Andrew Sullivan sees the Dubai Ports Imbroglio (not to mention illegal immigration) as a massive opening for the Dems. I agree. The far left in this country has been creeping toward isolationism and nativism for some time. If such sentiments can be packaged in a less alarming, more common sense-y way, big gains can be had. This also seems to jive with what Glenn Reynolds keep harping on: The Dubai thing is a "tipping point" in U.S./Muslim relations.

If a Dem President in a time of war with Arab interests, made a deal with other Arab business interests, and Republicans criticized, they'd be called close-minded racists and blablabla. But -- since it's otherwise bland Dem senators calling out Bush on his bizarro brand of free market multiculturalism, it's officially okay for Americans to reveal that, you know what, we don't trust Arabs, we don't think Islam's a "religion of peace" and we're sick of all "their" bullshit. Barbara Boxer, Chuck Schumer and some of the farthest left senators in Congress have done more to channel/understand what those dastardly, usually-GOP-voting heartland hicks have been thinking, than any Demo think tank/polling firm/demographic study could ever muster.

UPDATE

I'm not saying that Boxer et al are themselves bigoted. Just that latent bigoted emotions in everyday Americans are given legitimacy by the institutionalized fears of the other (in this case, Mideast Arabs).