt for 3.9 million borrowers. But that hasn’t been enough to placate some Democrats. They want it all wiped out.

And then there is the border.

Democrats are exasperated at Republicans incinerating a bipartisan border package earlier this winter after months of negotiations. But the administration’s approach to securing the border is nearly as galling to the left. 

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have long been outraged that the administration and other Democrats failed to engage them in border talks. Some liberal Democrats are angry that the now-dead bipartisan plan went too far modifying asylum and parole. 

Original article source: On the eve of the State of the Union address, President Biden is struggling — with his own party

On the eve of the State of the Union address, President Biden is struggling — with his own party (msn.com) 

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