Arab American voters gathered recently in the New York borough of Brooklyn to hear local candidates as well as representatives of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and Republican rival John McCain.
There are more than three million Arab Americans. Many live in four key states -- Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia -- that are being closely contested in the presidential race. Jim Zogby heads the non-partisan Arab American Institute in Washington DC. He says Arab Americans share concerns with all Americans.He says that their concerns are like the rest of the country's concerns. We just finished a poll of Arab Americans -- 80 percent said the economy is their number one concern.
The war in Iraq, health care, gasoline prices and education are also important to Arab Americans, the poll found. At the election event, members of the local Arab American community expressed their concerns.
he next U.S. president is likely to have an impact that extends far beyond a four-year term. As President, Republican John McCain or Democrat Barack Obama would have the chance to appoint at least one new justice to the U.S. Supreme Court.
