J Street Poll: Obama behind Kerry, Gore and Clinton http://blogs.jta.org/ENTRY_PERMALINK_HERE/j-street-poll-obama-behind-kerry-gore-and-clinton/ J Street has a new poll out, with plenty to digest about the views of American Jews on Middle East issues. For now ... here’s our brief about the presidential election. In most cases 60 percent isn’t something to sneeze at, but that’s a double-digit drop from John Kerry – in the same poll in which American Jews gave President Bush a 79-percent disapproval rating: American Jews are less supportive of Barack Obama than previous Democratic nominees, a new poll found. The lack of support comes despite overwhelming unhappiness with the Bush administration. The survey, commissioned by the Washington-based advocacy organization J Street, found that only 58 percent of American Jews said they would definitely vote for Obama, an Illinois senator. Another 4 percent said they were leaning toward the presumptive Democratic nominee. In contrast, Al Gore and Bill Clinton both drew approximately 80 percent of the Jewish vote in their respective runs for the presidency, while John Kerry garnered about 76 percent in 2004. Twenty-nine percent of respondents said they would vote for U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), with 3 percent saying they were leaning toward the presumptive GOP nominee. That would represent a higher showing among Jews than the 24 percent President Bush drew in 2004. The poll, conducted by Gerstein/Agne Strategic Communications and based on interviews with 800 respondents, has a margin of error of 3.5 percent. Even as American Jews appear to be displaying some reservations about Obama, they are highly critical of the current White House. According to the poll, 90 percent of American Jews believe the country is on the wrong track. Seventy percent said they strongly disapprove of how the president is handling his job, with another 14 percent saying they somewhat disapprove. Bush scored a disapproval rating of 79 percent of his handling of the Iraq war and 71 percent for his handling of the Arab-Israeli conflict. UPDATE: Should have mentioned that these results line up with a Gallup Poll. UPDATED: Also forgot to mention that Jeremiah Wright registered a high and intense disapproval rating. en-us aeden@jta.org Copyright 2008 2008-07-16T;14:40:15-05:00 Comment by kitchener@omdurman.org Re: “Obama will get about 70% of the Jewish vote. Can’t expect that much more, there are some racists in that crowd.” Race and racism are indeed issues, because Obama surrounds himself with racists and anti-Semites while at least tolerating a wide variety of hate speech at his official campaign site. My.barackobama.com, over which his campaign staff exercises editorial control, contains reams of material about how “these Jews are corrupting U.S. politics,” Jewish control of the media, “Zionist thought police,” depiction of Black Hillary Clinton supporters as “House Negroes” ("Negroes" is not the word they used) and depiction of George Bush as a “honky.” MyBO also has plenty to say about AIPAC, and very little is complimentary. My.barackobama.com also contains libelous material (false accusations of crimes against identifiable individual and corporate “persons"--not only Republicans but also Democrats to which someone or other took a dislike). It takes quite a bit of chutzpah for Obama & Co. to say that Jews and white people in general who won’t vote for him don’t like him because he is part Black. No, Barry, we don’t like you because you enable and empower racists, anti-Semites, and Catholic-hating bigots. To paraphrase Martin Luther King, Barry, the problem isn’t the color of your skin, it is the content of your character. Re: “Obama will get about 70% of the Jewish vote. Can’t expect that much more, there are some racists in that crowd.”

Race and racism are indeed issues, because Obama surrounds himself with racists and anti-Semites while at least tolerating a wide variety of hate speech at his official campaign site. My.barackobama.com, over which his campaign staff exercises editorial control, contains reams of material about how “these Jews are corrupting U.S. politics,” Jewish control of the media, “Zionist thought police,” depiction of Black Hillary Clinton supporters as “House Negroes” ("Negroes" is not the word they used) and depiction of George Bush as a “honky.” MyBO also has plenty to say about AIPAC, and very little is complimentary.

My.barackobama.com also contains libelous material (false accusations of crimes against identifiable individual and corporate “persons"--not only Republicans but also Democrats to which someone or other took a dislike).

It takes quite a bit of chutzpah for Obama & Co. to say that Jews and white people in general who won’t vote for him don’t like him because he is part Black. No, Barry, we don’t like you because you enable and empower racists, anti-Semites, and Catholic-hating bigots. To paraphrase Martin Luther King, Barry, the problem isn’t the color of your skin, it is the content of your character.

