I’ve been saying it mattered a lot for quite some time, but, finally, some numbers:
Foreign policy debates rarely determine U.S. presidential elections, although polling suggests that 2024 might be an exception. Nationwide, nearly 4 in 10 voters (38 percent) say they are less likely to vote for President Biden because of his handling of the war in Gaza, according to a July 2024 Century Foundation/Morning Consult poll of 1,834 registered U.S. voters. Many core constituencies—including independents, swing state likely voters, and Democratic Party activists—are angry at Biden’s unqualified support for the Israeli assault on Gaza.
The issue isn’t that people who hate genocide will vote Trump, he’s pro-genocide as well. Instead it’s that they will stay home or vote third party and that if they do hold their nose and vote Democratic, they’re less likely to donate or, more importantly, to volunteer.
In a close election, and Biden’s best case is a close election, that matters.
To put it simply, Biden decided that mass-murdering Palestinians in service to AIPAC and Zionism was more important than being re-elected, and in effect that all the things he claims to care about which might help Americans are less important than helping Israel commit genocide.
That’s a choice, just like his choice to run again even though he’s clearly in serious decline and obviously can’t act as President for another four years.
Biden has chosen to lose the election, and anyone who blames anyone but Biden for his loss is full of it.