Mitt creates 'Arab-Americans for Romney' - is MI a tossup now?

[Indy Texas]

http://www.mittromney.com/news/press/2012/10/romney-president-announces-arab-americans-romney

I can't think of any way Romney could benefit from this other than peeling off a few thousand votes in Michigan, which suggests he means business there. Everywhere else, Arab-Americans are too widely dispersed to have any significant impact on a national election. The fact that this demographic runs the gamut from 4th+ generation Lebanese Catholics who vote like other white ethnics to recently arrived Muslims who are solidly Democratic means they basically cancel each others' votes out.

[homelycooking]

Benefit Romney? Hardly. Muslims and Arabs will vote for one of their own.

[BringinTheTruth]

No.  Michigan is fool's gold.  At most, Romney may spend money there to force Obama to defend and thereby reducing his ability to defend elsewhere.

[J. J.]

It might force Obama to spend some money there, but, except in a blowout, MI should be Obama's.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I had a dream where Romney used his war chest to buy up all the cheap empty homes in Michigan and fill them with poor West Virginians. That was his Michigan strategy.

And to be honest, it would probably be more effective than this coalition.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

His target is more likely Ohio than Michigan.  There's an estimated 60-70 thousand living in Ohio.  Probably too late to garner more than a few hundred votes, but that could be the margin in Ohio and Ohio's 18 EVs the margin in who wins or loses overall.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Benefit Romney? Hardly. Muslims and Arabs will vote for one of their own.

Nader's not running this time.

[Stirring Wolf🥣🐺]

I had a dream where Romney used his war chest to buy up all the cheap empty homes in Michigan and fill them with poor West Virginians. That was his Michigan strategy.

That is an amazing dream.  I wish politicians got votes by buying people houses.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Holy astroturfing, Batman!

[Modernity has failed us]

Obviously not a huge thing. Romney won't be winning Arabs.

[Napoleon]

Obviously not a huge thing. Romney won't be winning Arabs.

What makes you think that?

[Modernity has failed us]

Obviously not a huge thing. Romney won't be winning Arabs.

What makes you think that?

(i'm totally kidding of course)

[Indy Texas]

Obviously not a huge thing. Romney won't be winning Arabs.

What makes you think that?

One of my uncles on the Lebanese/Palestinian side of my family basically sums up all of the ground Republicans have lost with that demographic over the past decade. He's a very successful business owner, goes to church on Sundays and Wednesday evenings, the sort of person you'd think would be a lock for Republicans (and once was). He was very strongly for Bush in 2000, went to a bunch of fundraisers for him, maxed out his FEC contributions, got invited to play golf with him and some other Texas GOP people. Voted for Bush again in 2004 but with little enthusiasm. I honestly don't know who he voted for in '08 but he has been very pro-Obama this year, posting stuff on FB, emailing people, etc.