'Uncommitted' movement raises 500K to sway Biden for a ceasefire
5 Min Read
The Uncommitted movement, initiated in Michigan, has raised half a million dollars to push for a ceasefire, in ways critics claimed would benefit Trump.
-
President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign event at the Scranton Cultural Center, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in Scranton, Pa (AP)
The uncommitted national campaign raised almost half a million dollars to fund its movement which aims to push US President Joe Biden to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
The campaign started with the "shoestring" campaign, through which over 100,000 voters in Michigan cast their ballots for "uncommitted", in a clear message against Biden's re-election relaying that the votes he is counting on are not ones he would obtain due to his Gaza policy. States like Washington, Minnesota, and Wisconsin rode the bandwagon soon after.
Following the Michigan presidential primary, the Movement Voter Project, the primary financier of the national organization Listen to Us, allocated $160,000 to support advancing the initiative. The second most significant contributor, as per the group's FEC filing, is Arab Americans for Progress, a political organization based in Michigan.
Billy Wimsatt, the executive director of the Movement Voter Project, said the organization funds several local political groups, has a network of donors and investors and filters millions of dollars toward similar political causes.
Read more: Over 58,000 in Michigan vote 'uncommitted' in primaries against Biden
Not anti-Biden, just anti-policy...?
Although critics claimed the movement would push voters toward Donald Trump, the organization stated that it was not anti-Biden, but only aimed to change his course of action in the Gaza war.
Regardless, donors have shared concerns over the movement, which has gained extensive momentum despite being briefly funded, fearing it would push voters against Biden. However, Wimsatt stated that after the organization and its donors discussed the objectives and goals, "every single person has come away with a very different perspective. Many have come away expressing a sense of cautious optimism and hope."
He also said that the movement's support for the uncommitted campaign is characterized by a "win-win-win": One for the people in Gaza, one for Biden's policy if he changes it, and one for political groups that attract voters.
The voters in question, he noted, encompass a "Biden enthusiasm gap" that organizers for the uncommitted campaign have endeavored to mobilize and will contribute to the voter turnout in November. In several states where uncommitted efforts are active, such as Michigan and Wisconsin, the count of voters who opted for that ballot choice surpasses the margin by which Biden secured victory in those states, raising concerns for Biden's reelection campaign.
But on an ironic note, considering Biden's insistence on supporting "Israel" despite almost seven months of condemnation, Wimsatt said his movement would not support the uncommitted campaign if it hurt Biden's chances in the election.
"We believe that it is strategic for Democratic-leaning donors to support them right now to win major policy changes in the coming weeks and months – both to save lives in Gaza and to make all of our jobs easier as we work to, again, in the Uncommitted movement’s own words: keep anti-war voters engaged to fight fascism and strengthen our democracy in November.”
There have been indications that the movement has influenced shifts in the Biden administration, at least in their choice of terminology. For example, instead of referring to it as a "humanitarian pause," they began advocating for a "temporary ceasefire", though the concept remained largely unchanged.
The uncommitted campaigns secured delegates in various states to be sent to the Democratic National Convention, where outspoken advocates of the movement intend to utilize their platform to persistently urge Biden on matters concerning Gaza.
However, Biden's approach is not unclear, following Iran's retaliatory operation against "Israel".
Poll: Americans say Biden should encourage 'Israel' to stop war
A rising proportion of Americans want President Biden to push "Israel" to end the aggression on Gaza and Biden's handling of the issue has dropped to its lowest point yet.
The survey, taken before Iran's retaliatory attack on "Israel," found little support among the American public for military action against Iran if Iran struck "Israel." Only 25% believed the US should take military action against Iran in such a scenario and 32% believed the US should not get involved.
Biden is under particular strain inside his own party over the war on Gaza, which has killed over 33,000 Palestinians, where Democrats are more sympathetic to the Palestinian people and his handling of the war has been abysmal in the eyes of younger Americans and Arab and Muslim Americans.
Compared to last October, fewer Democrats and independents currently believe the US should provide weapons and supplies to "Israel". That viewpoint maintains a consistent majority among Republicans. Only 40% of those polled believe that the US should continue sending weapons to the occupation, compared to 48% who thought so in October.
In terms of humanitarian, aid to Gaza, a total of 63% of those polled believe aid should be sent to Palestinians, compared with only 57% who felt that way in October.
