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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (13908)	10/26/2003 11:49:54 AM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793688

Op-Ed from the Post Mobilizing Arab Americans By David S. Broder Wednesday, October 22, 2003; Page A29 DEARBORN, Mich. -- What happened here last weekend when about 300 Arab Americans from all parts of the country gathered in this Detroit suburb was another chapter in one of the unnoticed glories of American life -- the entry of yet another immigrant group into the mainstream of the nation's politics. As James Zogby, the president of the Arab American Institute, the Washington-based advocacy group that organized the two-day meeting, recalled, it was not that long ago when presidential candidates of both parties rejected invitations to speak at such events and returned campaign contributions from donors with Middle Eastern names. With the chairman of President Bush's reelection campaign and virtually all the Democratic presidential hopefuls journeying here (or, in the case of three members of Congress detained by votes, appearing by satellite), Zogby said, "We have come a long, long way" -- and almost all of the journey occurred in two decades. For all its faults, one of the great virtues of the American political system is its openness. Anybody who shows up to volunteer is likely to find herself a precinct chairman for the party of her choice. Anyone who can bring a couple of dozen people to a rally or turn them out to vote will soon be on the county executive committee -- and, in short order, be invited to consider a candidacy for local office. "Outsiders" may struggle to rise in business, the professions or academia, but in politics, the ruthless mathematics of elections -- the simple fact that every vote counts as much as every other -- guarantees access to the political process as soon as a constituency gains recognition. That is how the Irish, the Italians, the Poles and other 19th-century immigrants became mayors and congressmen -- often replacing the Yankees in those posts, and long before their friends became bank presidents or full professors. It is why southern politicians such as Strom Thurmond were transformed by the Voting Rights Act from staunch segregationists into supporters of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The advice given at a workshop here on "mobilizing the Arab American vote" drew on the experience of all those once-excluded groups. Richard Fawal, a political consultant based in Austin, stressed what he called "the five basics" of gaining influence: Join a political party; contribute time and money; vote in every election; talk directly with elected officials about your issues; and be prepared to endure defeats and stay involved over the years. The barriers to overcome may seem high -- but they too are familiar. Several in the room said recent migrants from countries run by undemocratic regimes are understandably fearful of becoming politically active here. Their experience is that backing the wrong side can be dangerous. But it took courage for other excluded groups to get into the game; think about the first blacks to try to register to vote in Mississippi, or the first Catholic to seek the presidency. But the rewards are tangible. One of the most telling moments for the workshop audience came when Abed Awad, the head of the Arab American Democratic Caucus in New Jersey, told how he and his friends did a careful count of Middle Eastern immigrants in Paterson, N.J., mounted a registration campaign among them and presented the numbers to a candidate for mayor. They negotiated for their support and, as a result of his victory, Awad said, "Paterson will have its first Arab American deputy mayor." Such small victories -- and many were reported -- serve the interests of the once-excluded community. But they also help the country by broadening the stream of available leadership, by assuring attention for needs and for views that might otherwise be ignored and by dissipating the tensions and antagonisms that fuel bloodshed in less open societies. Integrating new groups into politics is one of the great services the political parties have provided. With the notable exception of Christian conservatives, who had shunned politics until they and their causes were welcomed by the GOP beginning a quarter-century ago, most of the new constituencies have found their home in the Democratic Party. Arab Americans have flirted with both parties and currently lean to the Democrats -- thanks to the widespread criticism of Bush administration support for the Sharon government of Israel and the even more widespread concern about the targeting of Muslim immigrants by John Ashcroft's Justice Department. Republicans sacrificed the early support of African Americans when the party of Lincoln adopted its "southern strategy." They are struggling to avoid making the same mistake with Latinos, many of whom disagree with Republican policies on immigration and the economy. Over time, it is the party that first recognizes -- and rewards -- the new claimants to political power that will survive and thrive. And that is why this Dearborn gathering was important. davidbroder@washpost.com © 2003 The Washington Post Company