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Obama more popular than U.S. among Arabs: survey Sun May 10, 2009 7:02pm EDT By Paul Eckert WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's popularity in leading Arab countries far outstrips that of the United States, suggesting he could be able to boost goodwill in the region toward his country, a survey showed on Sunday. Obama, set to give a major speech to the Muslim world in Egypt next month, "currently enjoys widespread optimism among citizens of that region that he will have a positive effect on their own country, the Middle East, the United States and indeed the world," the...

Palestinian Authority newspaper reported on Sunday that Arab residents of Gaza are randomly calling Americans at home in hopes of persuading them to vote for Democratic candidate Senator Barack Obama in next month's US presidential election. The article in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, first noted and translated by Palestinian Media Watch, quotes a young man from the Hamas-controlled Gaza region as saying, "We dial random numbers and try to call people [in the United States] without knowing their identity or their affiliation...." He reportedly uses "Internet sites that allow making free calls... in order to use them for the campaign supporting Obama."...

A new nationwide poll shows that among likely Arab-American voters in November's U.S. presidential election, Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama holds a 21-point lead over Republican candidate Sen. John McCain. Mohamed Elshinnawi has more on what pollsters are calling an historic shift among Arab-Americans toward the Democratic Party. James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, announces results of a new poll or Arab-American voters showing Barack Obama holds a 21-point lead over John McCain James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, announces results of a new poll or Arab-American voters showing Barack Obama holds a 21-point lead over...

Barack Obama Holds Lead Among Arab American Vote Historic Shift Toward Democratic Party Continues WASHINGTON - September 18, 2008 - Democratic candidate Barack Obama holds a substantial 21 point lead over Republican John McCain among Arab American voters. This was one of the findings of a poll of Arab American voters conducted by Zogby International for the Arab American Institute.

Doha: Former US President Bill Clinton remains popular with Arabs despite not being in power any more. An Egyptian woman lawyer, who had a chance meeting with Clinton at the Middle East Economic Summit here on Monday, says a photograph taken with her and the former US president is the biggest treasure of her life

Arabs, Muslims being wooed by NJ governor candidates By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press Writer March 25, 2005, 2:40 PM EST NEWARK, N.J. -- From a living room festooned with dozens of elephants in all shapes and sizes, Sherine El-Abd is busily raising money for gubernatorial candidate Bret Schundler, whose call for lower property taxes she loves. It's only March, but the Edison woman, an Egyptian immigrant and Republican organizer, is already planning candidate forums for October. In Denville, Aref Assaf is supporting U.S. Sen. Jon Corzine, warming to his willingness to include more Arabs and Muslims in his administration and...

While the results of this year's American election may have liberal Democrats and much of the extended international community shaking their heads in disbelief, a surprising number of Arabs seem to have not only expected President George W. Bush's return to power but also supported it. Since I began teaching in Damascus six months ago, I have been continually surprised to find support and even admiration for Bush in that city, mixed in with the usual polemics about American imperialism. The presumed wildfire of anti-American and anti-Bush sentiment that has consumed much of Europe and Asia has apparently skipped over...

WASHINGTON, 8 November 2004 — Rep. Jim Moran, 59, from Virginia’s 8th district, is one of the few Congressmen who voted against the war in Iraq and criticized Jewish community leaders. It was no surprise that he had a tough time being re-elected. Yusif Farsakh, a Palestinian-American who moved to the US from Beir Zeit in 1953, works with the “Arab-American Democrats of Virginia,” a group he said was instrumental in helping Moran win the primary elections against his opponent, lobbyist and political newcomer Andrew Rosenberg. Rosenberg obtained funding from AIPAC, a strong Jewish lobby in Washington, and ran a...

With every passing day – and there are precious few left – another enormous constituency turns against President George W. Bush in his race against John Kerry. First, the Hollywood celebrities mobilized against Bush. Then came the recording industry, with mega-stars like Bruce Springsteen offering free concerts in order to defeat Bush. Next it was the turn of the academic and scientific communities to pummel the president, with 54 Nobel Prize winners announcing they would tour the universities denouncing Bush. Of course, the president had already been abandoned by Europe, with their million-man rallies against him where he was burned...

