Muslim Americans voted overwhelmingly for Obama yet gained no relief

Evidence

The Democratic Party is not an ally in this fight. Some on the left, and many Muslims, believed that the Obama presidency would mitigate and undo the virulent Islamophobia unleashed during the Bush years. Not only had tens of thousands of Muslim Americans been detained or deported in the years following 9/11, but hundreds of thousands were “interviewed” and thereby deemed suspicious by the newly formed Department of Homeland Security. There was much hope during the 2008 elections that all of this would change with a new Democratic president. A poll conducted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations found that 89 percent of Muslim Americans voted for Obama; only 2 percent voted for the Republican, John McCain. More than two-thirds declared themselves to be Democrats, 29 percent said they were independents, and only 4 percent identified as Republican. But their hopes would be dashed. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 577

Categorization

• XREF: Ties to the reader’s guiding question about which material interests the Democratic Party’s stance protects, and parallels critiques of the two-party system in critical race literature. — connects to: Political Islamophobia’s modern form began with Obama’s 2008 presidential election. — Arsalan Iftikhar, Fear of a Muslim Planet_ Global…, 235; Muslim surveillance thrived under the Obama administration; Anti-Muslim racialization is bipartisan and flourished under the Obama administration (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• Muslim American confidence in Obama fell during his first term #corroborates (0.80) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 587
• Liberal Islamophobia under Obama worsened conditions for Muslims at home and abroad #expands (0.80) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 436
• Muslim American communities joined progressive movements only after being targeted #expands (0.60) — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 478
• Muslim Americans hold nominal but reduced substantive citizenship #corroborates (0.50) — Khaled A. Beydoun, The New Crusades_ Islamophobia and the…, 1344
• Muslim citizenship in America is negated by religious identity after crises #corroborates (0.50) — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 340
• African American Muslims are the largest Muslim American plurality yet stay marginalized. #expands (0.40) — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 451