]]> 2009-11-20T;15:25:00-05:00 Comment by maganman@worthyemail.com I think that it is sad that Jewish people would even consider voting for Obama. He will sell Israel out in a heartbeat. I am sure the main reason Jews will vote for this guy is becuase he is liberal. This guy has some close friends that are un apologetic racists. He once had a link for the Black Panther Party on his website, Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers the unapologetic terrorist. It is amazing that people would support someone with these kind of connections. Shalom, Rodney I think that it is sad that Jewish people would even consider voting for Obama. He will sell Israel out in a heartbeat. I am sure the main reason Jews will vote for this guy is becuase he is liberal. This guy has some close friends that are un apologetic racists. He once had a link for the Black Panther Party on his website, Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers the unapologetic terrorist. It is amazing that people would support someone with these kind of connections.

Shalom,

Rodney

]]> 2009-11-20T;15:25:00-05:00 Comment by oofus@catholic.org The English equivalent of Barack is Benedict. You can vote for Benedict Hussein; I’ll vote for John McCain! The English equivalent of Barack is Benedict.

You can vote for Benedict Hussein; I’ll vote for John McCain!

]]> 2009-11-20T;15:25:00-05:00 Comment by bcmarge23@hotmail.com It’s true, Mark, that not everyone who chooses not to vote for Obama is a racist, just like not everyone who voted for Obama instead of Hillary was a sexist.  However, there are a lot of people who are racist in America.  This election is suddently putting front-and-center the undercurrent of racism that exists, coming from all sides, in America; and the worst part is, there are a lot of people who still try to pretend their discomfort has to do with something besides race. Now, you may believe you see Obama “as he truly is,” whatever that means.  That is your opinion, albeit a poorly-supported one.  But every email forward from these people who outright “refuse” to vote for Obama seems to have a strong - if not blatant - racial tone to it.  So far I have heard few, if any, of the people who are so crazily angry about Obama be able to articulate real reasons that don’t have to do with fake smears or rumors, and when it comes down to it, that can avoid having to admit that they are uncomfortable because he is - in some way or another - different from them. But you know what, Mark?  I don’t really care, because the few racists in this country who can’t seem to get over it won’t outweigh the millions of Obama supporters.  So I say to the racists, I know we won’t change you because you are stubborn, but why waste your energy?  Obama is going to win anyway, so you’re just going to have to deal It’s true, Mark, that not everyone who chooses not to vote for Obama is a racist, just like not everyone who voted for Obama instead of Hillary was a sexist.  However, there are a lot of people who are racist in America.  This election is suddently putting front-and-center the undercurrent of racism that exists, coming from all sides, in America; and the worst part is, there are a lot of people who still try to pretend their discomfort has to do with something besides race.

Now, you may believe you see Obama “as he truly is,” whatever that means.  That is your opinion, albeit a poorly-supported one. 

But every email forward from these people who outright “refuse” to vote for Obama seems to have a strong - if not blatant - racial tone to it.  So far I have heard few, if any, of the people who are so crazily angry about Obama be able to articulate real reasons that don’t have to do with fake smears or rumors, and when it comes down to it, that can avoid having to admit that they are uncomfortable because he is - in some way or another - different from them.

But you know what, Mark?  I don’t really care, because the few racists in this country who can’t seem to get over it won’t outweigh the millions of Obama supporters. 

So I say to the racists, I know we won’t change you because you are stubborn, but why waste your energy?  Obama is going to win anyway, so you’re just going to have to deal smile

]]> 2009-11-20T;15:25:00-05:00 Comment by mkk11413@gmail.com I hate when people say that if you don’t vote for Barack, then you are a racist. Those people need to get their head out of their a$$. WE JUST DON’T LIKE OBAMA. WE SEE HIM AS HE TRULY IS. WE SEE THE GAMES BEING PLAYED. APPARENTLY, YOU ARE BLINDED BY THE RACE FACTOR. A-HOLE I hate when people say that if you don’t vote for Barack, then you are a racist. Those people need to get their head out of their a$$. WE JUST DON’T LIKE OBAMA. WE SEE HIM AS HE TRULY IS. WE SEE THE GAMES BEING PLAYED. APPARENTLY, YOU ARE BLINDED BY THE RACE FACTOR. A-HOLE

]]> 2009-11-20T;15:25:00-05:00 Comment by fosterideas@gmail.com Yes, but the words Barrack and Hussein we’re stolen from a nice Jewish woman by some Muslim extremists after they lopped off her head. Yes, but the words Barrack and Hussein we’re stolen from a nice Jewish woman by some Muslim extremists after they lopped off her head.

