No other American state has as many Arab-Americans as Michigan. Several of them have family and friends in Gaza. They are disappointed, angry and outraged by how the US president is handling the war, which is hitting Palestinian civilians hard. Only 27 percent of the votes in the primary election have so far been counted, but already more than 36,000 voters have voted blankly. This amounts to close to 15 per cent. That probably sets alarm bells ringing for Joe Biden’s campaign. Protest Votes in Michigan Voters in Michigan can mark “uncommitted,” or neutral, on their primary ballot. This year’s protest campaign has 10,000 votes as its target. There are fewer than in previous elections. Here is an overview of how many people voted “uncommitted” in Michigan: 2008: 238,168 votes (40.1%) 2012: 20,833 votes (10.7%) 2016: 21,601 votes (1.8%) 2020: 19,106 votes (1.2%) Source: Politico This group of voters could hold one of the keys to the White House. Activist Natalia Katie is one of those urging Democrats in Michigan to vote blank or neutral in the primary because of Joe Biden’s support for Israel. Photo: AFP Although there are more than eight months until the presidential election, all aspects of the result in Michigan are being studied. It is about support, support and enthusiasm in an important seesaw state. Joe Biden last won with 3 percent, and now a large group is threatening to stay at home. Protest campaign against Biden Activists have called on Democrats to mark “non-committed”, or neutral, on the ballot to show President Biden’s displeasure. They demand that the President of the United States use his power to make Israel stop the bloody war. They feel alienated in the party and are threatening not to run for Biden this autumn. They got the idea from the election campaign in 2008 when Barack Obama was not on the ballot in the state. To embarrass or embarrass Hillary Clinton’s campaign, Obama’s people mobilized supporters to vote “uncommitted.” About 40 percent did so in the 2008 primary. Activists are celebrating the preliminary results, which send a powerful message of displeasure to President Joe Biden. Photo: AFP The campaign “Listen to Michigan” (Listen to Michigan) has the support of local and national figures. Among them Rashida Tlaib, who is the first congressional representative with a Palestinian-American background, and former presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke. There is also a more radical grouping that goes by the name “Abandon Biden”. Biden announces ceasefire The war in the Middle East has created unrest and division in the Democratic Party. Young voters and people on the left have criticized Israel’s prolonged revenge attacks on Gaza. In Michigan, there have been loud protests from the Arab and Muslim population for weeks. Joe Biden has kept a low profile in Michigan ahead of the primary. But the day before voters were to have their say, Biden said, ice cream in hand, that negotiators are close to an agreement on a ceasefire. He believes a temporary solution, with a ceasefire and the release of hostages, can be put in place by next Monday. That doesn’t seem to have been enough for the activists in Michigan. Punishing Biden’s politics Before the election, activists said they hoped for at least 10,000 “uncommitted” or blank votes. It is the same number of votes that Donald Trump won with in the state in 2016. They have beaten that target by a large margin. Several commentators have pointed out that the activists’ target was low since previous primaries, without such a big campaign behind them, had collected twice as many blank votes. Others point out that a few thousand votes could tip Michigan, and a double-digit percentage would be a big win. The protest election in Michigan was a greater success than in New Hampshire earlier this year. In the primary election in New Hampshire, only 1,500 voters, less than 2 percent of those who voted, followed the call to write “truce” on the ballot over Joe Biden. Governor Warns It is said that the road to the White House goes through Michigan. Should the Arab-Americans and the Muslim population of the state, about 310,000 people, make good on their threat not to support the president in November, Biden could lose Michigan. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has prepared the party for a significant portion of the electorate to vote blank. Photo: Reuters Michigan’s governor Gretchen Whitmer has had several meetings with Arab and Muslim communities about Biden’s Israel policy. She is popular in the state and one of the leaders in Biden’s campaign for re-election. Whitmer has warned the activists not to “send a message” to Biden via the polling stations. – If you do something other than cast an affirmative vote for Joe Biden, then it is a vote for a new term with Donald Trump, said Whitmer at an election campaign event on Monday. Whitmer is seen as a possible presidential candidate for the Democrats in the coming years. Joe Biden and Donald Trump look set to have a rematch in Michigan this fall. Biden won the state in 2020, while Trump won in 2016. Photo: AP If the presidential election were held today, Trump would have won Michigan by five percentage points, according to RealClearPolitics’ average of polls. Trump won in Michigan The Republicans also held nomination elections in Michigan. Donald Trump continues his march toward the party’s nomination, but there is not yet a unified Republican Party. He is likely to get around 67 percent of the vote, while the only challenger, Nikki Haley, will probably end up with around 28 percent of the vote. But the result does not mean much for the mathematics. 70 percent of the delegates to the national convention are first distributed this weekend when the Michigan Republican Party organizes voter meetings, known as caucuses.
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The Gaza war on the ballot in Michigan – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
