Pollster Luntz Says Jewish Voters Helped Bush Win Ohio, Florida
President Bush saw his Jewish vote jump 6 percent Tuesday, enough of an increase to help him win Ohio and Florida, according to exit polling conducted by the Luntz Research Companies. Frank Luntz said the Jewish vote for Bush went from 19 percent in 2000 to 25 percent this year. "While still among the more reliable voting blocs for Democratic candidates, Bush clearly increased his share of Jewish support in the two states where it mattered most."
Luntz said Jewish voters were driven to Bush because of his war on terrorism more than his strong support for Israel. Even Orthodox Jews, whom the White House thought backed Bush mostly on the Israel issue, were moved more by terrorism. Among other findings was that more religious Jews backed Bush. For example, 69 percent of Orthodox Jews chose the president compared to just 15 percent of Reformed Jews. He also found that younger Jews backed the president in much higher numbers than older Jews. "The Bush Jewish outreach efforts are having an impact on this population. With patience, future increases in the Jewish vote among Republicans are likely," Luntz said. –Paul Bedard, U.S. News
