Muslims defend Obama as they wait for him to reciprocate

We both agree that it's not a very nice thing to say, but Obama, Sara and I totally told you so. Yesterday, the NYTimes wrote a great piece on what we had briefly mentioned before about Obama's struggle to reassure mainstream America that he's not a closet Muslim terrorist, while simultaneously remaining faithful to his rhetorical promises of delivering change to all Americans.

The Muslim vote might very will be, as the article suggests, a potential game changer in several swing states. But, its electoral impact still isn't great, especially compared to that of other minority groups, i.e, blacks and Latinos. This is why how Obama subsequently chooses to "resolve" the issue of Muslims feeling slighted is so indicative of his character as a leader: his decision will be driven more by founding principle than by an attempt to pander in return for votes. In dealing with this relatively inconsequential constituency whose vote he can all but count on, Obama can act boldly,--another "race"esque speech on his commitment to protecting the civil liberties of all would probably do the trick--proving once again that his message of hope knows no boundaries. Or, he can sit idly, as the whispers of those 10% of Americans who still think he's a Muslim trick him into thinking that only by shelving his principles does he have a shot at winning in November. Don't be duped Obama. If you're as candid in addressing this issue as you've proven to be with race, you'll be fine. But act now; with only a few months left to pitch to the American people exactly how you plan to preside over a country in serious need of healing, you have little time to waste.

The strained relationship between Muslims and Mr. Obama reflects one of the central challenges facing the senator: how to maintain a broad electoral appeal without alienating any of the numerous constituencies he needs to win in November.

After the episode in Detroit last week, Mr. Obama telephoned the two Muslim women to apologize. “I take deepest offense to and will continue to fight against discrimination against people of any religious group or background,” he said in a statement.

Such gestures have fallen short in the eyes of many Muslim leaders, who say the Detroit incident and others illustrate a disconnect between Mr. Obama’s message of unity and his campaign strategy.

“The community feels betrayed,” said Safiya Ghori, the government relations director in the Washington office of the Muslim Public Affairs Council.

Even some of Mr. Obama’s strongest Muslim supporters say they are uncomfortable with the forceful denials he has made in response to rumors that he is secretly a Muslim. (Ten percent of registered voters believe the rumor, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center.)

In an interview with “60 Minutes,” Mr. Obama said the rumors were offensive to American Muslims because they played into “fearmongering.” But on a new section of his Web site, he classifies the claim that he is Muslim as a “smear.”

“A lot of us are waiting for him to say that there’s nothing wrong with being a Muslim, by the way,” Mr. Ellison said.

Plus, polls show your lead, both nationally and in key swing states, to only be growing. Obviously, we like the guy we've come to know so well in the last 17 months. A guy, I can assure you, who acts on principle and not political motivation, regardless of what personal ambition of his might be at stake.