If Obama commuted Pollard's sentence before the election, it would be so obvious that it were a ploy for Jewish votes that it would embarrass him out of existence. He would only commute him after the election and only after his term in office. That means that if reelected, he will only commute him after four years, in 2017, on his last day in office. Only if he loses will he commute his on his last day in office in 2013 and that's if he feels generous. If he doesn't, Romney might commute him after 8 years. There is nothing saying that Romney is a great Zionist. That is wishful thinking. Obama and Netanyahu seem to have a good relationship, so who knows. I do not agree with the usual JTF sentiment that Obama is as anti-Israel as the usual JTF member. I think he is ignorant of foreign policy matters. His "pre-1967" statement was a statement of ignorance rather than a statement of maliciousness. But I think Pollard is stuck no matter whom is elected. No politician wants to be seen to be caving in to Jewish pressure. That is the realpolitik.