Arab and Jewish Votes By WILLIAM SAFIRE Published: October 25, 2004 Washington — You have to give credit to Arab-Americans, and to the overlapping category of American Muslims, for knowing what side they are on in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - and for voting for those they believe would address their concerns. Four years ago, they voted almost two to one for George W. Bush, thinking he would act like his father. Today, according to the Zogby poll, American Muslim voters are going 10 to 1 in the opposite political direction - for John Kerry over Bush. Not only do they...

Allow me to post this again for those who attacked me without reading the whole thing. For those who have doubted my sincerity , let me say this, I am a Bush supporter to the core not only on policy but his life experience touches me personally. As to comments by some of you about my friend Hillary mentioned below, she is not, repeat, not Hillary Rodham! She is definitely a childhood friend and currently resides in Seattle, Washington. The stakes in this election couldn’t be higher and for Bush to finish what he has to do in the next...

WASHINGTON, 20 October 2004 — Because I have been repeatedly asked the question, “For whom will you vote and why?” Let me use this opportunity to respond. This November, I will vote for John Kerry for president of the United States. I will do so, confident that it is the right thing to do for my country and my community. Now this doesn’t mean that I agree with all of John Kerry’s positions. I’m a Democrat, but I’ve always challenged my party and its leadership when it was important to do so. Over the past two decades I’ve helped to...

In the tight race for battleground state Michigan's 17 electoral votes, President Bush's fortunes may rest in the hands of Iraqis. These Iraqis, however, are not in Baghdad. They're 150,000 politically active immigrants clustered in suburbs of Detroit. Iraqi-Americans make up almost a tenth of the 1.2 million residents in Oakland County, north of the city, where political analysts say Bush faces his only chance at winning the state. The discontent of the Iraqis, a Christian sect known as Chaldeans, is a huge worry for the Bush campaign. "It is incredibly ironic," said David Bonior, the ex-Democratic House majority whip...

The Arab American Political Action Committee nearly unanimously endorsed its candidate for president on Tuesday.

The Arab-American Political Action Committee in Dearborn announced their endorsement for the Sen. John Kerry-Sen. John Edwards ticket in the 2004 presidential election Tuesday night. "We believe Senator Kerry will make America stronger, safer and more respected throughout the world," said AAPAC president Abed Hammoud in a written statement. "AAPAC endorsed George W. Bush four years ago. Members of our community have strongly expressed their dissatisfaction with his policies. With respect to civil rights and foreign policy, we hope Senator Kerry will change the course the Bush administration has put America on." "We played a role in electing George Bush...

(CNSNews.com) - The Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) announced it is backing the Kerry/Edwards ticket in the 2004 presidential election, following a two-hour discussion of the general membership in Dearborn, Mich., Tuesday night. "We believe Senator Kerry will make America stronger, safer and more respected throughout the world," said AAPAC President Abed Hammoud in a press release. AAPAC endorsed George W. Bush four years ago, but since then, members have expressed dissatisfaction with Bush's policies. "With respect to civil rights and foreign policy, we hope Senator Kerry will change the course the Bush administration has put America on," Hammoud...

ORLANDO, Fla. - Ever since President Bush (news - web sites) narrowly won Florida four years ago, Democrats have meticulously courted key voting blocs that strategists believe could help reverse the party's fortunes in 2004 - showering attention on seniors, African Americans, Jews, and Cuban and Haitian Americans. On Sunday night, a surprising new ethnic thread wove itself into Florida's ever-complicated political fabric: the frustrated Arab American. Business owners, physicians, lawyers and others - furious over the Bush administration's post-Sept. 11 policies that many believe unfairly target Muslims and Arab Americans in the government's quest to root out terrorists -...

