13 Comments
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Kendra S's avatar
2dEdited

Thoughtful analysis, Gabe.

It amuses me when conservative Christian voters get worked up about sharia law, then turn around and advocate policies that look a lot like…sharia law. (I’ve lived in countries that largely follow sharia law since 2010, so I am familiar. :))

George Hicks's avatar

There is a whole other side to Trump picking up Muslim, Black, Jewish and Hispanic voters in 2016 and 2024 - plain, old-fashioned misogyny. They weren't voting for Trump or for the GOP so much as voting against a "woman-President."

Nana Booboo's avatar

The real reason Michigan Muslims went GOP in 2024 has nothing to do with Gaza and everything to do with the Republican Party's decade of wooing Muslims with anti-Black, anti-woman and anti-LGBTQ "culture wars" rhetoric.

Tom Emmer, who is now leading the kill-the-Muslims Republican Caucus, had as recently as late 2024 an office in a Somali shopping mall in the biggest city in his district. He closed it once he decided to go for the white Christian bigot voters instead

michiganadvance.com/2023/10/03/how-some-michigan-muslims-united-with-extremist-republicans-against-lgbtq-rights/

Dmitrii Zelenskii's avatar

If it's a decade-long campaign that is the reason, why did it suddenly give fruit only in 2024 but not in 2020?

Nana Booboo's avatar

Because Joe Biden is a white male and Kamala Harris is a woman of color.

Julia's avatar

What evidence are you using to determine Gaza had nothing to do with it?

I think the swing had more to do with Muslim’s staying home in protest of Gaza and less to do with them actually being persuaded by the GOP.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/09/democrats-lose-michigan-arab-american-voters

Allan Toh's avatar

It's a mix of both - Muslims staying home after Biden & Dems seem to go along with the Israelis on Gaza, and the religion being extremely hostile against LGBTQ rights, etc. You & Julia are both right, it's not mutually exclusive, one or the other.

Nana Booboo's avatar

Look up what the word "abeed" means. Also look up why Arabs are able to live in sundown towns like Dearborn: because they went to court over 100 years ago so they would be legally white. Dow v. US is what makes them able to live in the sundown towns whereas Black people have to stay in Inkster.

Herb cohen's avatar

Right on. As usual.. can’t wait for November!!!

A.Gnosticthefirst's avatar

Family values? The current edition of the Republican Party? The three-strikes law seems as though it was designed to hurt families, especially the families of African Americans, incarcerated at rates far above their share of the population. There are no nuances - a simple marijuana possession charge could result in a sentence of life, no parole, if the defendant is found guilty.

MacroV's avatar

I should hope so!

Bill Nelson's avatar

Great column, Gatbe