Mazal Tov, Mr Bush

 

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:

  • American Jews are more concerned with domestic issues than the administration’s policy towards Israel

  • American Jews are not so concerned with US policy towards Israel

  • American Jews are very concerned with US policy towards Israel, but did not see much of a difference between the candidates
  •  

    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.

    6 thoughts on “Mazal Tov, Mr Bush”

    1. MAZAL TOV to the world… it is a better place without Kerry for President!

      I think you’re more excited now than you were when John Howard won the Aussie elections!

    2. I was extremely excited when Johnny won the Aussie elections.

      I just know that Bush’s election has more of an impact on the world. And it p*sses off the French more than Johnny’s victory.

    3. Another possibility: American Jews’ political identity is so wrapped up with the Democratic party that they don’t actually ever give any consideration to the Republican Presidential candidate or make rational informed choices.

    4. I do find it very interesting that so many American Jews voted for Kerry, even though a certain comatose, prune-faced, bloodthirsty terrorist endorsed him. But then when one considers the fact that being Jewish does not mean that you necessarily practice Judaism, perhaps that explains it a bit. I guarantee that as a bat Noach I practice Judaism more than a lot of the Jews who voted for Kerry- even given that I’m wet behind the ears. How could a practicing Jew who reads even liberal newspapers not see that Israel is surrounded by people who don’t want it to exist? Am I just naively expecting people to be rational about all of this? Someone explain this to me because I’m not that smart. I’m really trying to get it and I keep dead-ending.

    5. And this was how Bush thanked his party, something like “…I have many people to thank… first my family… family comes first…”

      and then something like, “I’d like to thank my wife, Laura, the love of my life…” lots of applause, “…I’m glad that you love her too….”

      That gave me goosebumps… Well, I believed him!

    Leave a Comment

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Scroll to Top