Four Years of GOP Efforts to Target American Jews Have Failed

[Dover]

New Poll: Jewish Voters as Democratic as in 2000; Four Years of GOP Efforts to Target American Jews Have Failed

8/16/2004 11:10:00 AM



WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A just-released survey demonstrates that despite a four-year effort, GOP attempts to woo the Jewish vote for President Bush have failed, with likely Jewish voters preferring Senator Kerry over President Bush by a whopping 75-22 percent margin -- essentially identical to the 76- 21 percent margin by which the same respondents voted for then- Vice President Al Gore over then-Governor Bush in 2000 (note).

The poll, performed by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research for the National Jewish Democratic Council and The Solomon Project, shows that American Jews continue to strongly prefer Senator Kerry over President Bush. The survey of 817 likely Jewish voters was conducted between July 26-28, 2004, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.

Among the poll's major findings:

-- Senator Kerry maintains a very strong lead over President Bush within the Jewish community. Senator Kerry leads President Bush by a margin of 75 percent to 22 percent. Senator Kerry's lead is as strong as the American Jewish vote was in 2000 for then-Vice President Gore over then-Governor Bush; respondents voted in 2000 for then-Vice President Al Gore over then-Governor Bush by a margin of 76 percent to 21 percent.

-- American Jewish support for Senator Kerry is extremely solid. Fully 78 percent of Kerry supporters indicated that there is "no chance" that they will vote for President Bush, while only 52 percent of Bush supporters are solid in their support.

-- Jewish voters overwhelmingly agree with Senator Kerry on the issues -- including on Israel and the war against terrorism. On the issue of abortion, for example, American Jews believe that Senator Kerry does a better job on the issue than President Bush by a margin of 85-15 percent. On the issue of the economy and jobs, respondents believe Senator Kerry will do a better job by a margin of 79-21 percent. Even on the issues of Israel and America's war on terrorism, American Jews overwhelmingly believe Senator Kerry will do a better job, both by a margin of 66-34 percent. Only 24 percent of respondents said they were closer to President Bush on Israel than Senator Kerry....cont'd

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=115-08162004

[vi5]

1. I'll admit I'm a bit surprised by this...

I thought that this was one demographic that they were making successful inroads into. Although I'll admit that part of that was based stupidly on my part on high profile celebrity defectors such as Gene Simmons, Ron Silver, and Ed Koch who were/are strongly pro-Israel, previously democratic supporting jewish democrats.

I honestly thought that some of the israel pandering on the part of the christian right/bush was bound to be effective. Good to know that it hasn't been.

[bemildred]

3. Jews are smart, they don't drink the KoolAid. nt

[asthmaticeog]

27. Kool-Aid's non-Kosher. n/t

[bemildred]

32. It's a figure of speech, not meant literally. nt

[asthmaticeog]

33. I know.

If memory serves, Kool-Aid is of neutral Kosher status ("Pareve" in the parlance), and is thus drinkable by Jewish people. I was joking along with you. More evidence of a need for irony-signifying punctuation...

[bemildred]

35. I am not Jewish, not knowledgeable at that level.

Hence did not get it, but I am flattered that you thought
I would. Now that I think about it, it does seem odd, but
you see all sorts of stuff where this subject is concerned.
:hi:

[PROGRESSIVE1]

5. Simmons, Silver, and Koch are chickenhawk scumbags who....

have allegience to Isreal over America!

[a_random_joel]

2. Jews are, will be and always have been an overwhelmingly Dem...

constituency.

[tom_paine]

4. Nice to see that. "Jews for Totalitarianism"

make me sick.

I hope this is true that we Jews are by and large resisting the Siren's Song of being on the Hitler side (power corrupts, we Jews as much as anyone else), now sung to a country and western tune by the Busheviks.

[TahitiNut]

6. All you have to do is compare Israeli deaths during Clinton/Gore ...

... to deaths during Bush/Cheney. The rate of slaughter, of both Israelis and Palestinians, has apparently increased ten-fold. I don't think Bush/Cheney support Israel anywhere near as much as they "support" Likud.

