When it comes to Florida Jews, is President Obama’s glass 31 percent empty or is it 69 percent full?
That depends on whether you’re the Republican Jewish Coalition or the National Jewish Demcoratic Council.
The American Jewish Committee’s new survey of registered Jewish voters in the swinging Sunshine State found 69 percent going for Obama and 25 percent going for Mitt Romney.
Both the RJC and NJDC cited the poll as good news for their respective parties.
The RJC said in a statement:
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The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) responded to the release today of a poll by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) which showed continued erosion of support for President Obama in the Jewish community. This poll showed that President Obama would receive just 69 percent of the Jewish vote in Florida, a key swing state with a significant Jewish population.
RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said, "This poll hints at trouble for Pres. Obama in the Jewish community. We have seen ample evidence in many recent polls that Pres. Obama will have difficulty reaching the same level of Jewish support that he received in 2008. We believe that the "buyer’s remorse" in the Jewish community among those who voted for Obama in ’08 is a result of disillusionment with the President’s policies on the economy and on foreign policy, including Israel, and that it is a big factor in the erosion of support for the President."
The NJDC said in its statement:
The American Jewish Committee released a new poll of Jewish voters in Florida that found President Barack Obama leading Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney 69%-25%, with 5% undecided. Among undecided voters, 0% indicated that they lean toward Romney.
When the undecided voters are factored out, Obama leads Romney 73%-26%.
Some may try to compare the AJC’s data to the Florida exit poll data from 2008. However, such a comparison is equivalent to comparing apples and oranges, since the polls were conducted at different times in the calendar — and because there are (generally) no undecided voters on Election Day.
Today’s AJC poll is the latest demonstration that the sweeping majority of Jewish voters are solidly behind Obama. Recently reported data from Gallup found Obama leading 70%-25% nationally.
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