McCain to campaign in Lebanon; Lebanese Americans unite

That's Lebanon, Ohio. You didn't think Lebanon was THAT important to the Republican candidate, did you?

Republican presidential candidate John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, will appear together for a campaign rally Tuesday outside the Golden Lamb restaurant in Lebanon, his campaign announced today.

Despair not, fellow Lebanese Americans, spread out everywhere on this land. A coalition has been formed in our name to allow us to express our support for the Palin-McCain McCain-Palin ticket.

Here's an excerpt from the McCain website.

Welcome to Lebanese-Americans for McCain. Our coalition is the central gathering point for members of the Lebanese-American community to join forces and collectively endorse John McCain for president. As an organized and united force we can support John McCain by organizing our community and getting out the vote for the 2008 election.

    We are proud to endorse John McCain,a man whose character, judgment, leadership, and experience is precisely what all Americans need in their next president. His foreign policy experience is unparalleled, and most importantly he understands the issues facing the Arab world.

    As Lebanese-Americans it is imperative that we get involved.

    Please help us build support for McCain for president!  

I couldn't help but note the contradiction between "Lebanese" and "organized". "United force" also seemed to be out of place.

I also couldn't help but notice how McCain's Lebanese American group did not mention Lebanon at all on their page. Instead, they only mention the Arab World, which includes Djibouti and Mauritania. What's the point of calling yourself a "Lebanese American Coalition" if your mission statement does not even mention the country that supplied your identifying label? What the hell has happened to Lebanon in the past three years, and why isn't it part of what will get us to "organize" and form a "united force"?

Contrast the above with McCain's Jewish Advisory Coalition. These people have nothing to hide.

For nearly three decades John McCain has enjoyed a strong love, friendship and appreciation for Israel and her citizens. His affection for and understanding of the myriad of complex issues confronting the Israeli people runs deep, as does our nation's long alliance with the State of Israel.

During his most recent trip he visited Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial and vowed that he would never allow Jewish people to suffer another Shoa.

He recognizes Israel's right as a sovereign to defend herself against those who seek to harm and destroy her. John McCain will hold terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah and Hamas, who seek to maximize civilian death and destruction inside Israel, accountable.

John McCain recognizes the threat that a nuclear Iran poses not only to Israel, but to the stability of the region and to the international community. On his watch, Iran will not be allowed to put its anti-Israel, anti-Western rhetoric into action.

For nearly 30 years John McCain has been proud to call the people of Israel, Chaverim! Friends!

I wonder if one should blame the "Lebanese American Coalition" for forgetting to include Lebanon in its statement, or just blame it on the lack of love McCain has for the country of cedars, which can never produce anything that can even come close to the above love affair with Israel.

With McCain's Lebanese ashamed of their own country, one might as well consider Obama's "community of Arab Americans". Here, they actually list the issues, whether your agree with them or not.

    We are a community of Arab Americans who are working nationwide to elect Senator Barack Obama the next President of our nation. We believe in Senator Obama's message of hope, action and change. We believe that Senator Obama has the judgment to lead and the courage to renew America's promise.

    Senator Obama is committed to the issues that our community cares deeply about: civil rights, profiling, a just peace to the Arab-Israeli conflict, a wise withdrawal from Iraq, closing Guantanamo, immigration reform and promoting human and civil rights in the Arab World.

Comments

[The Geek Academic]

When I first read the title, I thought, oh no! WTF! Then, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the rest.

By the way, congratulations on your naturalization. I am going to mine on the 17th of this month. Bizarre process, isn't it? You wrote a while back about traveling to Lebanon, and the hassle at the airport. I went through the same thing when I went there this summer, although not as bad as your experience. The SSS on the travel document definitely weirded me out.

When you were in Lebanon, did you have the conversation "no. Obama is not Muslim" conversation a lot? I had one almost every place i went. Finally, people would say "well, even though he might not be Muslim, Arabs will still like him because he has an Arab sounding name".

[RebLeb89797]

The text at Arab-Americans for McCain is exactly the same as the one at Lebanese-Americans for McCain. The genius who put this up could have worked another 10 minutes and customized the message. Lazy bastard.

