Loading ...OP-ED: Voting Third-Party: A Principled, Strategic Choice
By: Kareem Rosshandler
Arab and Muslim Americans have good reason to be involved in the presidential elections. As frustrated observers of the Biden administration’s unbridled support for Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza over the last year, their choice at the ballot box should have a particularly powerful effect. But the question is how, given that neither major party is responding to the community’s burning demand to end Israel’s campaign.
Arab and Muslim voices have never been so loud and yet so maligned by mainstream politicians.
This is despite the fact that the community is set to have a strong influence on election outcomes in swing states such as Michigan and Georgia. Each party seems to be taking a gamble with the community: the Democrats are betting that they will vote for them for fear of a Trump victory and a resurgence of domestic xenophobia; the Republicans, that they simply won’t vote for the Democrats out of protest. Neither party, however, is willing to gamble with critical funding from AIPAC and other pro-Israel donors by addressing the concerns of the community. These electoral priorities ensure that the Gaza war remains particularly cruel and open-ended.
That is why Arab and Muslim voters need to take a completely fresh, strategic approach to the elections. The community needs to show that it is a force to be reckoned with; it needs to be able to form a recognizable voting bloc. What better way to vote than a third party? At first thought, this might seem unpragmatic. Third parties stand no chance of winning, and leftist ones tend to divert votes from Democratic candidates. But at this critical moment, what matters is not so much who wins – especially as either outcome will be undesirable. Rather, what matters is that the community can show the major parties that it will not be taken for granted and will not vote against its conscience out of fear. And beyond casting ‘protest’ ballots, it will take positive ownership over its choices.
All of the third parties are worth exploring. Civic-minded members of the community would be impressed to learn of the boldness of their platforms. The Green Party, Justice for All, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and the Libertarian party have all taken principled, unapologetic stances on Palestine, and none of their presidential candidates have shied away from calling what is happening there a ‘genocide’. In a signal to the community, both the Green Party and the Justice for All Party have put forward Muslim vice-presidential candidates. But in choosing from these parties, voters might have to consider domestic issues, as well as ballot access. Currently, the best-represented parties are the Libertarian Party – which has ballot access in all 50 states, followed by the Green Party, which has access in 46. The other parties have not gained as much representation.
The Arab and Muslim community has an opportunity to contribute to third-party successes. According to Council on American-Islamic Relations data, there are an estimated 2.5 million registered Muslim voters. According to the same organization, the Green Party is now leading the Democrats among Muslim voters in Michigan, Arizona, and Wisconsin. In the key swing state of Georgia – where Biden only beat Trump by 12,000 votes – community activists launched the ‘No Peace No Peach’ campaign to withhold the same number of votes from the Democrats unless they respond to their demands on Palestine. For these key states, the nation’s eyes are on the community.
By voting for a third party, the community would also highlight the centrality of Palestine as an issue. The stakes are high in this election, as the prospect of Trump returning means that fewer Americans will risk voting for the Green Party. This means that more than ever, third parties will be attracting pro-Palestine, single-issue voters. Those voting for them will be making a clear statement against both of the major parties’ Gaza policies. When Democratic and Republican strategists see how fearlessly the community is willing to put its vote behind this issue, they will be forced to take a more responsive approach to American foreign policy towards Palestine.
This is not a time to be fearful of who wins, but bold and proactive. Even if one million Arab and Muslim Americans vote for third parties, that boost would be enough to identify the community as a proper voting bloc. In future elections, Republican and Democratic strategists will be forced to take its demands seriously.
There are candidates running for election who not only share the community’s principles but also stake their entire careers in giving them a voice. Why should people of conscience – when given a free choice – not vote for them? If we do not stand by our principles, how should we expect politicians to take them seriously? And perhaps, in the long term, the community’s support for third parties will help crack the duopoly that is American politics. In the spirit of the great Arab-American third-party politician Ralph Nader, this could be the community’s contribution to American democracy.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Arab America. The reproduction of this article is permissible with proper credit to Arab America and the author.
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