NYT: Arabs in U.S. Raising Money to Back Bush

[kskiska]

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 administration's Palestinian-Israeli policies.

Yet the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the war in Iraq have been a catalyst for some wealthy Arab-Americans to become more involved in politics. And there are still others who have a more practical reason for opening their checkbooks: access to a business-friendly White House. Already, their efforts have brought them visits with the president at his ranch in Crawford, Tex., as well as White House dinners and meetings with top administration officials.

(snip)

"He has saved Iraq," said Mr. Hosseini, who left Iran when he was 13. "He's the savior, if not of Iraq, but also of the other countries around Iraq. They want freedom. I am so sure of this because I am from that part of the world."

Mr. Hosseini's enthusiasm runs counter to what some polls say is a drop in Mr. Bush's popularity among Arab-Americans. In a recent release, the Arab American Institute, a nonprofit organization representing Arab-American interests in government and politics, said Mr. Bush's support had fallen sharply since the 2000 election. A January poll conducted for the group by Zogby International, which is headed by John Zogby, a Lebanese-American, found that Mr. Bush's approval rating among Arab-Americans had fallen to 38 percent from as high as 83 percent in October 2001.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/17/politics/campaign/17MONE.html?hp

[Philosophy]

1. Won't they feel stupid

If * wins and then they are rounded up into internment camps.

[smirkymonkey]

2. WTF???

Isn't that like Jews raising money for Hitler?? They hate Arabs - they want to destroy them and gobble up their resources?? How can they not see how dangerous this administration is to the Arab world?

Fill me in if I am missing something, I just can't get my mind around this.

[rooboy]

4. Funnily enough...

I was watching a documentary about genocide last weekend where they mentioned how a number of jews did support Hitler and join his party. They lived to regret their decision, unfortunately.

So I guess this is not an unusual phenomenon.

[sasquatch]

3. Are they Saudi's and Bin Laden's by any chance?

[ConcernedCanuk]

6. The ONLY people allowed to leave right after 9-11 were Arabs -

.
.
.

and bin Laden's

quite a surprise eh?

[madrchsod]

5. why is the botherhood raising

money for bush??? why are conservative white religious leaders raising money for bush??? are the conservative jewish leaders raising money for bush?

[kitkatrose]

7. Conservatives are similar regardless of

religion, I guess. They all want the end times to come so they can go to heaven and see the 'heathens' get sent to hell. :eyes:

[mobuto]

18. Like always

Its secular modernity vs. fundamentalist reaction.

[Virginian]

8. These people contributing are all American aren't they?

Remember what a stink the Republicans made when Al Gore went to a fund raiser at a Chinese temple and not all in attendance were citizens.

Some Saudis including bin Ladens do have a habit of contributing money to Dubya -- Like helping to set him up in business before he went into politics.

[GRClarkesq]

9. I didn't see anything in the article to suggest the money was

coming from anyone other than Arab-Americans. I dont find this that suprising, I have some Iraqi clients who fled Iraq years ago, they are very happy now.

[demdave]

17. Buddhist Temple and the stink was the illegal reimbursment of the donors.

April 1996 Gore attends an event at the Hsi Lai Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles that nets the Democratic National Committee close to $65,000 from donors. In September 1997, a trio of Buddhist nuns from the temple admit in Senate testimony that the temple illegally reimbursed guests for their donations. Gore later denies knowing the gathering at the temple was a fundraiser, describing the event as "community outreach."

[GreyV]

10. NY Times?... Arab and Muslim?

Chances are the amount of Muslims voting Republican will be the same as the amount of Jews voting Democrat.

First of all, Arab doesn't mean Muslim. Second, its NY Times, not exactly a liberal media source. Remember that the Homeland Propaganda departments and their media accomplices are working overtime.

In my area there are more Christian Arabs than Muslim ones. (Lebanese Arab Christians, Iraqi Assyrian Christians, etc). Iraqi Christians were mostly pro-war, while Syrian and Lebanese were anti-war. Anyways, lot of Arabs hope to see Bush get tougher on Israel in the future, go figure. Also, I think there is the Lieberman factor with his "Israel right or wrong" speech back in December that confused many people.


Some people are scared that if they don't vote republican their citizenship might be revoked, or that they would be secretly discriminated and punished somehow. Heck, I might vote for Bush just out of spite, if Kerry is the Democratic nominee. It means nothing. They probably see Democrats and Republicans as Christians who differ only at methods and ways to kill Muslims, nothing more.

[mobuto]

11. The number of Jews voting Democrat?

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

[JCMach1]

12. I don't buy it

there are a very small minority of arabs who will support bush this time

[Nietzsche]

13. mobuto

jews have historically voted deomocrate because they have taken a more pro-israel stance. I hate to generalize but living in new york city, and being jewish myself, i talk to a lot of jews. They all seem to be pretty liberal on most issues except israel and of course as in any religion, the conservative ones support the republicans because of the social issues.

[mobuto]

15. That's simply not true

Israel is but one of many issues important to Jewish voters, who are far more liberal than the popular at large. Jews didn't start voting for Democrats in 1948 and the percentage who vote Democratic has continued to rise - not fall - in recent years. I believe Al Gore got something in the neighborhood of 70% of the Jewish vote in 2000 - a higher yield from any ethnic group other than African Americans.

all seem to be pretty liberal on most issues except israel

Israel isn't a liberal/conservative issue.

[Tinoire]

14. NYT recycles this story every other month

different names but always the same scare story.

[mobuto]

16. Really?

Please cite examples to prove your case.

[w4rma]

19. It's all about the kickbacks for these particular folks.

And there are still others who have a more practical reason for opening their checkbooks: access to a business-friendly White House.

Most Arab folk aren't looking for kickbacks and will go Dem, IMHO.