Biden’s early 70% range… Interest in Arab protest voting increases
The counting of votes for the 2024 presidential Democratic primary (primary election) held in Michigan, Midwestern United States, has begun. President Joe Biden is effectively the only candidate, but attention is also focused on the rebellion of Arab voters watching the situation in the Gaza Strip.
As a result of the vote counting that began at 8 p.m. on the 27th (local time) (10 a.m. on the 28th, Korean time), President Biden’s vote rate fell slightly from the 80% range based on the initial 4% vote count to 78.6% based on the 10% vote count. Primary victory is guaranteed, but the vote percentage changes.
After President Biden, ‘Uncommitted’ accounted for 16.2%. This item, also called a floating vote, is interpreted as expressing support for the party in the party’s primary, but not supporting a specific candidate.
Ahead of this Michigan primary, the progressive wing of the party carried out a campaign for floating votes. It is known that the intention is to highlight Arab votes to President Biden in relation to the war in Gaza, which was triggered by a surprise attack by Hamas in October last year.
Michigan is a region with a large Arab population, and in the case of Dearborn, nearly 55% of residents are known to be of Middle Eastern and North African descent. President Biden won 50.62% of the vote in Michigan in 2020, defeating former President Trump, who received 47.84% of the vote.
With the return match against former President Donald Trump in November virtually confirmed, colored voters are a strong support base for President Biden. Before the Gaza War, Arab public support for President Biden was not low.
Therefore, if the proportion of floating votes is counted in today’s primary, the pressure on President Biden to end the war situation in the Gaza Strip is expected to increase further. First of all, the camp supporting President Biden is emphasizing that an unwavering vote is not the same as being ‘anti-Biden.’
Meanwhile, on the same day, the Republican Party also holds a primary in Michigan. While former President Trump has virtually confirmed his candidacy, voters are also focusing on how much former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who lost a series of defeats, will be able to maintain momentum in the primary going forward.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.