The Israel controversy (?) and '12...

[Leaper]

This article's discussion is seen by at least one conservative pundit as evidence that "a slew of former... supporters [are] abandoning him" and thus hurts his reelection prospects.

True or no? Whether or not the President truly did express what his opponents (and some neutral observers) claim he did may or may not be part of the answer, depending.

[Marley23]

You're linking to The Washington Times, and I wouldn't take the opinions of a hopeful conservative at face value here. If you remember, Obama was supposed to be weak on Israel in the 2008 election, and yet he won the Democratic nomination and the general election. Every election cycle, conservatives think they can peel off a bunch of Jewish votes by making more noise about Israel than the Democrats do. (Or at least they say they think they can do it.) It never happens. There are conservative Jews out there, don't get me wrong - but I think most Jews understand that both parties are strongly pro-Israel and that that state of affairs is not going to change any time soon. Meanwhile most Jews lean left on social and economic issues, so in presidential elections, around 80 percent of them vote for the Democrat. What's the alternative if you're Jewish and socially liberal? An evangelical Christian Republican?

So I'm not sure how much of an effect Obama's statement from last weekend is going to have on the election. The election is going to turn on the economy.

[Farmer Jane]

Elections are not made -or lost - 18 months out.

[Chronos]

What controversy? He's said pretty much the same things as every other president in the past few decades.

[Captain Amazing]

I think there are a lot of people, and a lot of Jews specifically, that wish that Obama were stronger for Israel, but I don't think this is going to make a difference. The 2012 election is going to come down to the economy and the deficit. If people have jobs and it looks like something is being done to reduce the deficit, the President will be reelected. Otherwise, he won't.

[Profound Gibberish]

Israel what? That country has never had a significant impact on american voters. As stated earlier, there is strong support for Isreal on both sides and that is unlikely to change.

[Little Nemo]

Originally Posted by dbx820

Israel what? That country has never had a significant impact on american voters. As stated earlier, there is strong support for Isreal on both sides and that is unlikely to change.

To be more accurate, there are voters who care about Israel but most of them are already committed to one party or the other. Israel isn't a wedge issue in American politics.

[Farmer Jane]

Originally Posted by Little Nemo

To be more accurate, there are voters who care about Israel but most of them are already committed to one party or the other. Israel isn't a wedge issue in American politics.

It definitely isn't, though anything could become a wedge issue at any time.

The only way to really back up WaPo's claim (or standard commentary) is if you looked at past elections and sought out one where Jewish voters swung the other direction because of Israel. I don't see that happening. Reagan and Carter are sometimes scowled upon, but I don't have those poll numbers. 75% sounds about right, but it's hard to say what happened last election because the only known poll I've seen was a poor sampling.

Plus you can't really assess the 'Jewish vote' re: Israel of 2008 because President Obama wasn't President yet. Maybe if McCain had not picked Palin as a running mate, things would have changed. Unless something awful happens in Israel and the U.S. is seen as a propagator, I don't think it will matter. Jews in America are sympathetic to Israeli Jews as targets of antisemitism more than lovers of Likud.

But hey, September is before November, and you never know. I think President Obama is a total ninny most days, but I'm voting for him because I'm a Democrat and I don't see a viable alternative. I may vote for a Republican if I thought his/her foreign policy were better, but rarely do candidates divide themselves on foreign policy as Presidents rely on Congress's support when carrying out such matters.

[Bryan Ekers]

More elections have hinged on Jews being confused by ballots than by Israel.

[Exapno Mapcase]

Originally Posted by CitizenPained

The only way to really back up WaPo's claim

Whoa. Not the Washington Post, the Washington Times, the newspaper started by Reverend Sun Myung Moon which is miles to the right of Fox News.

[Farmer Jane]

Originally Posted by Exapno Mapcase

Whoa. Not the Washington Post, the Washington Times, the newspaper started by Reverend Sun Myung Moon which is miles to the right of Fox News.

Hah! I misread another poster. Grazi.

The WaPo is conservative (to me).