Staff Reports
In a bizarre twist of political strategy, Vice President Kamala Harris recently embarked on a visit to Muslim communities in Michigan, dragging along Liz Cheney for what was supposed to be a warm, bipartisan gesture. Instead, this pairing has left many scratching their heads, lamenting how the Harris-Cheney duet missed the mark entirely. While Harris might have aimed to signal solidarity, she only showcased her miscalculated attempts to woo an important voter base.
Cheney, the former Republican Congresswoman from Wyoming, has built a reputation as a Trump critic after the Capitol incident. The political landscape, however, isn’t as simple as Harris hoped. Her stop in Royal Oak was ostensibly about unity, particularly aimed at bringing moderate Republicans into the fold. Yet, it seems Harris overlooked the fact that Cheney’s connections to the Iraq War and a legacy of foreign interventions might not sit well with the Arab-American community. Some residents felt quite the opposite of unity, seeing Harris’s actions as hollow pandering.
So glad @Liz_Cheney is stumping for Harris… she lost her last election by what… 20 points? There are no Republicans or Independents that care what she says… and after that J6 farce, she has no credibility… @VP Harris is really scraping the bottom of the barrel… pic.twitter.com/ooV2y4SMh4
— Scott Woods 💯🇺🇸 (@SteelerScott68) October 26, 2024
Feedback from the Muslim community has been sharp and critical. The Hamtramck Mayor, Amer Ghalib, did not hold back in describing how Harris’s partnership with Cheney was akin to a slap in the face. To many in the Arab-American community, Cheney’s name evokes memories of the Iraq War and a legacy intertwined with conflict. Ghalib’s endorsement of Trump only underscores the discontent with the Harris-Cheney alliance, indicating this move could very well alienate potential supporters instead of attracting them.
Other local leaders echoed similar sentiments. Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi characterized the visit as “disgusting,” suggesting that bringing Cheney into the fold only deepened existing divides. This perspective raises important questions about the effectiveness of Harris’s campaign strategies. It appears that Harris’s political play has done little more than reinforce existing frustrations within communities already wary of her policies.
The backlash didn’t stop there; organizations like the Council on American-Islamic Relations have made clear their stance against Cheney, labeling her a “torture advocate” and calling the partnership with Harris an affront to justice. The message is loud and clear: aligning with Cheney has not only backfired for Harris but also stands as an insult to those who have historically opposed the Bush-Cheney era’s controversial policies. In the shifting landscape of American politics, navigating these waters requires more than just a photo-op with a well-known figure; it necessitates genuine understanding and respect for the communities being courted. Clearly, guessing that Liz Cheney would be a welcomed guest at a Muslim gathering was a misjudgment of epic proportions.
