Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States, desperately attempted to win voters in Detroit. Regardless of maintaining a united front with President Biden on many issues, she displays a dramatic view on the plight of Palestinians which stands out. Ticking closer to the election, Harris’s campaign is scrambling in its dying moments to convince Arab and Muslim voters to support them.
Their strategy? They are distributing pamphlets highlighting Ms. Harris’s statements on the Gaza war, a poor attempt at winning hearts. In secluded gatherings in homes and basement rooms across states, campaigners are clutching at straws, trying to convert those who voice their unwillingness to vote or contemplate voting third party, or lean towards Trump due to Biden’s questionable Middle East policies.
Muddled message from the campaign – a claim of Harris showing empathy towards Palestinians and her demand for Israel to comply with international law, while Trump allegedly wants to reimpose a travel ban on people from Muslim nations. This distasteful comparison is a reflection of a desperate campaign, hoping to leverage fears rather than win with solid policies.
Although hard data is lacking, informal talks with voters reveal that Harris’s desperate attempts to garner support from Arab and Muslim communities have been lackluster. It’s a troubling sign for her campaign as we inch closer to the decisive day. Michigan, with its sizable Middle Eastern and North African residents exceeding 300,000, presents the greatest challenge.
In 2020, Biden had managed to secure the state with a margin of nearly 155,000 votes. Now, voters like Hussein Dabajeh, a Lebanese American from Dearborn, Michigan, who once supported Democrats such as Biden, can’t find it in themselves to vote for the Democrat ticket. This phenomenon isn’t isolated but shows a growing trend of disillusionment with the Democratic camp.
Harris, in her bid to win the election, steered her focus towards reestablishing the winning coalition that thrust Biden into the presidential office in 2020. The turn of events with the Biden administration’s backing of Israel in the assaults on Gaza and Lebanon have jolted these rugs from under her feet, testing the once solidified patterns of Arab Americans predominantly voting Democratic.
Ms. Harris, unwilling to contradict Biden, chose to voice sharp sentiments pertaining to the woes of Palestinians. Choosing superficial sympathy over actionable policy change exposes the stark disconnect the duo shares with the realities in the Middle East. Two prominent Muslim American appointments made by Harris for better outreach reveal another frantic attempt to win affinity.
Sumaiya Ahmed Sheikh, who has shown displeasure with the ticket, hosted a campaign event at her home. Despite personal concerns, she throws support behind Harris. Still, the mounting concern amongst voters cannot be negated, with individuals like Dr. Jamal Hammoud voicing concern over the government’s misplaced priorities.
During a gathering, Hammoud, a Palestinian American endocrinologist, questioned the allocation of billions of dollars to aid Israel while numerous Michigan citizens scramble to afford their medications. However, he felt somewhat convinced following a smokescreen of promises, including the 100 Muslim American appointees of Biden’s era and the assurance of continuing this representation.
He tried to convince his younger brother, Mohammad, a mechanical engineer, to vote for Harris. All that was futile. While officials like Dearborn’s Mayor, Abdullah Hammoud, found it significantly difficult to discuss politics amidst the locals, suffering personal losses in Lebanon, a significant demographic remained discontent.
The mayor estimates that more than half the residents of Dearborn proudly trace their roots to Arab ancestry, a significant chunk of which hail from Lebanon. Despite targeted attempts from Harris’s campaign to sway this demographic, the disillusionment emanates from every conversation.
The canvassing of discontented voters, secret meetings, and selective distribution of propaganda highlight a campaign in crisis. Any sympathy for Ms. Harris’s effort cannot deflect the broader issue at hand: the blatant disregard for voter sentiment by the Democrats.
The sentiment of loyalty once bred by Democratic leaders amongst Arab Americans appears to wane. The false narrative of empathy without actionable change has left voters disillusioned. The attempt to revamp Biden’s winning coalition without addressing the issues on the ground seems to signify a crashing halt for the Harris campaign.
The culmination of the failing efforts of the campaign reflects a wider crisis within the Democratic party. With Harris struggling to win over disillusioned voters and inadequate addressing of critical concerns, the entire exercise seems like a futile struggle against a tide of disappointment and dissent.