Originally published by The Jewish Press
Jewish voters’ support for President Barack Obama has sunk from 61 percent in January to only 50 percent in March, according to a new Gallup poll.
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The gap between approval of the president by Jews and by the national average has narrowed to only 8 percentage points for the first three months and 4 points for the last month.
The emerging deal with Iran and President Obama’s attacks and affronts to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu are the reasons for the drop in support among Jews.
Among Orthodox Jews, defined as those who attend synagogue at least once a week, the approval rating is only 34 percent. Support among Jews who do not have a college degree was only 39 percent compared with 62 percent among those with a higher education degree.
Jewish women approve of President Obama by 11 percentage points more than men over the past 15 months, while the national average is only 6 percent points between women and men.
The question is whether President Obama’s drooping popularity among Jews will be translated into support for a Republican presidential candidate at the polls.
If Hillary Clinton is the Democratic candidate, Jewish support for her is expected to rise sharply.
Republicans should not jump for joy too soon, author Josh Zeitz told Politico.
“As was the case then, today, most American Jews cast their votes as concerned American liberals and moderates, not as foreign proxies for the Israeli government, ” he said.
Zeitz added:
But that doesn’t stop the GOP from hoping.There’s always a place for tradition. Every year during Passover, Jews open the door in expectation of the Prophet Elijah, who will someday herald the coming of the Messiah. And every four years, the pundits await the great Jewish embrace of the Republican Party.
As it was said then, so it is said now: Next year in New Hampshire.
