HANANIA: Arab Americans have substantial presence in tuesday’s elections, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 10-31-08

Arab Americans have substantial presence in Tuesday’s elections

By Ray Hanania  – Despite the challenges of an American system that discourages their involvement, Arab Americans are involved in the political elections this week on all levels, as candidates, as voters and as controversies.

ELAASAR: Why should Arab and Muslim Americans vote for Obama? FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 10-16-08

Why should Arab and Muslim Americans vote for Obama?
By Aladdin Elaasar – Islam has come to the forefront of American presidential elections this year. With allegation that Barak Obama is a Muslim, or an Arab- which he is not- fear has been used by his opponents to tie him to some foreign scary thing. But it is not working. The more serious issues this year for the American voters are of course the economy, the Iraq war, health care, education and other serious nagging issues. Smear campaigns and digging for dirt proved not to work with savvy American voters.

HANANIA: Arabs and Muslims have no excuse for America’s pro-Israel stance, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 10-03-08

Arabs and Muslims have no excuse for America’s pro-Israeli stance
By Ray Hanania – Both of the presidential candidates and the vice presidential candidates in each of their first round of debates emphasized their commitment to “change.” But when it comes to America’s blind support for Israel and failure to stand up for human rights and justice for Palestinians, there is no change. And it again makes this presidential election between Barack Obama and John McCain another difficult and unsatisfying choice for Arab and Muslims Americans. Not all of the blame falls on the shoulders of the candidates or on the American people who dissect to minutia heady issues like the nation’s economy and alleged threats from Iran and North Korea but seem to be missing in action and intelligence when it comes to understanding the fundamentals of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

HANANIA: Did Obama undermine his election chances? FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 9-9-08

Did Obama undermine his presidential election chances?
By Ray Hanania  – Did Barack Obama allow his personal feelings to get in the way of doing what is best for America? Obama could have put together the strongest possible presidential ticket, the so-called “Dream Ticket,” by naming Sen. Hillary Clinton as his running mate. Was Obama too confident with the rushing accolades from his party? He’s not used to it since he hasn’t been leading the party very long and may have been too endeared to them.

HANANIA: Obama’s Six Degrees of Guilt by Association, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, August 7, 2008

Obama’s Six Degrees of Guilt by Association
By Ray Hanania – The campaign of Barack Obama, who many Americans think is Muslim, took on a volunteer Muslim lawyer, Mazen Asbahi, to help the presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee improve his election support among Muslim American voters.  It’s not that Muslims don’t support Obama. Let’s face it, a guy whom most Americans think is Muslim is probably going to be more understanding of Muslim and Arab concerns than a candidate like John McCain, whose entire existence has been a lap-dog-like association with a political party that routinely trashes Muslims. But, Obama has been waffling back and forth on issues of importance to Arabs, who are mostly Muslim so some outreach is necessary to that voter bloc. Well, last week, the <em>Wall Street Journal</em> decided to investigate (I would call it defaming and mud-raking, which is what the <em>Wall Street Journal </em>seems to do best when it comes to Arabs and Muslims) through Asbahi’s background. And low-and-behold, they discovered he has many Muslim friends.

HANANIA: Obama can do more than play politics with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, July 24, 2008

Obama can do more than play politics with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict
By Ray Hanania – Presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama did all the “right” things during his tour of the Middle East. It will help better define him in the eyes of Americans as “presidential material” and brush aside any concerns about whether he can or can’t be a commander in chief. He can. But doing the “right things” might not be enough to actually achieve Middle East peace. Obama needs to do more. He’s capable of it.

HANANIA: Obama’s victory far from secure, may need Clinton role, For Immediate Release, June 4, 2008

Obama’s victory far from secure, may need Clinton role
By Ray Hanania – I voted for Hillary Clinton in the Illinois Democratic Primary. At the time, I wasn’t sure who Barack Obama really was. I know Hillary from her years as First Lady and later as a New York Senator. She is formerly from Illinois. Obama was an obscure State Senator from the South Side who somehow managed to become a speaker at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and a U.S. Senator. Although I have been impressed on and off by his skills as an orator, I am not exactly sure what it is he brings to the table other than what everyone keeps telling me is “change.”

HANANIA: Can we “obliterate” the emotion-filled election pandering, please? For Immediate Release, May 4, 2008

Can we “obliterate” the emotion-filled election pandering, please?
By Ray Hanania – I think I actually now prefer a president who can’t properly pronounce the word “nuclear” over someone who keeps using it like the theme in a “Get Out the Vote” election strategy. Hillary Clinton said she would “obliterate” Iran if the Persian nation were to use a nuclear weapon against Israel. My guess is Israel can take care of itself. But vowing to “obliterate” Iran sure doesn’t hurt when you face the very likely possibility that the only way to win the Democratic Party nomination is to steal it.

HANANIA: Something annoying about Hillary Clinton, For Immediate Release, April 23, 2008

Something annoying about Hillary Clinton
By Ray Hanania – There’s something about Hillary Clinton that’s starting to bug me. As a very independent Democrat who originally leaned heavily towards Hillary Clinton against the tide of Illinois support for Barack Obama, her negative attacks against Obama and smug-sounding cockiness in winning the Pennsylvania primary – one state – is bugging me.

HANANIA: Arab Americans face dilemmas in presidential election, For Immediate Release, 02-10-08

Arab Americans should expand focus in presidential elections
By Ray Hanania – Once again, Arab American voters are in an election dilemma, stuck between a rock and a hard place as they contemplate whom to support in the presidential elections. Should they follow the lead of other American voters and support the candidates most likely to win the presidential nominations, Democrats Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, or Republicans Mike Huckabee or John McCain? Or, should they follow their conscience, confused by candidates’ doubletalk on the Middle East, and vote for candidates who reflect their views but can’t win? In reality, it doesn’t matter. The Arab American vote is not a vote that will change national elections. But it can be a vote that changes Arab American politics and community dynamics.