What American Jews see in Obama

We voted for Obama due to his domestic policies. We support his universal heath care and socialist domestic policies. It has nothing to do with Israel.

The American electorate, in general, doesn't care about Israel, the Middle East or foreign policy. You flatter yourself to think otherwise.

Israel is a very minor factor in deciding who to vote for. Obama is seen as trying to help Israel;s long-term prospects, while Romney is seen as a naive etch-a-sketch artist. If elected, he might have been far more injurious to Israel; he's a man without principles. Obama is seen as ty9ing to move a relatively progressive agenda forward - a traditional Jewish interest in the US.

#1 Israelis also have a problem with that. They'd prefer not to be considered Asian.

The fact that the DNC booed recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel should tell you what the democrats think about Israel and also how little American Jews care.

I am an American Jew who is very concerned about Israel when I vote. I voted for Obama - NOT because I was voting against the Israel right (didn't even occur to me) - but because I couldn't stomach the far-right big Christian country values of the Romney/Ryan Republican ticket. I decided, after much soul-searching and analysis of Obama's record, that in the end Obama and the U.S. Congress would step up and support Israel's rights against Iran et al much the same as Republicans.

much less know about its poliitics

the majority of american jews always votes for the democratic candidate. there is no reason to suspect that their latest vote had anything to do with the particular candidates or particular government in israel. the 'unqualified love' of obama is the latest of the 'unqualified love' of kerry, gore, clinton, dukakis, etc. this analysis would only make sense if the author showed some reliable data on the people changing their vote to support/protest the israel government policies.

Ofcourse part of what BO inherited as US President is an avalanche of US Mutual Understandings: USA has too many mutual understandings all over the WORLD: and as many of them don't Match with eachother USA LEFT with none because it can't choose as thus it has no mutual UNderSTANDING all USA is left with is no understanding at all due to TOO MANY MUTUAL UNDERSTANDINGS: HAVING LED TO NONE.

so Israel was not a major influence on the Jews who voted for Obama but was significant in those who wished to vote against an as yet unelected Likud-Beiteinu governmentt... Maybe for the majority of Jewish voters it was just that they saw Obama as the best man for the job

I think it's clear that around 25% of America's Jews would vote Republican, no matter what--they may harp on Israel as their reason--but even if Israel was off the table, they would vote Republican. I'm guessing 5% were swayed by the Republicans-are-better-for-Israel mindset. Israelis should not be surprised that the overwhelming majority of American Jews vote Democrat. Israelis don't like American Jews. What they have a hard time understanding is that a large core of American Jews hold equally negative views of them. That's because Israelis, like Republicans who watch only Fox News, live inside of a bubble in which they go to GA conferences, hear about Jewish Federation love fests and think that so many American Jews adore them. They don't. Worse still: that Israel's Prime Minister interceded in the US election on behalf of Mitt Romney and that he has ingratiated himself to Congressional Republicans, has only turned off a large number of younger Jewish voters. Israel is making it, in the long run, a lot harder for itself in America.

An excellent article. To quote William Shakespeare if we could see ourselves as others see us