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Last update - 00:00 08/02/2008
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Easy choices: McCain better than Obama, Clinton better than what's-his-name
By <a href="mailto:rosner@haaretz.co.il" class="tUbl2">Shmuel Rosner</a>
Tags: Clinton, Israel Factor 
 

1.

Earlier this week, the Israel Factor panel compared McCain and Clinton and was asked to choose between the two. The result: a tie. Four of the panelists said they'd prefer a President Clinton, the other four thought a President McCain was better from an Israeli point of view.

Today we will deal with other two-way races - one still possible, the other maybe in 2012: McCain vs. Obama and Clinton vs. the no-longer-a-candidate-but-still-loves-America Romney (when we asked, he still was a candidate). Unlike the Clinton-McCain race, in both these cases the verdict was clear and the panel was unanimous or near unanimous.


2.

Let's start with the still viable McCain and Obama.

The panel, as expected from the marks these two candidates have been getting month in and month out for a year and a half now, prefer McCain.

Here's a table comparing their marks from the panel on Iran:



As we have done before, the panelists who supported Clinton over McCain in our previous analysis are in blue, those who want McCain in red. As you can see, even two of the four "Clinton blue" panelists - and we are talking about experts who clearly don't have a problem with a Democrat in the White House - trust McCain on a nuclear Iran better than they trust Obama.

3.

But the panel's real problem with Obama is that despite all the effort and all the statements that he made in past weeks and months, they are still unconvinced that Obama cares enough about Israel.

Earlier in the week we explained that "this panel never thought of McCain as an emotionally attached friend of Israel." This is true when one compares McCain to Clinton. But look what happens when McCain is compared to Obama on this same question (blue still represents pro-Clinton panelists and red pro-McCain):



4.

Now let's look at the Clinton-Romney race. Romney is no longer in the race, but one learns something here about the preferences of the panel.

Take a look at this table: The panel trust Clinton on a whole range of issues important to Israel.



5.

Now look at this table. It's complicated, but even more revealing. In the upper row are the marks Romney got from the eight panelists on his position regarding Iraq. In the second row are the marks Clinton got on the same questions.



And here comes the tricky part: in red are those panelists who prefer McCain over Clinton, in blue those supporting Clinton over McCain. What you see here is remarkable: Even two of the panelists who support McCain over Clinton gave Clinton higher marks on Iraq than the marks they gave Romney.

Wouldn't you think Romney's policy in Iraq would be more similar to the one McCain prescribes than to the one Clinton supports?

Apparently, some members of the panel don't see it like that. Either they did not believe that Romney would actually follow the policy he swore he supported - or they thought that the identity of the candidate is more important than the policy s/he vows to pursue, prior to the election.

6.

And what about a race between Obama and Romney? We asked the panel about such race too, but will not bother you with the specifics. Bottom line: Five preferred Romney, three thought Obama was the better candidate
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  1.   Looks like your panel has too many Democrats 19:37  |  Joel Stein 08/02/08
  2.   WHO`S BETTER FOR ISRAEL 21:07  |  ZOLTAN ACKERMAN 08/02/08
  3.   News Flash Joel Stein 23:38  |  Ben B 08/02/08
  4.   Why is Rosner the only one writing here? 23:25  |  Aaron 10/02/08
  5.   Good for Israel (?), bad for Jews 01:36  |  Obama Mama 11/02/08
  6.   Rosner Protexia 01:42  |  Martin 11/02/08
  7.   Obama: Lugar Secretary of State? 03:11  |  Steve 11/02/08
  8.   The Problem with McCain is. . . . 04:27  |  MichaelF 11/02/08
  9.   Obama 04:51  |  Sherry 11/02/08
  10.   McCain 06:43  |  Simon 11/02/08
  11.   #7 - McCain: John Bolton as Secretary of State? 14:41  |  Obama Mama 11/02/08
  12.   #11 17:30  |  Chopper 11/02/08
  13.   Who cares? Every one O them Has a "loyal face" 00:33  |  But what`s behind? 12/02/08
  14.   Who`s better for the United States? 01:12  |  Jeffrey 12/02/08
  15.   Obama? Credentials? 01:29  |  Johnson 12/02/08
  16.   why are israelis all excited about attacking iran 09:05  |  Ben Lee 12/02/08
  17.   hilarystillmygirl 20:25  |  c. schmidt 12/02/08
  18.   Who`s better for the USA on #14 05:35  |  Shmuelshachor 13/02/08
  19.   Mac Cain/Bolton to #11 05:41  |  Shmuelshachor 13/02/08
  20.   Israel lobby`s destructive influence 15:16  |  Rich Siegel 24/02/08
  21.   American Presidential Race 23:52  |  Joel 09/06/08
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