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Gallup Reports ‘surprisingly High Proportion’ of Jews Have Shifted to Nixon

October 4, 1968
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A “surprisingly high proportion” of Jews have shifted to the support of Richard M. Nixon for the Presidency in a year that has shattered traditional voting patterns.” Dr. George Gallup reported today on the basis of a recent poll. Dr. Gallup said that “those of Jewish faith included in the sample have broken with past precedents.”

The poll, released by the impartial American Institute of Public Opinion, found that 31 percent of Jews now favor Mr. Nixon, 51 percent support Vice-President Hubert H. Humphrey, four percent are for George Wallace, while 14 percent remain undecided. This contrasted with the disproportionately heavy Jewish support for the Democratic Presidential candidates in 1960 and 1964. Less than 10 percent of Jews favored Mr. Nixon over President Kennedy and even fewer were believed to have voted for Sen. Barry Goldwater. The Gallup Poll suggested that Mr. Humphrey lacks solid support from groups Democratic Presidential candidates counted upon in the past. In addition to gaining heavily among Jews. Mr. Nixon has obtained a heavy shift in support by Roman Catholics, who have favored Democrats since the Roosevelt days.

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