Bush kicks off Muslim strategy for reelection

World Tribune ^ | 7/28/03

[MatthewViti]

ping

[Betty Jo]

It was Arab Muslims who got Bush started in Harken, etc. with Arab money.

See BCCI,Mahfouz,Bath,etc., articles archived right here on FR.

The Bush Family Conglomerate goes back a very long with Arab Muslims and their $$$$$$.

[Burkeman1]

Neither group is really significant vote wise. But money wise Jewish Americans have been here longer and have acquired more wealth than Muslem Americans have. Thus there are enough Jewish Republican donors with deep enough pockets to make them at least an important voice.

[Clemenza]

It was the CUBANS in Florida that voted for Bush. The growing population of "other" Latinos (we know who they are) in places like Shitsimmee near Orlando voted for the Goreon.

I would like to see more of my former Venezuealan and Colombian neighbors in South Florida register, because about 70% of them would be favorable to Bush. Bush is seen as anti-Chavez in the Venezuelan community, although I wish Bush would do more to dispose that turd in a uniform.

[jagrmeister]

I am neither trying to be "assinine" about Islamism. The definition from your link, "The common thread amongst these movements is the belief that the problems faced by Muslim societies can be solved only by adhering to the strict tenets of Islam" does not insist they are militant. There are fundamentalists in all religions. However, it is true that some Islamic fundamentalists have links with militant groups. They use mosques and non-profits as fundrasing fronts. We should crack down on those. However, we dilute our purpose by assailing all Arabs, Muslims, and even those who are devout worshippers of Islam.

[twigs]

I do have these facts and figures, but not at work. I wrote a paper on it between the 2000 election and 9/11. I will try to remember to look up my old bibliography later.

[twigs]

My guess is that although Bush lost Michigan, he probably captured the majority of Muslim votes. During the campaign, Muslims, who usually vote democratic, decided to pool their vote to strengthen their political clout. Word went out through emails and mosques that Muslim leadership would seek interviews with both Gore and Bush and report on their conclusions, susggesting that Muslims follow their leadership. Gore stood them up; Bush didn't and talked with them. Then in one of the debates, he mentioned the desire to end secret evidence, a judicial procedure that held was used to hold Arabs, which was struck down as unconstitutional whenever it was challenged. (I'm sure the president looks differently at this today, but that was pre-9/11). As a result of these things, the Muslim leadership suggested that Muslims across the country vote for G Bush, which many of them did. There is a large concentration of Arabs in FL and because of the closeness of the vote there, that decision probably DID put G Bush over the top. I will look up the sources I used when I get home tonight.

[veronica]

It was the CUBANS in Florida that voted for Bush. The growing population of "other" Latinos (we know who they are) in places like Shitsimmee near Orlando voted for the Goreon.

Most likely the Cuban-American vote was the most crucial in Florida. Or maybe the Conservative Jews in Florida, there are some you know. Or maybe it was the Liberal Jews - the ones who voted for Pat Buchanan by mistake. ;)

[truthandlife]

BLAME would be justifiably attributed to the evangelicals should they, enmasse, either refrain from voting or cast their votes for a democrat or a losertarian etc.

What do you think we should do to them? Feed them to the lions or crucify them.

[AuH2ORepublican]

"The growing population of "other" Latinos (we know who they are) in places like Shitsimmee near Orlando voted for the Goreon."

---

Well, Clemenza, I guess you're becoming more civilized. A few months ago instead of ""other" Latinos (we know who they are)" you would have written "Puerto Ricans (aka Melanzane turned inside out)." Now all you need to do is stop painting all Puerto Ricans with such a broad brush, and consider, for example, that the Puerto Rican vote in the Orlando area was fairly close between Jeb Bush and McBride last year. It's a shame you still haven't been able to shed your old prejudices, since from your other posts you appear to be an alright guy (solid conservative, virulently anti-abortion, knowledgable about politics in general and NYC politics in particular). So my recommendation is that you take the canoli, but leave the bigotry behind.

[Clemenza]

Or maybe the Conservative Jews in Florida

I know of one who lives near my parents. He feels greatly outnumbered in Wexler-land and would like some more Jewish conservatives to join him in Boca.

Or maybe it was the Liberal Jews - the ones who voted for Pat Buchanan by mistake. ;)

Plenty of my parents neighbors in Boca were livid about the ballot being "so confusing."

It would be great if I see more Bush signs in Palm Beach County when I visit my parents next year, but I'm not holding my breath. It will be interesting to see if Howard Dean (provided he get the nomination) can get the high turnout that Gore received in the area in 2000.

[rmlew]

The definition from your link, "The common thread amongst these movements is the belief that the problems faced by Muslim societies can be solved only by adhering to the strict tenets of Islam" does not insist they are militant. There are fundamentalists in all religions.
1. Obviously you have no understanding of the History of Islam or the life of Mohammed.
2. Islamism is not traditional Islam. Rather it is a mixture of Third Worldism, Marxism, Fascism, and militant interpretations of Islam.

However, it is true that some Islamic fundamentalists have links with militant groups.
Find one group of Islamists that do not.

However, we dilute our purpose by assailing all Arabs, Muslims, and even those who are devout worshippers of Islam.
We shouldn't. However we should also not let relativism blind us to the specific threat of Islamism.