It was easier for Joe Biden and other Democratic politicians during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement. They had a clearly defined side.
It was easy for them to condemn then-President Donald Trump when he said there were “very fine people on both sides” of the Charlottesville, Virginia, protests even though he specified that he was not talking about the neo-Nazis and the white nationalists, whom he “condemned totally,” according to ABC News.
But with war raging in the Middle East, the Biden administration is having a major messaging problem now, as its support for Israel is alienating what has been a solidly Democratic demographic — Arab Americans.
A poll conducted by John Zogby Strategies and commissioned by the Arab American Institute found that Biden’s approval rating among Arab Americans has fallen from 59 percent in 2020 to just 17 percent now, according to Reuters.
In addition, this survey marked the first time since the poll’s inception in 1997 that a majority of Arab Americans did not identify as Democrats. Thirty-two percent now identify as Republicans and 31 percent as independents.
The poll of 500 Arab Americans, released Tuesday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.
The findings point to a major erosion of support among this key Democratic constituency across battleground states such as Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. With the 2024 presidential race on the horizon, the poll signals challenges for Biden as he seeks to maintain backing from voters who helped power his 2020 victory.
The poll found that 40 percent of Arab Americans would now vote for Trump if he is the GOP nominee in 2024, while one-quarter said they were unsure who they would back. Just 20 percent rated Biden’s job performance positively.
In fact, according to a Cygnal poll, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has a better net favorability rating than Biden among American Muslims.
New Cygnal poll finds among American Muslims, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (39 fav/35 unfav) has a better net favorability rating than President Biden (45 fav/46 unfav).
Overall, Hamas leader Haniyeh with 9/56 fav/unfav.
Biden with 42/53 fav/unfav.https://t.co/ly7SKj4xON
— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) October 30, 2023
This is very bad news for the president.
In response, the Biden administration on Wednesday announced a “National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia.”
Taking on hate is a national priority.
Today, @POTUS and I are announcing the country’s first National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia.
This action is the latest step forward in our work to combat a surge of hate in America. pic.twitter.com/pxZAn7RymY
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) November 1, 2023
Vice President Kamala Harris said the strategy will be a “comprehensive and detailed plan to protect Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim from hate, bigotry and violence.”
In addition, she said, it will “address the concern that some government policies may discriminate against Muslims.”
The announcement came as Jewish Americans were being targeted on college campuses and elsewhere amid anti-Israel protests — a fact noted by many on social media.
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“Amid an unprecedented wave of anti-Semitism all over America, the Biden White House decided that now was the time to announce the ‘first ever national strategy to counter Islamophobia.’ 60% of hate crimes last year targeted Jews. Just 9% targeted Muslims,” Greg Price wrote on X.
Amid an unprecedented wave of anti-Semitism all over America, the Biden White House decided that now was the time to announce the “first ever national strategy to counter Islamophobia”
60% of hate crimes last year targeted Jews.
Just 9% targeted Muslims. pic.twitter.com/zlroioMdMp
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) November 1, 2023
But it’s not the percentage of hate crimes that drove this sudden need to call out “Islamophobia” in the nation.
It’s the percentage of people supporting Biden.
The Biden administration may call it “a national priority,” but to the rest of America, it just looks like desperate pandering.
