CNN’s Dana Bash took time on Friday’s edition of Inside Politics to discuss some of the network’s latest polling data that showed Donald Trump with a 20-point lead over Joe Biden on who would do a better job on the issue of Israel and Gaza. Bash simply couldn’t believe as she scoffed that “the world is upside down.”
Addressing nobody in particular on her assembled panel, Bash declared, “Then you look at other issues: U.S and world affairs, economy, immigration, Israel/Gaza, Trump has an advantage and it’s actually, if you look at the Israel-Gaza question, the fact that Trump has a 20-point advantage in Michigan. I mean, the world is upside down.”
Is it? There are more voters in Michigan than the ones who voted uncommitted in the state’s primary and independent voters who support Israel could be turned off by Biden’s attempts to appease them.
However, political director David Chalian sought to make sense of the data, “But I think that finding probably explains a lot of Joe Biden’s troubles in Michigan right now as well. I mean, it’s obviously an issue that we saw in the primary where the uncommitted vote against him, we see young voters, independents, people who have been affiliated with this, calling for a ceasefire movement, very frustrated with the president and his policies. And so that’s clearly partly at play here in Michigan.”
Bash then returned to add, “Yeah. No question. But it’s hard to imagine that Donald Trump will be any more sympathetic to what’s going on in Gaza than Joe Biden is, which is what is so surprising.”
Chalian followed up by claiming, “It has nothing to do with their actual policy positions, right, necessarily or what he’s proposing.”
“Nothing” is strong word. Sure, there are the Rashida Tlaibs of the world who think that Biden and Trump are essentially the same on the issue and they may tell the pollster that they don’t trust either man, but not every undecided voter wants to spare Hamas and that might explain why Trump has a large lead on the matter.
Here is a transcript for the March 22 show:
CNN Inside Politics with Dana Bash
3/22/2024
12:27 PM ET
DANA BASH: Let’s just dig into some of the issues that could turn this race looking ahead in these two states. First of all, on abortion and democracy, these are the two issues where Biden has an advantage. The only two issues where Biden has an advantage in both states. Then you look at other issues: U.S and world affairs, economy, immigration, Israel/Gaza, Trump has an advantage and it’s actually, if you look at the Israel-Gaza question, the fact that Trump has a 20-point advantage in Michigan. I mean, the world is upside down.
DAVID CHALIAN: But I think that finding probably explains a lot of Joe Biden’s troubles in Michigan right now as well. I mean, it’s obviously an issue that we saw in the primary, where the uncommitted vote against him, we see young voters, independents, people who have been affiliated with this, calling for a ceasefire movement, very frustrated with the president and his policies. And so that’s clearly partly at play here in Michigan.
BASH: Yeah. No question. But it’s hard to imagine that Donald Trump will be any more sympathetic to what’s going on in Gaza than Joe Biden is, which is what is so surprising.
CHALIAN: It has nothing to do with their actual policy positions, right, necessarily, or what he’s proposing.