Opinion: GOP group responds to poll on the Jewish vote
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An earlier post cited a Gallup poll that, in its analysis, focused on findings that Barack Obama would run almost as well among Jewish voters as Hillary Clinton in a head-to-head against John McCain. The Republican Jewish Coalition in Washington looked at the same survey and, not surprisingly, had a different take on it.
The group issued a release, containing the following statement from its executive director, Matt Brooks:
‘The just released Gallup poll of Jewish voters is another important indicator of the ongoing troubles Barack Obama has with Jewish voters. In the poll of Jewish voters (conducted April 1-30), it showed Obama getting only 61% of the Jewish vote against John McCain (32%). By comparison, in 2004, John Kerry received 75% of the Jewish vote and George W. Bush received 25%. The recent polling numbers demonstrate Obama’s weakness among Jewish voters. This data comes on the heels of the exit poll data from the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania. Hillary Clinton beat Obama among Jewish voters 62% - 38%,’ said Brooks. ‘These results show that the American Jewish community is troubled by what they know of Barack Obama, his views and his positions. The RJC remains confident that John McCain will continue the trend of the GOP making inroads among Jewish voters.’
-- Frank James
Frank James writes for the Swamp of the Chicago Tribune’s Washington bureau.