By the numbers: Jewish poll on elections

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (JTA) – The National Jewish Democratic Council on Monday released results of a new survey regarding the positions of American Jews on the upcoming presidential elections. The poll was carried out in late July by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, and has a margin of error of 3.5 percent. Following are a dozen highlights of the findings. • If the presidential election were held today, 75 percent of respondents said they would vote for Sen. John Kerry (D.-Mass.), with 22 percent saying they would vote for President Bush. In 2000, Al Gore won 79 percent of the Jewish vote to Bush’s 19 percent. • Some 25 percent approve of Bush’s performance as president, while 75 percent disapprove. • Asked to identify their two most important concerns in selecting a president, 42 percent listed terrorism/national security and the economy and jobs. Israel came in a distant sixth, with 15 percent calling it one of their most important issues. Also beating out Israel were affordable health care, the situation in Iraq and Social Security and Medicare. • Fully 95 percent of respondents said they were “almost certain” to vote in the upcoming presidential elections. Another 5 percent said they would “probably” vote. • 66 percent of respondents believe Kerry is better on Israel than President Bush, while 34 percent said Bush trumps Kerry when it comes to the Jewish state. • 66 percent believe Kerry is better on the war on terrorism than President Bush, while 34 percent said Bush is better in the war on terrorism. • 71 percent are convinced Kerry would be better on the war in Iraq than Bush, while 29 percent said they think Bush is better on Iraq. • 71 percent think Kerry will make America stronger than Bush will, while 29 percent said they think Bush will make America stronger. • 71 percent think Kerry would be better at representing the interests of American Jews, while 29 percent said Bush would be better. • 78 percent of respondents think Kerry is better than Bush on the role of religion in public life and politics, while 22 percent prefer Bush on this issue. • 77 percent feel that things in the United States have gotten “pretty seriously off on the wrong track,” while 23 percent feel things are going in “the right direction.” • 76 percent favor civil unions for homosexual couples, while 24 percent said marriage should be recognized only as the union of a man and a woman.