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Israel marginal in US elections

Exit polls show 70% of Jews voted for Obama, apparently unaffected by Netanyahu's rhetoric. Only 10% said Israel was their top priority when casting their ballots, pollster says

WASHINGTON - When it came to casting their ballots, US Jews were unaffected by Mitt Romney's claims that President Barack Obama "threw Israel under the bus" or with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Iran rhetoric.

 

Exit polls indicate that an overwhelming percentage of Jews gave their votes to Obama as did the majority of women.

 

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The current tally has Obama with 60,097,107 votes and Romney with 57,412,778

 

The New York Times' exit polls show that 52% of American men voted for Romney while 55% of women voted for Obama.

 

The data further indicate that Romney received the 59% of white Americans' votes, while Obama received 93% of African-Americans' votes.

 

The president also did well among Hispanics winning 71% of their votes. Some 73% of Asians also voted for the president.

 

Classification according to age showed that young Americans favored Obama while the older generation gave its vote to Romney. 


רומני ואובמה בביקוריהם הנפרדים בכותל (צילום: אוהד צויגנברג , AP)

Obama and Romney at the Western Wall (Photos: Ohad Zwigenberg, AP) 

According to exit polls, 60% of Americans ages 18-29 voted for the president as did 52% of Americans ages 30-44. Romney won the support of 51% of voters ages 45-64 and 56% of Americans above the age of 65.

 

Data further showed that 56% of married voters voted for Romney while 62% of unmarried Americans voted for Obama. Some 76% of gays, lesbians or bisexuals gave their vote to Obama. 

 

Jews unaffected by Bibi rhetoric

President Obama also got the overwhelming support of US Jews. Exit polls show that 70% of American Jews voted for Obama while 30% voted for Romney. In 2008, Obama got 74% of Jewish votes.

 

Pollster Jim Gerstein says that Jews were unaffected by Netanyahu's statements about Iran when it came to their choice of president.

 

"Only 2% thought it was the most important issue in the presidential election," he told Ynet. Polls conducted by the Solomon Project showed similar results.

 

In the key swing state of Ohio Obama won 69% of the Jewish vote. A similar support rate was recorded in Florida where counting is still ongoing.

 

What were the issues most important to Jewish voters?

 

According to the GBA poll, the economy was the number one issue on Jewish voters' minds when casting their ballots – 53% said their vote would be most affected by economic issues.

 

Healthcare, one of the Obama's most celebrated achievements, led 32% in their decision, and social security was on the minds of 23% of Jewish voters.

 

Some 10% of Jews said they were most influenced by issues pertaining to Israel, the same percentage that admitted to being mainly preoccupied by abortions.


ישראלים אזרחי ארה"ב מגיעים להצביע בירושלים (צילום: EPA)

Israelis with US citizenship vote in Jerusalem (Photo: EPA)

  

Terror was the number one issue for 10% of Jewish voters while 2% said the Iranian issue was their main concern.

 

Asked which president would be better for Israel? 53% answered that Obama, and 31% said Romney.

 

Asked who would handle the issue of a nuclear Iran better? 58% said Obama while 26% answered Romney.

 

Asked who would be better for the economy? 56% supported Obama and 32% Romney.

 

In a series of questions regarding Israel, 69% of Jewish voters expressed their support for the US playing an active role in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; 72% supported a peace settlement as outlined by former President Bill Clinton.

 

Some 84% of Jews wanted to see Bill Clinton acting as a special envoy for peace talks.

 

In light of the results, National Jewish Democratic Council President and CEO David A. Harris commented on the campaign waged by Republican Jewish groups:

 

"Knowing what we know of the state of the Jewish vote in late September, we are tremendously proud of what NJDC and our friends were able to do to put facts into the hands of so many Jewish Florida voters to make sure they were not taken in by this multi-million dollar effort of lies and smears against our President," he said.  

 

Yaron Druckman contributed to this report

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 11.07.12, 23:26
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