A majority of Democratic voters say the Gaza crisis is either very or somewhat important in determining how they vote.

Commissioned by the Arab American Institute (AAI), the online poll of 2,505 American voters conducted between July 31 and August 1 found that 44% of U.S. voters would back Harris, 40% would support Republican nominee Donald Trump, and 11% would vote third party “if the election for president of the United States were held today.”

But if Harris were to endorse a suspension of U.S. arms shipments and diplomatic support for Israel “until there was a cease-fire and withdrawal of forces from Gaza,” her national support would grow from 44% to 49%.

A majority of Democratic voters say the Gaza crisis is either very or somewhat important in determining how they vote in November, according to the AAI poll.

The new survey, which has a margin of error of 2 percentage points, is consistent with an earlier poll commissioned by the Institute for Middle Eastern Understanding Policy Project, which found that Harris would bolster her chances in key battleground states if she backed an arms embargo.

  • lennybird@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    3 months ago

    Is this nationally or do they break down to state level? Because it’s unfortunately somewhat meaningless beyond the likes of Pennsylvania.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      There are a number of large Muslim communities across the Midwest. I doubt it would move the needle in Indiana or North Carolina, but there was a sizable Uncommitted Vote in Michigan specifically focused on the Palestinian Genocide. That’s a swing state Harris desperately needs. Juicing turnout in Deerborn could easily be what closes the deal in November.

    • Keeponstalin@lemmy.worldOP
      0·
      3 months ago

      The second poll, linked in the last quoted paragraph, has info on the swing states

      A significant share of Democrats and independent voters in pivotal swing states Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona are more likely to vote for the Democratic presidential nominee (presumptively Kamala Harris) if said nominee pledges support for an arms embargo to Israel, and if President Joe Biden secures a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The findings come in new polling commissioned by the Institute for Middle Eastern Understanding Policy Project and conducted by polling firm YouGov.

      In Pennsylvania, 34% of respondents said they would be more likely to vote for the Democratic nominee if the nominee vowed to withhold weapons to Israel, compared to 7% who said they would be less likely. The rest said it would make no difference. In Arizona, 35% said they’d be more likely, while 5% would be less likely. And in Georgia, 39% said they’d be more likely, also compared to 5% who would be less likely.

      Overall, Democrats and independents in all three states examined in the exhibited YouGov/IMEU poll have strong support for a permanent ceasefire and disapproval of unconditional aid to Israel. At least 80% of respondents in each state supported a ceasefire, while more than 60% disapproved of unconditional military aid to Israel. Roughly a quarter of respondents in all states said the violence in Gaza — and candidates’ positions on it — is important to them and will likely sway how they vote.

      • lennybird@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        3 months ago

        Thank you for highlighting that. I need to read closely because that’s a big deal. If margins are truly that wide I can’t imagine Harris campaign isn’t testing these further with internal polling. I wonder how that coincides with whether a permanent ceasefire is achieved. I kind of get the impression Harris is toeing the line until all hope is lost for that (which now seems all hope is?)