Kerry flip on West Bank wall may cost votes, some say By S.V. Date Palm Beach Post Capital Bureau Friday, September 24, 2004 Efforts to secure part of the Democratic Party's Florida base may cost Sen. John Kerry support from a smaller, but possibly vital, constituency: Arab-Americans. In a recent interview with The Palm Beach Post, Kerry reiterated his support for the Jewish state, including its right to built a security barrier through the occupied West Bank territory and its ability to buy advanced weapons, such as "bunker-busting" bombs. Israel used such a bomb two years ago to assassinate a...

WASHINGTON, 22 September 2004 — Arab-Americans are John Kerry’s “canaries in the coal mine.” In days gone by, coal miners brought canaries into the mines in which they were working. Because they feared releasing pockets of odorless but deadly natural gas, the canaries served as an alarm. As long as the canaries were singing, the miners knew that all was well. When the canaries went silent, the miners knew there was danger and would take action. From that time on, the expression, “canaries in the coal mine” has been used as metaphor for any warning sign that portends danger. And...

WASHINGTON -- There has been a small increase in the number of Arab American voters in the four battleground states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Florida who view President Bush favorably, but his Democratic challenger, Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kerry, no longer has a majority of Arab American voters. Reflecting a national trend so far this month that shows Kerry's support slipping, polling by Zogby International for the Arab American Institute found that Kerry's support has declined from 54 percent in July to 49 percent among Arab Americans. In July, 24.5 percent of Arab American voters said they would vote...

The best thing financial consultant Johnny Khamis heard out of New York was that you don't have to agree with the party to be a Republican. It seems a lot of other Arab-American Republicans heard the same message. A new poll shows them switching from John Kerry back to Bush just since the Republican National Convention. The switch could re-elect Bush. Arab-Americans number the margin of victory in several key states. They represent 5% of the vote in Michigan, 2% in Florida, 2% in Ohio and 1.5% in Pennsylvania. In 2000, Arab-Americans backed Bush over Al Gore, 45% to 38%....

Bush Gains on Kerry for Arab-American Vote Jim Lobe WASHINGTON, Sep 15 (IPS) - Despite the worsening situation in Iraq and the continued impasse between Israel and the Palestinians, U.S. President George W. Bush has cut Sen. John Kerry's previously substantial lead among Arab-American voters in four key swing states, according to a new survey released here Wednesday. As recently as July, Kerry led Bush by better than a two-to-one margin -- or 54 percent to 24.5 percent -- among more than half a million Arab-American voters in Michigan, Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania in a two-man race. His lead has...

August 18, 2004 -- ALTHOUGH attempts at linking President George W. Bush to the Arabs have generated a veritable industry in the past two years, there is evidence that most Arabs favor his Democratic Party challenger Sen. John F. Kerry. A Zogby poll taken this month shows that in the November presidential election Kerry is likely to collect more than two-thirds of the Arab-American vote. A similar pattern is emerging in the Arab world itself. "If it were up to us, it would be 60 percent Kerry, 40 percent Bush," says Iyad Abu-Chaqra, an Arab columnist who has followed American...

Arab Americans who backed George W. Bush in 2000 by a margin of 2-to-1 are now saying they'll vote for John Kerry, recent polls show. According to a July Zogby poll in Florida, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania 54 percent of Arab-Americans now support Kerry, while only 24 percent favored Bush, and 21 percent are either undecided or backing Nader. It also showed that even the 30 percent who described themselves as Republicans say that it is "time for someone new." Speaking about the apparent turnabout pollster John Zogby told the Boston Globe "It's a complete 180-degree turn." If valid, the...

........Kerry has tried to limit Bush's inroads with Jewish voters by backing Israel over the Palestinian Authority, and this week said he would have still voted for the war in Iraq even if he knew at the time that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction or ties to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. And while Kerry supports amending the Patriot Act, the counterterrorism law that many Arab-Americans say has been used to infringe on their rights, he was among the majority of lawmakers who voted for it in October 2001. "It's a dilemma," said Taleb Salhab, coordinator of...

Rameen Mosref Javid did not bother voting in the 2000 elections. Back then, the 35-year-old Afghan was more interested in Far Eastern politics. He didn't consider himself a minority, and he didn't feel any persecution or fear. Then came the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, and the American Muslim world changed. "After 9/11, we became a target," said Javid, a Flushing resident, who said he has been "selected" for random airport checks each of the nine times he has flown since the attacks. He now plans to vote for the first time - and hopes other Muslims will do the...

