Michigan Muslims move toward Clinton

[brooklynite]

Source: Politico

Hillary Clinton wasn’t the first choice of Dearborn’s Muslims. But thanks to Donald Trump’s escalating anti-Muslim rhetoric she’s quickly moving into that position in Michigan, a state Trump is hoping to put in play.

Interviews with Muslim and Arab-American leaders in Dearborn and the Detroit metro area — home to the nation’s largest concentration of Arab-Americans — suggest that Democrats there are quickly making their peace with Clinton, spurred by concerns about Trump, even though many strongly preferred Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary and helped him win the state.

“Both locally and nationally, probably [Sanders] was the favored candidate,” said Ismael Ahmed, a Dearborn-based member of the Arab American Institute’s board of directors, who is running for the state board of education. “But I think it’s a highly motivated community, as it’s moving forward, people are more and more accepting that the answer to stopping Donald Trump is Hillary Clinton. They’re going to vote for her.”

Shahid Tahir, chair of the Michigan Muslim Democratic caucus, agreed with that assessment. “People say, ‘God forbid, if he gets elected, I might move to Canada, even.’ There are concerns about his biased approach to minorities. All the ethnic communities are more comfortable with her.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/blogs/swing-states-2016-election/2016/06/hillary-clinton-muslims-michigan-224424

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Didn't see THAT coming...

[onehandle]

1. I'll bet they are. nt

[LenaBaby61]

2. I didn't really believe that....

Michigan could be flipped into GOP column, especially with all of the horrible issue you have/had going on there with the Republican Governor's compliance with the water crisis In Flint and with other various issues concerning voter suppression (Snyder signed a bill eliminating straight-ticket voting), and now I'm very sure that with the Muslim community emphatically rebuking Trump's racism, I'm pretty sure Michigan stays blue this election cycle.

[JonLeibowitz]

3. Ah, the neoliberals' favored "Who else you gonna vote for, chump?" line. Love it!

If only the Democrats didn't just defend the racist lack of due process for the Terror Screening Database, undermining an argument long used against it. Go get 'em!

[MisterFred]

5. Me Agree. NT

[bucolic_frolic]

4. It could be one of Trump's many Achilles heels

that he seems to think all of America is a bunch of white guys like him

Give me your hoards and masses and get them to the ballot box

[Night Watchman]

6. There's a Great Story Here

From the article:

Interviews with Muslim and Arab-American leaders in Dearborn and the Detroit metro area — home to the nation’s largest concentration of Arab-Americans — suggest that Democrats there are quickly making their peace with Clinton, spurred by concerns about Trump, even though many strongly preferred Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary and helped him win the state.

“Both locally and nationally, probably {Sanders} was the favored candidate,” said Ismael Ahmed, a Dearborn-based member of the Arab American Institute’s board of directors, who is running for the state board of education. “But I think it’s a highly motivated community, as it’s moving forward, people are more and more accepting that the answer to stopping Donald Trump is Hillary Clinton. They’re going to vote for her.”

In this country, Muslims vote for Jews; they don't kill them! This story makes me smile in a dark time. Thank you for posting this, brooooklynite

[IronLionZion]

7. But DUers told me muslims hate women?

This is so confusing!

Good! Black and Latino groups also endorse Clinton. She's building quite a diverse coalition.

[bluestateguy]

8. Bush did well with the Michigan Muslim vote in 2000

and he was able to put the state in play.