: Spurned Muslim Voters Seek A Democratic Suitor

Muslim activists had hoped the 2000 presidential election would mark the emergence of the Muslim electorate as a viable force, and while its success was debatable, the choice of President Bush as the candidate to back is regretted by nearly all who backed the choice. This year, Democratic hopefuls for the top spot are courting Muslims to help seal a race which is expected to be close. A straw poll at last weekend’s MPAC convention in Los Angeles revealed that more than 67 percent planned to vote for former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, compared to just 2 percent for Bush. This number is tantalizing for candidates in the face of major efforts to register more than 1 million Muslim voters in preparation for the next race. Illustrating just how far the Muslim community has swung since its overwhelming support of Bush in the previous election, one delegate remarked upon hearing the results of the above poll, “How did Bush manage to get 2 percent?”

Shahed Amanullah is editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com.