Some critical info to keep in mind before casting your ballot http://www.jewishworldreview.com | The Arab and Iranian press have increasingly discussed the upcoming American presidential election. Most journalists are pulling for a Kerry victory. Other commentators have said that the choice between the two is like "choosing between cholera and the plague." The Iranian press has been particularly active in monitoring the elections. The editor of the Egyptian Al-Gil newspaper, Nagi Al Shihabi, was interviewed by the Iranian Al-Alam TV on June 13, and said: "The U.S. wants to eradicate our religious and Islamic identity. Bush declared a Crusader war...

BOSTON -- Arab-American delegates, attending the Democratic National Convention in their greatest numbers in years, say many in their community will vote for Sen. John Kerry because they are disillusioned with the current administration.     The Arab-American vote went overwhelmingly to George W. Bush in 2000, but unhappiness with the president's post-September 11 policies is turning those voters to Mr. Kerry, the delegates say.     "He has alienated so many of us," said Newman Abuissa, an Arab-American delegate from Iowa who voted for Mr. Bush in 2000 but became so upset at the administration that he began actively campaigning for the Massachusetts...

U.S. Jews, Arabs in vote flip-flop? April 19, 2004 By Ann McFeatters, Post-Gazette National Bureau WASHINGTON -- In the 2000 presidential election, a majority of Jewish voters pulled the Democratic lever, and a majority of Arab Americans voted Republican. In 2004, the opposite could occur. In the Nov. 2 election, which most experts expect to be close, such a seismic shift in voting patterns has political consultants for both candidates biting their nails. This year many Jewish voters are leaning toward re-electing President Bush, who just broke with 35 years of U.S. policies to endorse a plan for Israel to...

While recent opinion polls have indicated that American voters remain divided almost equally between US President Bush and his Democratic opponent John Kerry, Arab Americans appear to have few second thoughts. They are set to vote for Kerry, by about two to one. The Arab American Institute (AAI) has conducted six polls among Arab-American voters in four out of the 10 states where they are concentrated. The third of these polls revealed that 51 per cent of Arab Americans plan to vote for Kerry, 24 for Bush and 13 for Ralph Nader, the independent candidate of Arab descent. It also...

A majority of Arab Americans in four battleground states would vote for democratic candidate John Kerry if presidential elections were held Thursday, April 29, a poll unveiled. The poll, conducted by the Washington-based Arab American Institute, found that 49 percent of all Arab-American voters in Florida, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania - all swing states in the November election - would vote for Kerry, while 30 percent would vote for incumbent Republican President George W. Bush. However, with Ralph Nader - an American of Lebanese descent - in the mix, Kerry's support would slip to 45 percent, and Bush's to 28...

Arab-Americans Would Pick Kerry Over Bush -Poll Wed Apr 28, 2004 03:45 PM ET By Deborah Zabarenko WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Arab-Americans in four battleground U.S. states would choose Democrat John Kerry by a wide margin if the presidential election were held now, a shift from their strong support of George W. Bush in 2000, a new poll showed on Wednesday. The tracking poll, released by the Arab American Institute, looked at Arab-Americans in Michigan, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, all expected to be hard-fought contests in this year's campaign. Though there are only about 510,000 likely Arab-American voters in the states,...

Ribhi Mustafa is a swing voter who has already swung. Four years ago, he was frustrated with the slow pace of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, and he cast his ballot for George W. Bush. "I figured it would be good to have some new blood - and it turned out to be worse," said Mustafa, 28, a registered Democrat from Northeast Philadelphia who works in his family's supermarket business. This year, he said, his choice will be Sen. John Kerry (D., Mass.). Mustafa's personal shift illustrates a problem for President Bush, who in 2000 condemned anti-Arab profiling...