]]> 2009-11-20T;15:25:00-05:00 Comment by allenmears@yahoo.com Why so much focus on the Jewish vote in the elections, assuming that the following states are either safely (or likely) Democratic, or safely Republican (those states that have > 2% Jewish population)?  Dem: NY, CA, MD, MA, IL, CT, DC, PA.  Rep: FL.  Is it just the NV (likely Rep), OH (leans Obama), and NJ (leans Obama) Jewish vote which are likely to help swing these states?  Will a 60-40 split in NV really make a difference vs a 70-30 split? I’d think probably not.  I’m sure the false ‘Obama is a Muslim’ rumor probably makes Obama’s so-called “Jewish problem” more prominent in the news than anything else.  With Obama’s campaign likely not to focus on winning Florida, aren’t we less likely to hear about the Jewish vote in the polls? Yesterday’s/today’s CBS/NYTimes poll focuses on the African American and Latino vote and doesn’t even mention the Jewish vote! (by the way, “Barack” and “Hussein” both have semitic origins: Barack is a Semitic word meaning “to bless” as a verb or “blessing” as a noun. In its Hebrew form, barak, it is found all through the Bible. It first occurs in Genesis 1:22—“And God blessed (??re??) them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.” Now let us take the name “Hussein.” It is from the Semitic word hasan, meaning “good” or “handsome.” Husayn is the diminutive, affectionate form.  http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/02/28/hussein/index.html ) Why so much focus on the Jewish vote in the elections, assuming that the following states are either safely (or likely) Democratic, or safely Republican (those states that have > 2% Jewish population)?  Dem: NY, CA, MD, MA, IL, CT, DC, PA.  Rep: FL.  Is it just the NV (likely Rep), OH (leans Obama), and NJ (leans Obama) Jewish vote which are likely to help swing these states?  Will a 60-40 split in NV really make a difference vs a 70-30 split? I’d think probably not.  I’m sure the false ‘Obama is a Muslim’ rumor probably makes Obama’s so-called “Jewish problem” more prominent in the news than anything else.  With Obama’s campaign likely not to focus on winning Florida, aren’t we less likely to hear about the Jewish vote in the polls? Yesterday’s/today’s CBS/NYTimes poll focuses on the African American and Latino vote and doesn’t even mention the Jewish vote!

(by the way, “Barack” and “Hussein” both have semitic origins: Barack is a Semitic word meaning “to bless” as a verb or “blessing” as a noun. In its Hebrew form, barak, it is found all through the Bible. It first occurs in Genesis 1:22—“And God blessed (??re??) them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.” Now let us take the name “Hussein.” It is from the Semitic word hasan, meaning “good” or “handsome.” Husayn is the diminutive, affectionate form.  http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/02/28/hussein/index.html )

]]> 2009-11-20T;15:25:00-05:00 Comment by gleason4@roadrunner.com Obama “only” gets 65 - 70% of Jewish voters’ support? McCain WISHES he had that problem! Obama “only” gets 65 - 70% of Jewish voters’ support? McCain WISHES he had that problem!

]]> 2009-11-20T;15:25:00-05:00 Comment by sulj5@aol.com Obama will get about 70% of the Jewish vote. Can’t expect that much more, there are some racists in that crowd.  Unfortunately, some of the older guard don’t admit it and point to experience, which is code for being black. We, the Jewish community, did not have a problem with Kennedy and he was inexperienced. Maybe they will apeal to there better angels and vorte for there issues. I am working on my Mother.  Wish me lucK! Obama will get about 70% of the Jewish vote. Can’t expect that much more, there are some racists in that crowd.  Unfortunately, some of the older guard don’t admit it and point to experience, which is code for being black.
We, the Jewish community, did not have a problem with Kennedy and he was inexperienced.
Maybe they will apeal to there better angels and vorte for there issues. I am working on my Mother.  Wish me lucK!

]]> 2009-11-20T;15:25:00-05:00