[Jeha]

Last time around, the Republicans got Ohio thanks in part to Lebanese votes. They have some hope of repeating this feat again, provided foreign policy still matters most to those voters.

It is hard to tell from Polls; they look like "noise" or "traffic jam", which is what you get in a system filled to capacity. In this context, the party with the best "get out the vote" organization will win it, and the Democrats appear to have upgraded their systems and databases.

[Max Power]

Obama is a Muslim to Muslims via his father. Anyone who is Muslim would readily admit that.

Lebanese are not monolithic, they tend to be traditional Democratic voters and depending on the issue, vote Republican. However, if the Lebanese are excited about Obama who sounds like he has an "arab name" (which he does) where is the pride for Ralph Nader? Tell Lebanese in Lebanon to worry about the mess in their country and not the turds on our lawn.

As far as GOTV goes, the Dems are well organized, however they won the 06 cycle disguising their canidates as "moderates", not hardcore leftist won. Don't underestimate the Republicans either.

[Max Power]

The worst thing BTW would be an Obama victory for Lebanon. Syria/Hezbollah/Iran would be given the Halal/Kosher stamping by Obama in the name of "diplomacy" and showing Europe how great of an appeaser he is. However, for those here who like a return to the "good ole days" with a dollop of an injection of the Shia Crescent and a cooking up of tensions, hope for an Obama win.

[Jeha]

max,

a couple of notes;

1- Anyone who is American understands that you are what you make yourself to be. What others think matters little, and Lebanese are individualistic before being Moslem or Christian or Jewish, especially those who emigrated to America. from a Religious/secmore than 70% of those who claim to be Arab Americans are Christian. But they did not leave a sectarian system to recreate it in the Americas. In any case, they tend to be a mix of traditionalism and "laissez-faire" pragmatists, and whoever is perceived to be a safe pair of hands will get their vote. And they mistrust pollsters, if they ever talk to them. The best example was back during the Independence vote in Quebec; while the majority of Lebanese emigrants were polled as being in favour of the "Oui", 90% of them voted "No".

Like most new immigrants, they're unlikely to tell pollster they're opposed to a black candidate, and while they tend to favour "mommy" issues, they mistrust all "lefties". As long as McCain does not screw up, he's likely to have their vote.

2- The United States are not a boutique, like all Arab states. Their interests always govern; in spite of all the talk during election time, whoever is elected will not change that. If their interest requrires Syria to come back, Yamo would be back already. And now that Syria's out, the price has gone up. That does not mean they will not keep the Syrians hoping; they kept Iraq in the freezer for 10 years, didn't they?

[Max Power]

Jeha,

Valid points made. Why would you interject race into it? That's a false argument used by Obama supporters to mask his REAL reasons why people wouldn't vote for him. Obama is too Left and very inexperienced to be qualified for the highest office in the land. However, they use the race card as a trump to mask their deficencies. Remember, Hard Core Liberal/Democratic activists put him in the drivers set in their primary.

As a Dual Citizen, I see Lebanese Americans in both parties on every level. From Philly, where Jimmy Tayoun once controlled the Democratic machine to Chris John and Dr. Charles Boustany in Louisana who represented D and R in the same district. Last, but not least, Ralph Nader to Spencer Abraham to Nick Rahall to Darrell Issa up to John Sinninu. Lebanese are all over the map politically. Maybe the Shites in Dearborn favor a "softer stance" on Hezbollah as do many Lebanese in Congress.

There are two sides and yes they do play out in their own way on this side of the ocean as well. While the Lebanese may not a strong lobby like the Armenians, Jews or even the Greeks. That's a reflection of the Lebanese not all being monolithic.

As for point no. 2, Obama has already ripped into Bush's policy towards Syria. He seeks to "engage" Syria and condemns the harshnest of the Syrian Freeze. While Sarkozy is out there with his Mediterrean Union, which would make the Middle East/North Africa a colony state of the EU. Sarkozy is also sending Syria the wrong message.

Speaking of boutiques, Obama want to treat the whole middle east as a one stop shop pinning every arab state dreams under one banner. It's a reverse PanArabist policy.

[Jeha]

Max,

Race is a factor; whether unstated in many minds, or used as a "fake argument", it is remains a factor in this race. In some ways, the talk of him being a Moslem may well be yet another code word. However, on the positive side, race, gender, and many hyphenations may end up losing effectiveness as a factor in US politics, as a new consensus is reinforced.

