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January 16, 2004/Tevet 22 5764, Vol. 56, No.17
Survey: Jews stay Democratic
RON KAMPEAS
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
WASHINGTON - U.S. Jews remain solidly Democratic, although support for President Bush has increased. Those results come from a new survey, which also shows sharp drops in Jewish support for issues dear to the Republican president - including the war on terrorism and the Iraq conflict.
The findings are part of the American Jewish Commit-tee's annual survey of American Jewry.
The survey shows a sharp rise in concern about anti-Semitism in Europe; an increase in concern about anti-Semitism in America; strong support for keeping the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance; strong support for a multilateral U.S. foreign policy; and a small rise in support for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The survey was conducted by Market Facts Inc., which surveyed 1,000 Jews by phone between Nov. 25 and Dec. 11.
Though the survey shows that American Jews still are solidly Democratic, it also shows Bush faring better than he did in 2000 against all possible Democratic candidates except Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.).
Bush would get 31 percent of the Jewish vote in theoretical matchups with Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.). The president would get 29 percent against former Gen. Wesley Clark.
Against Lieberman, Bush's share of the Jewish vote would fall to 24 percent, the same percentage of respondents who said they voted for the president in 2000, according to the survey.
Republicans and Democrats alike said they were heartened by the poll.
Ira Forman, he executive director of the national Jewish Democratic Council, suggested the numbers showed only slight improvement considering the Republicans' hard work in cultivating the Jewish community.
Republicans said the numbers were encouraging, given that Bush has yet to launch his campaign.
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