Posted on 08/17/2004 10:26:07 AM PDT by white trash redneck
A new poll commissioned by the National Jewish Democratic Council says American Jews will still vote overwhelmingly for the Democratic presidential candidate, John Kerry, despite US President George W. Bush's policies toward Israel, which have been widely praised by the Jewish community.
The poll, released on Monday, said American Jews preferred Kerry to Bush by a 75 to 22 percent margin. The survey of 817 likely Jewish voters was conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research between July 26 and 28, and has a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent.
Respondents said in 2000 they had voted for Vice President Al Gore over Bush by a similar margin of 76 to 21 percent.
Exit polls in 2000 showed Gore won 79 percent of the Jewish vote, and Bush 19 percent.
"The White House and (President Bush's political adviser) Karl Rove in particular have expended a lot of resources on this Jewish vote. Just like with Hispanics, they've come up with zero," said Ira Forman, executive director of NJDC.
Matthew Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, a rival group, discounted the survey's results since the poll was taken during the Democratic Convention in Boston.
"I discount these findings because this poll was taken right in the middle of the Democratic Convention, right in the middle of a massive deluge of Kerry press coverage," Brooks said.
"We stand firmly committed to the notion that President Bush will do substantially better among Jewish voters than he did in 2000," Brooks added.
Another survey of American Jewish opinion in January found that 31 percent of Jews would support Bush when matched with Kerry, who was not yet the nominee at the time.
The new NJDC survey said 66 percent found Kerry to be better on the issue of Israel, while 34 percent found Bush to be. Only 23 percent of respondents felt the country was moving in the right direction, while 77 percent said it was on the wrong track. Twenty-five percent approved strongly or somewhat of the way Bush is handling his job as president, while 75 percent disapproved strongly or somewhat.
A new national Zogby survey released Monday showed Kerry ahead of Bush 47 to 43 percent. Without Independent Ralph Nader and other candidates the lead stretched to 50 to 43 percent.
PA silently supports Kerry in US election
Palestinian officials are quietly pinning their hopes on Democratic candidate John Kerry winning the US presidential election.
Former US Middle East envoy Denis Ross is likely to be reappointed should Kerry win the American elections, a Palestinian Authority source said.
Ross has contacted with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei and other Palestinian officials during recent visits to the region. He unofficially briefed the Palestinians on the potential new administration's Middle East plans, the source said.
Palestinians expect Kerry's Middle East policy to be closer to that of former US president Bill Clinton.
During the presidential election, senior Palestinian officials openly endorsed George W. Bush against Al Gore. The same PA officials who were outraged when Clinton placed the blame for the failure of the Camp David peace talks on PA Chairman Yasser Arafat now admit they have been disappointed and say any other administration "can only serve their interests better."
"We don't want to repeat the same mistake so let's wait and see who will win the elections and how they will deal with the Middle East," a PA Foreign Ministry official said. "I do not believe Kerry wants to publicize any plans for the Middle East or any contacts with the Palestinians so as not to hurt his election campaign," the official added.
He did not think Kerry's outlook will be very different from Bush's policies. Kerry might appoint former national security adviser Sandy Berger as secretary of state, in which case Ross is likely to be appointed Middle East envoy, another PA source confirmed.
"We believe the [pro-Palestinian Authority] State Department will play the major role again, instead of the national security adviser and secretary of defense," another source reported.
Qurei is trying to convince the American administration and Democrats of his proposal to deploy armed policemen in Palestinian cities in the West Bank to enforce law and order and enable an IDF withdrawal.
Israel has not yet responded to a PA demand for a senior security meeting to coordinate the deployment of PA policemen and agree on the type of weapons they would be allowed to carry and their numbers.
Interesting that a Jewish group is more concerned with the results of a poll than which candidate would be best for the group's interests.
How could such an educated and responsible group of people be so politically stupid for so long?
You have GOT to be kidding me! Kerry will do his damnedest to fork Israel over to the Palestinian terrorists faster than you can say "suicide bomber"!
I know what Kerry's plan for the Middle East is!
He is going to attempt to broker a peace between Palestine and Israel by disarming Israel.
This will bring out the Israeli Zionists, who are for the most part quiet compared to the Palestinian militants.
Kerry's diplomatic efforts in the past have always focused on disarming our friends first, hoping that the enemy would take that as a sign of good faith and follow suit.
Kerry's foreign policy efforts are all failures.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. The Islamonazis want Kerry to win in November. What else need be said? SSZ
Please dont take this as being Anti -Semitic, but if 76% of American jews like Kerry over Bush there are some dumb-assed American jews.
You know something? It will serve them right if something really horrible happens to Israel if Kerry gets elected. Sad to say but sometimes people need a painfull reminder of who their real friends are.
If and when something bad happens, tell the Jewish voting block that while we are sorry for the damage done, Israeli blood rests on their hands this time around.
Also be sure to remind them that they have also found something to agree on with the people sworn to eradicate their race:
Kerry for President in 2004
In my 43+ years on this earth, this is one thing for which I cannot figure an explanation. How could so many reject the one guy who is more committed than just about anyone else to maintaining Israel's strength in the Middle East?
What the heck is wrong with these folks? Talk about an ostrich brigade! They are the ultimate example of appeasment and where it gets you.... I wonder if they will have regrets, if a President Kerry ends all aid and comfort to Israel?
Very disappointing numbers. Do Jews not follow politics? I dont get it.
Isn't it odd that the one thing a majority of Palestinians and American Jews agree on is Kerry?
"Gawd Almighty I'm having a nightmare reading this!"
When kerry probably wins this, I'm just out of politics. I'll hope the AWB expires and will hope my taxes don't double, but I simply can't 'follow' politics again if this happens.
We can take some solace in the fact that this poll was conducted by a Democratic organization and is therefore likely to skew the results. While Kerry will of course take the majority of the Jewish vote -- which after all is more concerned about preserving liberalism than caring about Israel -- it does not seem possible that Bush would do as poorly among Jewish voters as he did in 2000. Completely unscientific, but I personally know quite a few Jewish voters who have changed from anti to pro-Bush since 9-11. I don't know any who have gone in the other direction.
I wonder what percentage of Jews in Isreal prefer Bush over Kerry?
They think that voting for Kerry is in their interest. One reason that Jews prefer the Democrats is that they are the most socially leftist ethnic group in America: they are more concerned about legal abortion than Israel.
Quite frankly, anyone who resides in America should be more concerned about what goes on this country than in any other -- otherwise, more there.
Consider the source! I think the Jewish vote will go for Bush in historic numbers....
I don't understand the Jewish community's ties to the Democrats. It really makes no sense. Republicans have a better Israeli policy, have a better tax policy, and have a stronger policy on National Defense.
The only thing that I can think of that might be a drawback is the religious ties that the party has with the Christian conservatives that might turn the Jewish population off. But besides that Jews are generally successful and care about their homeland, and should buy into the Republican message hook, line, and sinker. I just don't get it. Never have, and never will.
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