Jewish voters and Obama

By Ed Lasky

Liberal media outlets are anxious to deny that Barack Obama has a problem with support from Jewish voters. Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic derisively employed the term "Jewish Problem" (a historically loaded expression) to dismiss reports that Jews have problems with his stance on Israel Newsweek --a magazine that has all but endorsed Barack Obama for President -- had a feature article characterizing this "problem" as a myth.

But facts matter. Adam Eden of JTA reports on a poll from the magazine J-Street revealing serious problems for Obama among Jews. Obama is behing Kerryt, Gore and Clinton in terms of support from American Jews.

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.