<p>March 28, 2004 -- IF elected president, will John Kerry offer the Arabs a better deal? This is the question raised in the Arab media these days. Many different answers are given, but a consensus seems to be emerging that a Kerry presidency will lift what the Arab elite regards as its worst nightmare during the presidency of George W Bush.</p>

If elected President of the United States, will John Kerry offer the Arabs a better deal? This is the question being raised in the Arab media these days. And, despite the many different answers given, a consensus seems to be emerging that a Kerry presidency will end what the Arab élite regards as "its worst nightmare" during the presidency of George W. Bush. The Kerry debate was kicked off by the Saudi daily Al Jazeera, which published a photograph of the Massachusetts senator with Prince Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, the Saudi Ambassador in Washington, on its front page. The...

WASHINGTON, 17 March 2004 — A recent poll of Arab-American voters in four key states has some bad news for both President Bush and his Democratic challenger John Kerry. The poll shows that the percentage of Arab-Americans who believe that President Bush deserves to be re-elected is a low 28 percent. When matched up against John Kerry, Bush loses 54 percent to 30 percent. The bad news for Sen. Kerry is that when Ralph Nader’s name is entered into the mix, the numbers change to 43 percent for Kerry, 27 percent for Bush, and 20 percent for Nader. The poll...

<p>WASHINGTON D.C. -- Many Arab Americans who voted for George W. Bush in 2000 prefer Sen. John Kerry this year, a new poll suggests.</p> <p>But even if large numbers of Arab Americans switch party allegiance, could they be the difference in battleground states, including Michigan?</p>

Poll shows Arab Americans less keen on Bush Saturday, March 13, 2004 By Ann McFeatters, Post-Gazette National Bureau WASHINGTON -- President Bush appears to have lost significant support among Arab Americans, according to a new poll by Zogby International, an independent polling firm. If the election were held now, John Kerry would get 54 percent of the vote among Arab Americans in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Florida, four key battleground states in the Nov. 2 election. Bush lags far behind at 30 percent. Other candidates would get 5 percent of the vote. Eleven percent are undecided. In 2000, Bush led...

Business February 17, 2004 Arab-Americans raise money for Bush re-election campaign Wealthy Arab-American supporters of the US invasion of Iraq are financially backing US President Bush’s re-election campaign. Elite members Arab and Muslim communities are raising $100,000 or more for the Republican leader at a time when polls suggest that Bush’s support from these communities in plummeting, said New York Times. The newspaper named Iranian-born resident of Florida Mori Hosseini as on of Bush’s top fundraisers. The chief executive of ICI Homes has raised $200,000 for the Bush campaign, saying he was inspired by the President’s “decisive” action in Iraq....

WASHINGTON: In 2000, the Michigan-based Arab-American Political Action Committee (AAPAC), one of a handful of Arab-American PAC’s in the United States, endorsed George W. Bush for president. PACs are regulated committees that raise funds for political candidates and assist in their campaigning. Unlike many previous candidates, who had shunned or ignored Arab and Muslim voters, Bush campaigned actively for their support. He met with Arab and Muslim Americans, promised to include Arab-Americans in his administration and, in his second debate with Democratic nominee Al Gore, spoke of his opposition to the use of secret evidence, an important issue for Arab-Americans...

Wealthy Arab-Americans and foreign-born Muslims who strongly back President Bush's decision to invade Iraq are adding their names to the ranks of "Pioneers" and "Rangers," the elite Bush supporters who pledge to raise $100,000 or more for his re-election. The new crop of fund-raisers comes as some opinion polls suggest that support for the president among Arab-Americans is sinking, and at a time when political strategists from both parties say Bush has lost ground among Arab-Americans. The money-raising efforts are coming despite criticism of Bush by some Arab-Americans who feel they have been singled out in the fight against terrorism...

Arab-Americans raise money for Bush re-election campaign Wealthy Arab-American supporters of the US invasion of Iraq are financially backing US President Bush’s re-election campaign. Elite members Arab and Muslim communities are raising $100,000 or more for the Republican leader at a time when polls suggest that Bush’s support from these communities in plummeting, said New York Times. The newspaper named Iranian-born resident of Florida Mori Hosseini as on of Bush’s top fundraisers. The chief executive of ICI Homes has raised $200,000 for the Bush campaign, saying he was inspired by the President’s “decisive” action in Iraq. "He's the savior,...

