2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumBernie Sanders Wins Big With Michigan Muslims — And Political Pundits Can’t Quite Believe It
As the results rolled in, television pundits like Lawrence ODonnell and Chuck Todd marveled on MSNBC that Sanders was doing so well in Dearborn despite the large Arab-American population there. WNYC radio host Brian Lehrer tweeted that Sanders dominance in Dearborn was the stat of the night, later adding Its official: Arab city feels the Jewish Bern. Meanwhile, The Week dubbed it just one more strange data point in an election overflowing with them.
The assumption implicit in such commentary, of course, is that Muslims are biased against Jews and that when they do cast a vote for Jewish candidates, its because theyve somehow managed to overcome their own inherent anti-Semitism. But this fascination with Dearborns support of Sanders actually demonstrates the media industrys own all-too-prevalent prejudice and reveals how much reporting on American Muslims is still rooted in an unsophisticated naiveté about what motivates them.
Its no surprise that the mainstream media ... is guilty of promoting two-dimensional caricatures of Muslims and Arabs, said Hend Amry, a Libyan-American writer who frequently comments on social issues related to Muslims. I tweeted that the media is shocked that Dearborn residents didn't announce an intifada against Jewish Bernie Sanders to point out this very stereotype.
Full article: http://www.ibtimes.com/bernie-sanders-wins-big-michigan-muslims-political-pundits-cant-quite-believe-it-2333030
BuelahWitch
(9,083 posts)Don't understand that the Bern transcends old prejudices.
"But we're rich! Our bosses are even richer!" they say. "We know all!"
Hope you have some money saved, boys, your obsolescence is near.
Mufaddal
(1,021 posts)Kall
(615 posts)Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)Loki
(3,825 posts)wonder who really voted for Bernie? Bet there were a lot of Republican's smiling.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)Thanks for playing, though, and I'm sure you'll enjoy this copy of our home game.
mmonk
(52,589 posts)for their own ends.
tk2kewl
(18,133 posts)Mufaddal
(1,021 posts)Plus her whole foreign policy record.
tk2kewl
(18,133 posts)plenty to dislike about Hillary's foreign policy in ME and elsewhere
and to her massive negatives, Bernie's compassion for people of every color and creed...
seems like Dearborn has some smart and informed folks
Punkingal
(9,522 posts)ericson00
(2,707 posts)and mainstream non-Jewish Americans alike; of course they voted for him.
AgingAmerican
(12,958 posts)Stupid right wing Democrats
marlakay
(11,473 posts)could there be any truth to that?
Since women are treated beyond poorly and with no respect in Muslim countries he might have a point. Most Muslims I meet here in America don't act like that though....
Mufaddal
(1,021 posts)I said there is going to be some hot take out there saying Bernie just won some sexist Arab votes.
No, there is no truth to it. The same people with that mentality would never vote for a liberal period, let alone a Jew.
marlakay
(11,473 posts)kas125
(2,472 posts)My favorite uncle was a Muslim whose father had been an ambassador to the US long before I was born. He was the kindest, smartest man I ever knew. He spent his spare time and then his retirement helping other Muslims who were new to this country get settled and become part of their communities. He had no problem with women. I really doubt that the fact that Hillary is a woman is the reason they didn't vote for her.
azurnoir
(45,850 posts)Mufaddal
(1,021 posts)With all of the accompanying content heavily implying it's because she's a bigot.
(Note: I am not saying she is, I'm saying this is how Bernie was covered when it came to black voters)
azurnoir
(45,850 posts)on a global level there are some differences, I mean Hillary made some marvelous deals for Arabs in the ME when she was SoS didn't she?
Mufaddal
(1,021 posts)lol
alcibiades_mystery
(36,437 posts)Dearborn is not merely Muslim -- those Muslims are overwhelmingly ethnic Arab.
Hillary's behavior towards ethnic Arabs has not escaped their attention.
But agreed, in any case, that the assumption that they should be "naturally" against Sanders is bone stupid. That said, the vote can just as easily be interpreted as anti-Hillary. Her record on the Middle East is not good, to put it mildly.
Mufaddal
(1,021 posts)they favored Bernie more. We had a lot of people in our faith community working very hard on Bernie's behalf, and we saw the results of that last night.