If Israel could vote in the 08 elections

[israeli vote08]

How would Israel vote in the election? Obama or McCain Tell us what you think.

[Thomas216]

You should know.
Israeli voters will probably vote McCain (from what I can tell), though socially we are a bit more liberal than US voters and economically we are quite far from where the US stands the main concern is Israel is security issues, always have been.
It got nothing to do with how the economy is doing, there could be a depression and people would still vote regardless of economic platforms, average Israeli doesn't mind to pay a 100% tax rate as long as he'll be safe as possible.
So, though economic and social issues may suggest otherwise, Israel will cast its ~12 electoral votes to McCain.

Plus, in Israel there's a mandatory military service, there's huge respect for former generals and Obama, not having served in the military, will find it hard to gain votes.

McCain's age also is not a problem for Israelis, in the contrary. If Obama had been an Israeli PM he would have been the second youngest whilst 9 out of 12 Israeli PM have served into their 70s, the three who didn't are assumed to be the worst.

BTW I'm not sure this is the forum to post this thread.

[daboese]

I think it will be probably pretty evenly split.
The young voters would go for Obama, while the older ones would go for McCain.

It is, however, true that it would not be a landslide for Obama like it would be in the rest of the western world.

[12th Doctor]

I don't know, but now that I think about it, I guess if I am going to bitch about Puerto Rico enjoying all of the benefits of being a state without any responsibility in return, I should probably say the same for Israel.  You guys wanna join up?

[All life is a blur of Republicans and meat.]

Victory for a white man

[danny]

Well, I thought I'd add a poll showing McCain ahead 46-34:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3613689,00.html

[danny]

I don't know, but now that I think about it, I guess if I am going to bitch about Puerto Rico enjoying all of the benefits of being a state without any responsibility in return, I should probably say the same for Israel.  You guys wanna join up?

Sure, your electoral system is way more interesting anyway.

[Matt Damon™]

The vote of the occupied territories/israeli arabs/liberal israelis would push Obama over the top.

[Stranger in a strange land]

The vote of the occupied territories/israeli arabs/liberal israelis would push Obama over the top.

Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza can't vote in Israeli elections. If Palestine were a state alongside Israel, it would vote about 99% Obama. 

[Matt Damon™]

I was presuming the entirety of Israel including the occupied territories was one state.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

The vote of the occupied territories/israeli arabs/liberal israelis would push Obama over the top.

Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza can't vote in Israeli elections. If Palestine were a state alongside Israel, it would vote about 99% Obama. 

and would have voted 99% Bush in 2000... talk about a swing

[Matt Damon™]

Why so bush?

[phk]

Why so bush?

Likud Joe!

2000 was the last election between the Old Left and Old Right.

[Verily]

In its current circumstances, Israel would have voted about 60-40 McCain. Of course, the ramifications of Israel being a state would so completely alter the political landscape of the country and the region that the result might end up completely different.

[Bo]

In its current circumstances, Israel would have voted about 60-40 McCain. Of course, the ramifications of Israel being a state would so completely alter the political landscape of the country and the region that the result might end up completely different.

This seems about right. However, as you mentioned, if Israel was a state then the dynamic would be different and thus its presidential vote. Israelis prefer Republicans because they feel Republicans are more committed to their security, but this problem would have been eliminated if it was a state, and since most American Jews are Democrats, Israel might very well vote Democratic as well in this scenario.

[Senator Libertas]

With Obama as the Dem nominee, I think it could come closer to 70% McCain. The same state that just elected a radical Zionazi like Netanyahu would not likely have taken a liking to a schwartze with a Muslim name.

Of course this also depends on how many Palestinians/non-Jews would have their votes counted, if at all.