Wealthy Arab-Americans and foreign-born Muslims who strongly back President Bush's decision to invade Iraq are adding their names to the ranks of Pioneers and Rangers, the elite Bush supporters who have raised $100,000 or more for his re-election. This new crop of fund-raisers comes as some opinion polls suggest support for the president among Arab-Americans is sinking and at a time when strategists from both parties say Mr. Bush is losing ground with this group. Mr. Bush has been criticized by Arab-Americans who feel they are being singled out in the fight against terrorism and who are uneasy over the...

<p>The turnout for Michigan’s Democratic caucuses came nowhere near what planners had first predicted. About 150,000 people participated, either by Internet, mail or in person, but that fell far short of original estimates of 400,000 voters.</p> <p>On Saturday, voters said their votes were motivated by which candidate offered the best chance of booting George W. Bush out of office, and others said they were motivated because they were angry – not only at Bush, but at the Democratic candidates who didn’t spend much time campaigning in Michigan.</p>

Thirteen years ago, in 1991, US soldiers arrived in Saudi Arabia to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi aggression and annexation. Among the American forces were women who drove vehicles. Perhaps inspired by this presence, several dozen Saudi women later held a demonstration in which they drove cars illegally. Women cannot drive in Saudi Arabia. Despite a recent, highly-publicized statement by a Saudi prince saying this situation would change soon there is no sign whatsoever of the law being altered. Indeed, in July 2003 a powerful Saudi businessman and writer submitted his regular column to a leading Saudi newspaper, Ukaz, forseeing a...

ELECTION 2004 Arab-Americans switch: Bush to Kucinich Prominent group that backed president in 2000 says they were 'stung' Posted: January 31, 20041:00 a.m. Eastern © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com Complaining it was betrayed, a key Arab-American group that endorsed George W. Bush in the 2000 election says it will back Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich for the Democratic nomination and stand behind that party's eventual nominee. Dennis Kucinich The endorsement of Kucinich was not based on who has the best chance to win, but on "principle," said Osama Siblani, head of the Arab-American Political Action Committee. "The argument we had yesterday was should we stand...

On the front page of today's hard copy NY Sun, there's a photo of Howard Dean wearing a keffiyeh, the tradional Palistinian scarf. Typically, when a non-Arab wears that garment here, it is as a sign of sympathy with the Palestinians.My efforts to find the photo on the web have failed. It is slugged as an AP photo.The photo ranks up there with ThatWoman (D-NY) kissing Lady Arafat.

WASHINGTON, 21 January 2004 — With the US presidential elections now under way, a new poll shows President George W. Bush losing substantial support among Arab-American voters. The poll, conducted in mid-January by Zogby International (ZI) for the Arab American Institute (AAI), surveyed 500 Arab-American voters nationwide, and had a margin of error of +/- 4.5 percent.According to the ZI/AAI poll, if the elections were held today, only 28 percent of Arab-Americans would vote to reelect the president. Forty percent, on the other hand, would vote for “any Democrat,” while the remaining 32 percent would either vote for an independent...

<p>ORLANDO, Fla. -- Jim Bajalia has always voted for Republican presidential candidates. The second-generation Palestinian-American was an enthusiastic College Republican at Florida State University, and he once explained to former Democratic President Jimmy Carter during an airplane encounter why he never voted for him.</p>

President Bush has her vote, said Dina Shapiro, standing in line at Bagel Power, a Jewish bakery in Scarsdale, N.Y. She applauds his war on terrorism. Bush won't get her vote, said Alia Charara, standing in line at New Yasmin Arabic bakery in Dearborn, Mich. She fears his war on terrorism. Shapiro, who comes from a family of liberal Jewish Democrats, sees Bush as a man who is looking after her kin. Her nephew lives in Israel: "Just as I feel Bush is taking care of me, he's taking care of my sister's son."