Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama
Photo: AP
Clinton, Obama in tight race for Jewish vote
Poll shows Clinton, Obama almost evenly matched among American Jewish Democratic voters. Obama widely supported despite advisors' anti-Jewish remarks
According to a new poll published in the US, Senator Barack Obama was more widely supported among Jewish Democrats than among white Catholics and Protestants. However, he and his opponent, Hillary Clinton, were almost evenly matched.
Obama and the Jews
Yitzhak Benhorin
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The poll results showed a strong support of Clinton among the Jewish elderly population, while the younger population was more in favor of Obama. Democratic Protestant voters divided about equally between Obama and Clinton, but Clinton did better by more than 20 points among white Protestant Democratic voters (56% to 34%). The Catholic vote also went to Clinton, by a similar margin.
The poll was held following the allegedly racial statements of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, whose close relationship with Obama caused the candidate to suffer anti-Jewish allegations.
Obama's advisors feared that this would harm the candidate's Jewish vote, but apparently many Jews decided to trust Obama on both Israeli and American issues. In response to the publications, they remarked that Obama's stance where Israel is concerned was made very clear to anyone who read his speeches or policies.
They added that Obama's support of the US's partner in democracy is based on the values and interests shared by Israel and the US. Obama's advisors also said that the candidate does not agree with the comments of his advisor, General McPeak.