In addition, regardless of what Obama says before the elections, realities will impose their own agenda. This "reverse PanArabist" policy you are describing is no more realistic that Dubya's "new Middle East". But it is now Iran and Syria's turn to overreach, and it may well get bloody. Syria has made a fatal error by stoking a sectarian fire on two borders. Iran will be soon facing the same systemic limitations faced by all theocratic systems, as the disadvantages of combining religion with politics pile up and outweigh any advantages.

[RebLeb786757]

Don't worry your little heads too much. McCain will win in a landslide and Assad will soon be at Guantanamo.

[danny]

Don't despair...Barack has visited Lebanon as well...We are in demand on this side of the Ocean LOL...

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5idxVMZa9TkiFvhU67hIj6714YvQwD93326980

[Jester theCourtFool]

hmmm…

I hear the epitome example of ‘the flip-flopper’ Jumblat, is playing along on good terms with Hezbollah recently, (not in favor of Israel) . Why would Hezbollah who easily has support in his areas to disrupt his own growth with such a bomb.

There are TWO Months for the Bush Administration to ride his rodeo, then it’s hopefully peace (and then you'd think?).

I say, let’s all have a gathering, a road trip to the south specifically to Shebaa farms, a get together with drums and lights ( turn it into a rave if be it ) singing, John Lennon' § all we are saying… is give peace a chance’… I’d love to see how Fox would spin this the next day.

An area where Syria, Israel and our beloved, tiny Lebanon, is shouting out to the world for us to get out of this Arab-Israeli game.

[George]

Muslim website promoting Barack Hussein Obama

http://www.mafo2008.com/
The Islamic world's enthusiasm for Barack Obama:

Barack Obama caused another stir over his ties to Islam on Sunday when he noted that “John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith” in an interview with George Stephanopoulos. Stephanopoulos immediately corrected him, and Obama backtracked to say, “my Christian faith…What I’m saying is that he hasn’t suggested that I’m a Muslim.”
A few pundits tried to make something of this, attempting to revive the “Obama is a Secret Muslim” rumors, but there really wasn’t anything more to it than a verbal stumble. Obama is not a Muslim, and there is enough to question about training, experience, ideology, core values, and judgment without endlessly parsing the slip of the tongue of a tired man.

It is noteworthy, however, that just as this tongue-slip was making the rounds, Menashe Amir of Radio Israel’s Persian language service noted that “one of the Iranian religious leaders said if Obama will enter the White House, then Islam will conquer the heart of the American nation.” Amir, who was born in Iran, said the Iranian mullahs favor Obama “mainly because he is a Muslim.”

Egyptian journalist Yasser Khalil declared recently that “Barack Obama represents a phenomenon that has drawn global attention and captivated the minds of Muslims around the world.” Writing from Cairo, he said that “in spite of the campaign's heated debate and some controversial rhetoric regarding Islam, large segments of the Muslim population here remain fascinated with the election and have become big fans of Senator Obama.”

He explained this fascination as a manifestation of Muslim “hope in the political approach of Obama and his advisers. His apparent eagerness to rally more international support for US policy, and even talk to America’s ‘enemies,’ is cause for optimism. Imagine what global politics might look like in Iraq, or Sudan, or Afghanistan, if Obama-like vision had influenced US leadership earlier.”

[George]

Jeha made very valid points. I share his view.

[George]

Barack Obama's Muslim Outreach Coordinator, Mazen Asbahi, resigned under pressure in August after it was revealed that he was "a frequent speaker before several groups in the U.S. that scholars have associated with the Muslim Brotherhood."

The Muslim Brotherhood, of course, is engaged “in America [in] a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and ‘sabotaging’ its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and Allah’s religion is made victorious over all other religions.” — Mohamed Akram, “An Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America,” May 22, 1991

And now it turns out that Asbahi hasn't really quit at all.

[George]

Obama - the messiah crucified on O' Reilly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lqjuW2V7K4

[Umm K.]

George--get a life. Not everyone appreciates your disdain for Muslims, especially the author of this blog, considering he is one. If you have an anti-Muslim agenda to promote, go elsewhere.