President Barack Obama and the former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had their first presidential debate tonight in University of Denver, covering all the main domestic issues including jobs, economy, health care and the role of federal government. Brooklyn residents gathered in Longbow Pub in Bay Ridge to view the debate and share their views.

Jewish residents comprise roughly two thirds of the population in Brooklyn’s newly formed District 17, making U.S policy towards Israel a huge issue for many voters. Two of the district’s Jewish voters – one secular Jew, one orthodox – illustrate what happens when faith and politics meet.

The Republican Party typically has a strong hold on the conservative neighborhood of Midwood. But that may not prove true in 2012, as the neighborhood’s voters remain split on which presidential candidate is best, and why.

Age: 87

Marital Status: Widowed, has two children and two stepchildren.

Occupation: Retired seventeen years ago from her career as a tax accountant.

How Long She’s Lived in Brooklyn: She came to New York from Vienna in 1939, when she was fourteen years old, and attended High School in New York City. She raised her children in Brooklyn and alternates between living in Midwood and Boca Raton, Florida.

By Chenjie Ding BROOKLYN, NY–Though Mitt Romney is struggling with the “gaffe” of saying 47% of American voters are dependent upon government, President Obama still finds it hard to breathe easy: recent polls show the candidates each attract support from 46% of voters nationwide. Recently, Republicans attacked a videotape, recorded in 1998, in which then-state  Read more »