Here are some interesting statistics from the election/exit polls:
1. “Morality” seems to have been the top issue for voters, rather than the terrorism, Iraq, or the economy.
More exit poll respondents — about 22 percent — called “moral values” the election’s most important issue than cited the economy, terrorism or Iraq. Those expressing this sentiment backed the president overwhelmingly, 80 percent to Kerry’s 18 percent. Bush did similarly well among the 19 percent who identified terrorism as their top issue.Kerry won overwhelmingly among the 20 percent who pointed to the economy and jobs as the most important issue — taking this group 80 percent to the president’s 18 percent. The 15 percent who named the Iraq war as the race’s top issue backed the senator by a 3-1 margin.The president’s supporters were overwhelmingly positive about the current situation in the economy and Iraq. Those with more pessimistic views on these topics resoundingly said they voted for Kerry.
2. Bush did not fair so well amongst American Jewish voters.
An exit poll released by CNN showed Kerry had outperformed Bush among American Jews 76-24 percent.Separate exit polling this time by the National Election Poll, which conducted exit polls for major US newspapers, showed an even higher percentage for Kerry over Bush, 78-22 percent.—-Another smaller survey of just under 500 Jews in Ohio and Florida, two key battleground states that went for Bush, showed Kerry winning 72 per cent of the Jewish vote and Bush 25 percent.
But Bush did enjoy some increased support from Jewish voters.
Bush achieved roughly a five point gain over the 19 per cent he won in 2000 but Republicans had anticipated far bigger gains because of Bush’s support for Israel.
This demonstrates one or more of the following:
I wonder to what extent these figures would have differed had Kerry expressly stayed with his initial “anti-security fence”, more “even-handed” line of thinking vis-a-vis the Middle East conflict.
It will also be interesting to see if these statistics affect US policy towards Israel at all. I don’t think they will, since I believe when it comes to Israel, Bush is more motivated by his strong religious beliefs and sense of what is right and wrong, than the Jewish vote.
