WASHINGTON (JTA) — President Obama won 69 percent of the Jewish vote, according to an exit poll.
The poll, posted on CNN’s website, was commensurate with projections in preelection polls by Gallup and the American Jewish Committee, among others, that Obama would win 65 percent to 70 percent of the Jewish vote.
Democrats and Republicans blitzed Jewish voters in swing states, particularly Ohio and Florida, ahead of the election.
Jews constituted 2 percent of the overall CNN response group, but the network did not reveal the total number of people polled, making it impossible to assess a margin of error.
Republicans noted the discrepancy between Tuesday’s numbers and the 78 percent Obama garnered in 2008 exit polls.
Democrats, citing a more recent broader study of the 2008 results, now say that Obama earned 74 percent of the Jewish vote in that election and suggested that Tuesday’s showing was within the margin of error.
On social media, Jews of both parties argued over whether Tuesday’s results showed a substantial drop in Jewish support for Obama.
J Street and the Republican Jewish Coalition planned to release separate exit polls on Wednesday morning.