(More war is viewed as a "good" for the right wing. "Peace" is for them pansy leftists.) :eyes:

[Frances]

8. Good point

I think Kerry would work just as hard for real peace as Carter and Clinton.

I personally believe that the Palestinians would be much less likely to stage suicide missions if they felt there was the slightest hope that they would be treated with respect by the U.S. Of course, the U.S. should also treat Israel with respect. But there should be some attempt at objectivity.

[lottie244]

28. You are so right. And many Jews across the world despise Sharon

Bush and the evangelicals don't care about Israel's security...they want Israel to go up in flames to usher in the end-times. And the AIPAC and other Jewish lobbies in the US give much too much money to the Republicans to push their unbalaced policies in the ME. They are not interested in Israeli security as much as Israeli expansion...better known as Zionism.

[Demeter]

7. Does this mean he hasn't impoverished and/or killed them all yet?

Cause he sure has done a number on the rest of America.

[Hornito]

9. I want to believe this..., more than anything.

With so many powerful right-wing Jews, and Jewish dominated groups (like AIPAC, JINSA, PNAC, and others) involved in the Bush administration right now, along with their allies in the media, it sometimes feels that progressive Jews like myself, are a dying breed. Apparently, I have lost faith in my brethren to know right from wrong.

The neocons and the Likudniks are an incredibly powerful group. Once we remove Bush, it will be time to purge these people from our government, once and for all. They have betrayed this nation, by putting the interests of another nation (Israel) before their own. This is dual-loyalist treason.

After we've cleansed the government, we need to go after the media, and expose the neocons there. They have had as much to do with Bush's success at ruining this nation as anyone, and they must be held accountable.

[a_random_joel]

13. Time to kill the "Jewish PNAC" meme.

Yes, there are some Jews in the PNAC. But the PNAC is not "Jew" thing, nor is it "dominated" by Jews.

This is like saying that because Alan Keyes is a Republican, the Republican party is dominated by blacks.

I am not intimately familiar with the other groups you mention... but historically, Jews are an amazingly loyal and core Democratic constituency.

[Classical_Liberal]

16. Alan Keyes is a perfect example because like the black republicans

Jewish republicans are way over-represented in the media and in the Washington establishment.

[Hawkeye-X]

26. One Jewish Republican I know

is currently indicted. Connected to Tom "Bugman" DeLay.

Look up Jack Abramoff.

Hawkeye-X

[Hornito]

17. Sorry to disagree, but you better check the membership list of

PNAC. The *majority* of membership is Jewish right-wingers and neocons.

[a_random_joel]

23. Show me the list.

Perle, Kristol and Wolfowitz are the only ones I can see. Maybe Abrams?

If you are going to make such a statement, you better be prepared to back it up.

[CookieD]

29. Absolutely!

In addition to the Jewish members often cited by those who have an agenda in tying Judaism to neo-conservatism, PNAC members also include Dick Cheney, Jeb Bush, William Bennett, Richard Armitage, Zalmay Khalilzad and many other non-Jews.

I am glad this survey debunks the myth that Jews are fleeing to the Republican party in droves. Most Jews I know are Democrats and plan to stay that way.

[Classical_Liberal]

15. I don't think the neocons think American and Israeli interests are in

conflict so they aren't strictly guilty of treason. Also please remember they are also a disaster for Israelis.

You can criticize neocons and their likudnik buds without engaging in dual loyalty accusations which Jews are understandably sensitive about.

[Hornito]

20. I disagree. When one puts the interests of another nation above

their own, that's called treason. And personally, I don't give a rat's ass if other Jews are "sensitive" about the accusations. Truth hurts at times. It has always angered me when other Jews give me a hard time (which has happened several times) for putting my loyalty to THIS nation first, and not to Israel.

