Arabs in Michigan

There's one element of this campaign that has not been mentioned much, and that is the role of Arab-Americans. I am somewhat sensitive to this issue, not because I'm Arab, but because I'm from Detroit. Most Americans are not aware of this, but the Arab population in Detroit is huge - at least a quarter of a million people. My grandfather's law partner was Arab (either Palestinian or Lebanese, I can't remember which). That many people might swing the election in Michigan. Daily Kos writer DHinMI lays out the history and some of the players. There's a spot of controversy this week, because John McCain fired a prominent Arab-American fundraiser from his Michigan finance committee. Not a good move. I'm guessing that Obama will have a solid and very interesting strategy for courting the Arab-American vote. The fact that he is constantly erroneously described as a Muslim will make that effort interesting. I am very confident he'll do well with that community in Michigan.