President Biden is facing growing frustration within the Democratic Party over his handling of the conflict in Gaza.
Younger voters, Black activists, and Arab Americans who helped elect Biden are considering withholding support or sitting out the 2022 midterms due to Biden’s opposition to an immediate ceasefire and military aid for Israel.
Biden campaign spokesman Seth Schuster said, “The President is working to earn every vote and our campaign will continue engaging directly with voters on a range of issues,” including on “lasting peace in the Middle East.”
Mitch Landrieu, the campaign co-chair, said, “You can expect a very, very aggressive outreach to all voters, young voters particularly, on all of these issues.”
He continued, “The President – and we’re going to have to follow his lead on this – he has said many, many times, he’s not thinking about this in terms of elections. He’s thinking about this in terms of what the right thing to do is.”
In Michigan, Arab American groups are urging primary voters to choose “uncommitted” as a protest, which could depress turnout in a key swing state.
While Biden has taken a more critical stance, critics say he has not gone far enough.
James Zogby, a founder of the Arab American Institute said, “It’s really dangerous. We saw it in 2000, we saw it in 2016.”
Abdualrahman Hamad, a Palestinian-American ophthalmologist in Detroit, said, “I don’t even know if Biden views my people or my blood as true human blood.”
Democratic strategist Abbas Alawieh added, “What I want is for the people around President Biden to knock some sense into this campaign, and tell him that if he does not take a different approach, he will lose key voters here in Michigan that will hand Trump the presidency.”
His campaign acknowledges concerns but believes outreach can address them.
If not addressed, long-time Democratic constituencies like Black voters may feel betrayed, which could undermine Biden’s ability to “finish the job” in a re-election bid.
