Thousands of voters have decided not to support President Joe Biden in the Michigan Democratic primary because of his administration's support of Israel in its war against Hamas.
INTERNATIONAL – Calls for a “non-binding” vote. This Tuesday, February 27, signs proclaiming “Vote Non-binding” began to appear on the streets of Dearborn and several cities in Michigan as the Republican and Democratic primaries took place in this Midwestern state. The two votes were won by Donald Trump and Joe Biden, respectively. But beyond this record, the current President of the United States has been particularly affected by a wave of empty voices expressing opposition to his support for Israel.
According to initial estimates, more than 50,000 “non-binding” votes, the equivalent of a blank vote, were cast at the polls in the state with a large Muslim and Arab population. These votes are the result of the “Listen to Michigan” communications campaign, which aimed to obtain at least 10,000 “uncommitted” votes in the primary elections to send a clear message to Joe Biden about his Gaza policy. Expectations that were thus far exceeded.
With a view to a rematch against Donald Trump four years later, this result is also worrying for Joe Biden. He narrowly won this state in the 2020 presidential election. The decisive factor for this victory, however, was the support of Muslims and Americans of Arab origin. Even more, nationally, 64% of Muslims supported Biden in 2020.
“A humanitarian vote” to force Biden to respond
Except this year, that electorate is distancing itself from the president as the number of civilian casualties on the Palestinian side in the conflict between Israel and Hamas rises, without Joe Biden firmly putting his fist on the table against the Jewish state. And any defection hurts his chances of re-election in November.
“It's not an anti-Biden campaign: it's a humanitarian vote,” said Layla Elabed, a leader of the group Listen to Michigan, AFP reported. “President Biden is funding the bombs that are being dropped on members of families who live here in Michigan, people who voted for him and feel completely betrayed,” she added.
Activists also rejoiced in this larger-than-expected support. Tens of thousands of Michigan Democrats, many of whom voted for Biden in 2020, are refusing to support his re-election because of the war in Gaza. »
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“I was proud to vote today (…) with empty votes,” said Rashida Tlaib, an elected official from Michigan of Palestinian descent. And to urge Joe Biden to listen to “the majority of Americans who are saying enough.” Enough of the wars, enough of using our dollars to fund genocide.”
Young nurse Fatima Elzaghir also voted blank in this election, she told AFP. “It is obvious that the appeal to empathy has no influence on most politicians. Maybe the fact that (Biden) wants to win Michigan will push him toward a truce. »
Joe Biden thanks his voters and ignores the message
For his part, Joe Biden thanked “all Michigan residents who made their voices heard,” without mentioning this protest vote or the situation in Gaza.
A problem that could resurface very quickly, however, as Arab and Muslim voters have launched similar campaigns to “Abandon Biden” in other key states, notably Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona.
White House officials are expressing increasing frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his conduct of the war in the Gaza Strip. However, the United States continues to supply large quantities of weapons to Israel, whose main ally and protector it is, while making intensive efforts to negotiate a second ceasefire in the war sparked by Hamas's bloody Oct. 7 attack on Israeli soil was triggered.
In recent weeks, Joe Biden has asked Congress for billions of dollars in additional military aid to Israel, and his administration has vetoed several U.N. resolutions calling for a ceasefire.
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