Claim: Support for Israel really does matter for American Jews
An interesting experiment: Support for Israel is a critical element of Jews’ voting behavior. An experiment we embedded in a survey for the National Jewish Democratic Council provides the most telling evidence. For half of the sample we pitted a Republican candidate "Jones" who had a "strong pro-Israel record" and a variety of typical Republican issue positions against a Democratic opponent "Smith," who also had a “strong pro-Israel record” along with typical Democratic positions on the same issues. The other half of the sample was given identical portraits of “Jones” and "Smith" except that, for the second group, the Democrat lacked the pro-Israel record.So how did Obama win? Here's what pollster Mark Mellman claims:
Comparing the vote in the two halves of the sample reveals the substantial difference support for Israel makes to Jewish voters.
The pro-Israel Democrat won by a 45-point margin, while the Democrat who was identical, except on Israel, eked out only a three-point win. Support for Israel alone created a massive 42-point swing in the margin, clear evidence of the centrality of Israel to Jewish voters.
Exactly what constitutes a “pro-Israel” candidate is uncertain, but the new American Jewish Committee poll hints at some indicia. Ninety-four percent of Jews believe the Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state; two-thirds would endorse Israeli military action to prevent Iran from going nuclear; nearly six in 10 oppose a compromise that left Jerusalem divided or outside Israeli sovereignty. While 60 percent would dismantle at least some Israeli settlements in exchange for peace, only 8 percent would dismantle them all. As J Street’s poll makes clear, 75 percent supported Israel’s military action in Gaza, while almost the entire community supports an active role for the U.S. in pursuing peace.
With 76 percent labeling the president pro-Israel, Democrats appeal to Jews’ economic and cultural instincts, as well as to their pro-Israel commitments.Well, then there's a huge gap between American Jews and their Israeli brethren, 96% of whom claim Obama is not pro-Israel. That's a huge gap and it's not just explained by someone being fooled.
I believe American Jews vote differently on the President than they do on Congress. They need a lot more evidence to vote against a Democratic candidate for President. Since Obama voted 'present' so much - and since much of the case against him was based on his associations, which the media did its best to hide - that record wasn't there.
If Obama is the Democratic candidate in 2012, I'd look for him to get a lot less than 78% of the Jewish vote. Unless he bombs Iran....
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:27 AM
5 Comments:
American Jews' religion is liberalism. And liberals by and large are not too warm towards Israel these days.
Did 96 percent of Israeli's thinl Obana was anti-Israel before his election? I doubt it.
After the elections, American jews have other things to think about than just Israel so we're a little slower ro catch on.
I suspect that Obama will still win big in 2012 because the Republicans will likely pick yet another horrid candidate.
Carl,
There is another issue here. Secular assimmilated Jewish liberals -unfortunately almost 90% of America's Jewish population, get an orgasmic high from being able to support and vote for a "black" man. They are also in the forefront of playing the race card. They are the first to accuse Obama's opponents of being "racist".
This despite the fact that zero is a half aryan biracial whose black ( but non-negro) father was not a slave descendant. This fraud who is closer in relation to Goebbles than you or I, stole a slot in Harvard set aside for real black men, and underwent a "halachic" conversion to blackness by being a member of Wright's black-Nazi church and marrying Michelle Obama.
Obama will get the same vote that Carter did in 80. Only this time it will be less than the 59% Carter got. And don't look for Anderson. If I remember correctly my mother voted for Bugs Bunny (a nice Jewish rabbit from Brooklyn).
Bret,
If you go here, you will see that Israelis were pro-McCain before the election, albeit they didn't distrust Obama to the extent that they do today. If you go here, you will see that 76% of American Jews who live in Israel voted for McCain - almost a mirror image of their American brethren.
For those who wanted to 'get it' before the election and could pull the lever to support a Republican once they 'got it,' it was painfully obvious what Obama was and what he would do. I warned of it as far back as early 2007, as did many other Right wing bloggers.
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