And I also disagree, that our interests are not in conflict. They are, in many ways, and on many issues. I should point out though, that it is not conflict with Israel itself, but with it's despicable Likud regime.

[Classical_Liberal]

21. The Likudniks are a disaster, of that we agree

but consider this. They are willing to get Israel into stupid and unnecessary wars too, ie Lebonon and the current pissing contest on the West Bank, so how is it that they are treating America differently then Israel?

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[samsingh]

10. thank you!

[THUNDER HANDS]

11. Mozel Tov!

I knew we wouldn't be ferschnickered by this idiot in just four short years. :)

[DulceDecorum]

12. According to Grover Norquist: Muslims deliver for the GOP

George W. Bush was elected President of the United States of America because of the Muslim vote.
The what?
That's right, the Muslim vote. There are roughly six million Muslim-Americans. Hard data on their voting habits is surprisingly hard to come by, because national polling groups do not yet include "Muslim" as a full-fledged religious category (Protestant, Catholic, Jew, and "other'). But according to surveys by national Muslim groups, Bush won more than 70 percent of Muslims who voted. In Florida, that totaled 55,000 people, who, according to an exit poll by the Tampa Bay Islamic Center, favored Bush over Gore by 20 to 1. According to this exit poll, Bush got 88 percent of the vote to Gore's four percent, with eight percent voting for Nadar. The margin of victory for Bush over Gore in the Muslim vote was 46,200, many times greater than his statewide margin of victory. The Muslim vote won Florida for Bush.
http://www.atr.org/opeds/tas/tas0601.html

[DinahMoeHum]

14. But this year, forget it. Norquist has his head stuck up his ass

if he thinks Muslims are going to vote for * this time around.

Between B*sh's response to 9/11, the racial profiling, the racist backlash, and the war in Iraq, there's no way any self-respecting Muslim will pull the lever for B*sh now.


:kick:

[movonne]

25. bush did not win Flordia....you know that and I know that!!!!!

[bleedingheart]

18. The Scary Christians are probably part of this

the ones who are all keen on the rapture and the role the Jewish people play in that goofy plan.

[Voltaire99]

19. Not quite the whole story

Those foolishly patting themselves on the back over this poll might care to read this post. The broader context is somewhat more complicated:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x754647#754760

[Moloch]

22. WOO HOO!

Just goes to show that people are not as stupid as * would like to believe, It seems like every GOP effort to get minority votes (Alan Keyes, *'s amnesty for illegal immigrants, the log cabin republicans, etc. etc.) has been a complete and utter failure.

Now, if the "NASCAR dads" would just realize that the * regime benefits no one but themselves, Halliburton and Sharon then we would be set.

[bluestateguy]

24. Most Jews are NOT neo-cons

A disproportionate number of neo-cons are Jews, but the overwhelming number of American Jews are not PNACer neoconservatives.

[Zorra]

31. Well, no surprise here.

Jewish folks have had some awful experiences with totalitarian fascists, and they would probably know fascists when they see them. The GOP has shown so much similarity to totalitarian fascists that I'd be surprised if any Jewish person voted for Bu$h.

[colonel odis]

34. whew! when i saw the headline about he g.o.p. targeting jews,

my mind immediately went to a more sinister meaning of "target."

not too far a reach, when you consider that much of bush's right-wing fundie base still believes the jews killed jesus.

[sofa king]

36. Tip O'Neil said all politics is local, but...

...competence and character are topics that affect voters, too. Those issues must be overriding whatever left-handed favors Our Fearless Leader has inadvertantly offered to Jewish Americans.

[klook]

37. Nice try, George

Actually, pathetic try.

"Would you believe this is my first time lighting a mezuzah? Somebody say 'Nice job?'"

[JM]

38. This is a Seinfeldesqe debate about nothing

Jews make up 4% of the US population. Assuming for a moment that every Jew voted, that means that 3% of the US population would support Kerry. Iin terms of votes, this is insignificant. Money may be a different story, but from a voting perspective, it is a non-starter.

JM