E-mail from the National Jewish Democratic Committee

[Coastie for Truth]

For decades, GOP operatives have been insisting that the historically Democratic Jewish vote is turning their way.

In 2004, one key Jewish Republican leader even claimed that 35-40 percent of the Jewish vote would swing towards George W. Bush. (In fact, only 22 percent of American Jews voted for Bush. )

For more than five years, Karl Rove and the rest of this White House -- in addition to the now-disgraced Tom DeLay and the entire GOP -- have been working tirelessly to attract Jewish support.

The results? According to a wide-ranging analysis of the Jewish vote in today's Washington Post, bubkes :

"But the much-trumpeted effort by the Bush White House to make deep inroads on the Democrats' historic claims on Jewish voters -- and, even more important politically, the campaign contributions of Jewish donors -- has not materialized in any convincing fashion, according to poll data, fundraisers and campaign finance reports."

As the Post notes, Jewish support for Bush in 2004 "was substantially below the 35 percent level Republican presidential candidates averaged through the five elections of the 1970s and 1980s." And of course Jewish support for Bush has only dwindled further as all Americans -- American Jews included -- have further soured on the terrible policies of this administration.

These numbers reflect the issues NJDC works on every single day -- educating American Jews where the two parties stand on issues so important to the vast majority of American Jews... whether it's maintaining the separation of church and state and pushing back against the far-right; or protecting a woman's right to choose; or ensuring America's close, strategic relationship with Israel, our only Democratic ally in the Middle East.

Or as Democratic Party Chairman Gov. Howard Dean put it best, "...the Democratic Party is more in line with the issues that are important to Jewish Americans because of our commitment to social justice, equality and economic opportunity and a strong U.S.-Israel relationship. Even with the overwhelming support of Jewish Americans, Democrats will continue to fight for every vote in the Jewish community."

[Coastie for Truth]

1. 2004 Jewish Vote Figures Revised in Unprecedented Data Analysis

Washington, DC: A study performed by polling professionals and academics, released today by The Solomon Project, concludes that the best estimate of the two-party Jewish vote in 2004 -- based on the National Election Pool -- is that 78 percent of American Jews voted for Senator John Kerry, while 22 percent of Jews voted for President Bush. When factoring in other presidential candidates, the study determined that the best estimate of the overall Jewish vote on Election Day shows 77 percent of American Jews voting for Kerry, versus 22 percent for Bush.

The analysis -- drawing from data sets including the National Election Pool and surveys by Jewish organizations, academic institutions, and others -- concludes that the Jewish vote has remained "remarkably stable" over the last three presidential elections, with American Jews voting 28 percent more Democratic than the national average in 1996, 30 percent more Democratic in 2000, and 29 percent more Democratic in 2004.

The report finds that a large majority of American Jews (from 65 to 74 percent) identify as Democrats, while estimates of the percentage of Jews who identify as Republicans range from 11-21 percent. While there have been indications that Bush captured a majority of Orthodox Jewish voters and Russian Jewish voters, the study found that "sample sizes for both of these subgroups were either unavailable or too small in all surveys to make any definitive claims regarding their partisan attachments in 2004." The analysis also notes a correlation between synagogue attendance and voting behavior, with voters who attend synagogue at least weekly voting 47 percent for Bush in one of the data sets examined.

The study additionally drew correlations between voting behavior and the gender and age of American Jews. The report notes that one relatively strong Republican subgroup among Jews includes Jewish men under 30 years of age, who voted 35 percent for Bush in one survey. The report found that the strongest Democratic subgroups included Jewish women who were 60 years of age or older (who voted 90 percent for Kerry) and Jewish women under 30 years of age (who voted 88 percent for Kerry). The analysis also addresses what it termed "a significant gender gap among Jewish voters in November 2004" -- a gap between Jewish men who voted for Kerry 70-28 percent (a 42 percent margin), and Jewish women who voted for Kerry 82-16 percent (a 66 percent margin).

The full report can be downloaded in PDF format at:

http://www.thesolomonproject.org/jewishvote.pdf

This is a press release and therefore not subject to the "Fair Use" provisions of the Copyright Act

[Coastie for Truth]

2. Jewish Support for Democrats Remains Strong

April 14, 2005

Washington, DC - A new analysis of Jewish voting patterns just released this week by The Solomon Group, a non-profit organization that encourages Jewish civic participation, confirms overwhelming support for Democrats among American Jews.

The Solomon Group analysis took a new look at polling data and concluded that 77% of Jewish Americans voted for Democratic Presidential nominee John Kerry, an increase from previous results. Not only did Senator Kerry receive most of the Jewish vote, but a large majority of Jews, up to 74%, continue to identify as Democrats. In fact, these results were reflected among both genders and across all age groups.

"This new study confirms that the Democratic Party is more in line with the issues that are important to Jewish Americans because of our commitment to social justice, equality and economic opportunity and a strong U.S.- Israel relationship," said DNC Chairman, Gov. Howard Dean. "Even with the overwhelming support of Jewish Americans, Democrats will continue fight for every vote in the Jewish community."

No copyright notice.

[Coastie for Truth]

3. Post-9/11 Drive by Republicans To Attract Jewish Voters Stalls

Nearly five years ago, immediately after the Sept.11, 2001, attacks, Republican strategists identified what they hoped would be a powerful new engine of support. "September 12 Republicans" were Jewish Democrats and independents who would switch their allegiance because of their concern over national security and their appreciation of President Bush's stalwart support of Israel.

It is such people that Vice President Cheney will be courting tomorrow, when he speaks to the closing plenary session of the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee's policy conference. But the much-trumpeted effort by the Bush White House to make deep inroads on the Democrats' historic claims on Jewish voters -- and, even more important politically, the campaign contributions of Jewish donors -- has not materialized in any convincing fashion, according to poll data, fundraisers and campaign finance reports.

In 2004, Bush improved his 2000 performance among Jewish voters, jumping from 19 percent to 25 percent, according to exit polls. But this gain was disappointing to many Bush supporters -- and was substantially below the 35 percent level Republican presidential candidates averaged through the five elections of the 1970s and 1980s.

Recently, two new obstacles are hurting GOP efforts at cultivating Jews: the corruption scandals involving former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and his onetime friend and benefactor, Jack Abramoff.

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