Commentary
Once Again, The Jewish Vote
W
ith the presidential elec-
tion campaign in full
swing, that quadrennial
question arises once more — how
will the Jews vote? The majority of
American Jews have been voting
Democratic for some 80
years, often overwhelm-
ingly so. Before each
national election, the
Republicans try to break
the pattern, and pundits
wonder whether this
time it will be different.
Up to now, it hasn't.
AJC, the nonpartisan
Jewish advocacy organi-
zation that has tracked
Jewish voting behavior
for more than three
decades, used a new approach this
year. Besides its usual survey of a
national sample of American Jews,
it also polled representative sam-
ples of Jews in two crucial swing
states, Florida and Ohio, where the
Jewish vote could make a difference
in a close election.
The surveys, conducted in
September, asked not only about
voting preferences, but also mea-
sured President Obama's approval
ratings in the Jewish community
and gauged Jewish attitudes on
the key issues of the day.
A separate AJC survey was con-
ducted earlier, during the
summer, of Russian Jewish
voters in metropolitan New
York, containing some dif-
ferently worded questions.
All surveys are available at
www.ajc.org .
The AJC data suggest
that nationally, Jews con-
tinue to favor the Democrats
by a wide margin; 63 percent
reporting that they will vote
for President Obama, 27
percent for Gov. Romney and
the rest undecided. The support for
Obama is consistent among all age
groups, and Jewish women tend to
be more pro-Obama than men.
Ohio Jews split roughly along the
same lines as the national sample,
64-29 percent for the president.
In the other swing state, Florida,
Obama did even better, attracting
69 percent of the Jewish vote as
against 25 per-
cent for Romney.
In the national
and both state
surveys, more
Jews approve
than disapprove
of the president's
handling of the
SO
economy, health
care, national
security, U.S.-
Israel relations
and other issues,
and believe that
the Democrats
are more likely
to make the right
decisions about
those issues than
the Republicans.
The great
majority of
respondents say
that the economy
and health care
are the most
important issues
in deciding who
to support for
president. Still,
more than 90
percent in all
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Dry Bones pro w
There are two Jewish
subgroups that appear
to diverge from the
majority-Democratic
consensus — Orthodox
Jews and Russian Jews.
three surveys are concerned over
of New York City — portend a far
the prospect of Iran acquiring nucle-
greater voice for Orthodoxy in the
ar weapons. And, reflecting deep
Jewish community, and together
pessimism over the situation in the
with the steady integration of
Middle East, the percentage of Jews
Russian Jews into American Jewish
who think that prospects for Arab-
life, may eventually change the polit-
Israeli peace have risen in the past
ical profile of American Jewry.
year languished in the single digits
in all the surveys.
Kari Alterman is director of the Bloomfield
However, there are two Jewish
Township-based American Jewish
subgroups that appear to diverge
Committee Detroit office.
from the majority-Democratic
consensus — Orthodox Jews and
Russian Jews. While the Ohio and
Florida samples do not contain
enough Orthodox respondents to
draw any conclusions, the national
survey shows Romney beating
Obama by 54 percent to 40 percent
among the Orthodox.
The edge for the Republican also
is reflected in the president's high
unfavorable ratings in the Orthodox
community on each of the issues.
Although it was held earlier in
the year and hence includes many
... For Israel
more "undecided" responses — 41
percent — than the other surveys,
And Our Jewish
AJC's survey of Russian Jewish New
Community
Yorkers similarly favored Romney
over Obama, 47 percent to 12 per-
A bit overshadowed by the presidential
cent. This was consistent with the
race is the U.S. Senate battle in
last two presidential elections, when
Michigan between incumbent Democrat
a majority of Russian Jews also
Debbie Stabenow and Republican
favored the Republican candidates.
challenger Pete Hoekstra. It's an
Barring any October surprise,
important race that will affect the U.S.
then, Jewish voters will in all
Congress, including American and foreign
likelihood give the bulk of their
policy. So please learn all you can about
support to the Democrats, as in
the candidates' positions before voting in
presidential elections past.
the Nov. 6 general election. Both candidates
Yet there are signs that this
have easily accessible websites.
political tradition might erode
over time. The Orthodox ten-
Prepared by Robert Sklar, Detroit
dency to maintain high levels
Jewish News contributing editor
of Jewish affiliation and to
have more children than other
® Oct. 11, 2012, Jewish Renaissance Media
American Jews — characteris-
tics clearly evident in the recent
demographic survey of the Jews
stall
guard
October 11 • 2012
•
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