In the News
Articles on the Jewish Vote
July 24, 2012: As Romney Heads to Israel, Is Jewish Vote in Play?
Beth Reinhard from The National Journal: “Why is this election year different from all other election years? The answer to this twist on the age-old Passover seder question is, probably not much, at least when it comes to the Jewish vote.”
July 24th, 2012: Jewish voters: By the numbers.
Nick Tate from Reuters: “Israel as an issue in Jewish vote: In 2008, Israel ranked eighth out of 15 issues in importance for candidate choice. Among the issues above Israel: healthcare, gasoline prices, energy, taxes, education. Below Israel: appointments to Supreme Court and the environment.”
July 23rd, 2012: The Facts about the Jewish vote.
Kenneth Wald from The Hill: “The polling shows that Jewish voters continue to approve of President Obama’s job performance and policies – from his efforts to revitalize to the economy to his landmark health reform legislation.”
July 18th, 2012: The American Jewish Vote: Some hard data.
David Harris: ”Whether the issues surrounded the New Deal or the Fair Deal, civil rights or economic justice, our alliance with Israel or our policies around the globe, the vast majority of American Jewish voters have entered the voting booth to punch the Democratic ticket.”
July 10, 2012: Jewish American Voting Behavior 1972 – 2008. Press Release, The Solomon Project, July 10, 2012
Original research shows Jewish presidential voting can be divided into two distinct eras. In the first period, from 1972 through 1988, Republican candidates for president attracted between 31% and 37% of the Jewish vote.
In the second period, from 1992 through 2008, the GOP share of the Jewish vote dropped to between15% and 23%…
The Huffington Post: Jewish Vote Has Gone Reliably To Democratic Candidates, Analysis Shows, July 10, 2012
July 10, 2012: Is the Jewish Vote really up for grabs?
Charles Mahtesian from Politico: “While a September 2011 New York congressional special election helped fuel those expectations, a comprehensive new report from the Solomon Project, a nonpartisan group that works to educate the American Jewish community about its history of civic involvement, underscores just how difficult the task will be for Republicans.”
April 3, 2012: Chosen for What?: Jewish Values in 2012
Public Religion Research Institute Survey: ”Jewish values, particularly pursuing justice and a commitment to social equality, are important for informing political beliefs and behaviors, a new national survey of American Jews finds.”
Jewish Support for Israel Strong Despite Israel Stance
Lauren Marco in The Huffington Post: ”The PRRI poll showed Jewish voters’ strong support for Obama. Twice as many said they would vote for Obama over a GOP candidate. That level of support is nearly unchanged from the same point during Obama’s first presidential run.”
March 21, 2012: “Will US Jews Vote for Barack Obama in 2012?”
Ira Sheskin in The Jerusalem Post: ”This does not mean that American Jews do not care about Israel or a candidate’s Israel policy. They do. It simply means that they do not see enough difference between the candidates so as to have the issue of Israel play a significant role in their choice.”
February 1, 2012:“Florida Goes for Romney; Did Boca Show Up?”
Marc Tracy in The Scroll: ”The Forward’s Josh Nathan-Kazis tentatively concurred with Silver’s suggestion: “Fewer Jewish voters in the primary,” he wrote, “could correlate to a lack of enthusiasm among Jews for the Republican field.”
November 14, 2011: “Predicting Jewish Vote More Complicated”
Michael Bloomfield and Mark Mellman in the Jewish Daily Forward. “In an era of cultural politics, Orthodox Jews, like traditional devotees of most religions, are moving toward the GOP.”
“Jewish Vote Not a Problem for Obama”
Jim Gerstein in the Jewish Daily Forward. ”National surveys conducted by Gallup International show that American Jews have approved of Obama’s job performance throughout his presidency by an average of 14 percentage points more than the rest of the American electorate. “