Will young voters ditch Biden over Israel? For most, it’s not a priority.

By mzaxazm


As colleges and universities across the United States continue to grapple with student protests over Israel’s controversial military campaign in Gaza, it is sparking conversation about whether President Joe Biden will pay a price at the ballot box among young people, a key voting bloc for Democrats.

Certainly, some students might decide to stay home or cast a protest vote against Mr. Biden – and in a close election, even a small loss of support can hurt. 

Why We Wrote This

As student demonstrators clash with authorities on campuses nationwide, it’s raising questions about the youth vote in the fall. But polling shows most young people are far more focused on the economy than on the Mideast.

Yet for all the passions currently on display, polling suggests the Middle East is not the determining issue for most young people that headlines make it out to be. Indeed, when it comes to political priorities, the younger generation isn’t all that different from older ones: They’re mostly focused on the economy.

Nearly one-third of voters between the ages of 18 and 29 rank the economy as their primary concern, according to a Harvard Institute of Politics poll released last month. That’s compared with only 2% who rank the Israeli-Palestinian conflict first.  

“The loudest voices aren’t usually representative of where the majority of folks are, even within one generation,” says Stefan Hankin, a Democratic pollster. 

When asked what issues are top of mind as they prepare to vote in their first presidential election this November, Cassidy Mazyck and Alexia McNamara, students at Virginia Commonwealth University, list several. 

“Probably guns and women’s rights. Abortion is a huge one,” says Ms. Mazyck, who is studying clinical radiation science.

“I would say jobs or women’s rights,” says Ms. McNamara, an information systems major.

Why We Wrote This

As student demonstrators clash with authorities on campuses nationwide, it’s raising questions about the youth vote in the fall. But polling shows most young people are far more focused on the economy than on the Mideast.

“Oh, and student loans for sure,” adds Ms. Mazyck. 

Neither mentions the Middle East.

The omission seems striking – given that they are sitting on yellow Adirondack chairs less than 40 feet away from the university’s “liberation zone,” where a group of their peers is loudly pounding on bucket drums and chanting slogans like “Israel is a racist state!” and “Biden, Biden you will see, Palestine will be free!” Later that evening, the protest would turn violent, with police using tear gas to clear the encampment and protesters throwing objects at officers. Several arrests were made.



Source link

Leave a Comment