American Jews Prefer Obama To Lieberman

[Me.]

“If Barack Obama has a problem among Jewish voters, then Sen. Joseph Lieberman is in monumental trouble.

Among the most high-profile Jews in Congress, Lieberman is viewed far more unfavorably than the presumptive Democratic nominee, according to a new poll. Only 37 percent of Jews view the Connecticut Independent in a favorable light compared to 48 percent who have a negative perception. As for Obama, 60 percent of Jews view him favorably while 34 percent view him unfavorably.

The findings were released as part of a recent survey of American Jews by the new progressive pro-Israel group J Street. They seem to upturn some of this year's conventional political wisdom.

Obama, who is set to travel to Israel this week, is often described in the press as facing significant obstacles to winning Jewish support, in part because of false claims that he is a Muslim. Lieberman, meanwhile, is regularly quoted disparaging Obama's credentials on topics considered dear to the Jewish voter's heart: toughness on Iran and support for the Jewish state. Asked recently whether he should be questioning Obama's commitment to Israel, the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee responded, "why wouldn't I do that?" cont…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/22/obama-far-more-popular-am_n_114182.html

[ThatsMyBarack]

1. L'chaim!

:toast:

[crankychatter]

2. My landlord, retired Israeli Intelligence is in the bag for Obama

Israel has MANY voices and American Jews have even MORE diversity

These demographic profiles the MSM issues are pseudo-sociology... their questions are loaded... their spreads inadequately sample social and economic diversity within those groups... so their samplings are not microcosmic...

that's why they're all over the map

and when we pick it up and repeat it, it borders on defamation

That landlord of mine, is married to an Afro-portugese lady... they have the loveliest children...

He sits on his back porch in the cool of the day watching the kids play... playing his wood flute in Native American style

I love the diversity in America... it's as close to "patriotic" as I get.

[immoderate]

3. Lieberman's religious conservatism puts him on the fringe.

Lieberman is an orthodox Jew, which make him analogous in some ways to fundamentalist Christians. While representing a small percentage of Jews, like their Christian counterparts, they are prone to tell others how to live.

--IMM

[Me.]

4. To Your Point

"Not that there is tremendous significance to these developments or numbers. Lieberman has eagerly taken to his role of McCain attack dog, in the process alienating large portions of the Democrats that make up both the Jewish community and his Connecticut constituency. Not to mention the relatively common misconception that Jews naturally are aligned with Lieberman's hard-line tilt on foreign affairs. According to J Street, 38 percent of respondents had a positive view of the conservative leaning AIPAC, compared to 44 percent who viewed the liberal MoveOn.org in a favorable light.

As for the rest of J Street's finding, they provide a mixed bag for Obama. The Illinois Democrat - who one percent of the population thinks is Jewish - has a substantial lead among Jews in the presidential race: 62 percent to 32 percent. But that margin is smaller than what both Al Gore and John Kerry earned in their perspective races.

On the flip side, the study suggests that there is room within the Jewish community for the presumptive Democratic nominee's support to grow. As Spencer Ackerman of the Washington Independent noted in a review of the J Street poll, Jews are "liberal as hell."

"Seventy-four percent of us view Bush unfavorably and 83 percent of us disapprove of his job performance," Ackerman wrote. "While 76 percent of the country as a whole says the U.S. is on the wrong track, an astonishing 90 percent of American Jews say the same. Only 21 percent of us approve of the Iraq war and only 29 percent think Bush is good for Israel, and those are clearly the shmucks that kissed ass in Hebrew school and snitched when the rest of us used the synagogue phone booth and cloakroom to make out."

[Eric J in MN]

6. Orthodox Judaism isn't the issue.

I would support an Orthodox Jewish politician whose political views were closer to mine.

I'm not Orthodox. I was raised in Conservative Judaism and I'm an atheist.

I'm against Lieberman for the way he votes (for the "Military Commissions Act," etc.) and the things he says, ("It's time for Democrats who distrust President Bush to acknowledge that he will be the commander in chief for three more critical years and that in matters of war we undermine presidential credibility at our nation's peril.")

Lieberman keeping kosher and attending an Orthodox synagogue is fine.

[immoderate]

10. Of course you are right.

I'm against Lieberman for his political conservatism.

--IMM

[democrattotheend]

5. 60% is good, but Obama needs to do better than that among Jews

Hate to be the downer here, but if only 60% of Jews vote for Obama, then he'll do significantly worse than Kerry and House Democrats in 2006. He needs at least 70% of the Jewish vote.

[Clark2008]

8. He'll get that.

This was just polling "favorables."

Even if some Jewish person doesn't think he's perfect and sees him as a bit unfavorable, that doesn't mean he/she is not going to vote for him.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. Wow, I'm shocked.

I would have thought Lieberman's close association with rabid anti-semites would have endeared him to American Jews.

[Eric J in MN]

9. kick

kick

[Mass]

11. Why is it surprising? Except for people who still believe in identity votes?

Jewish people have been voting in majority Democrat in all the previous elections. Why would they change now because Lieberman supports McCain.

[LynneSin]

12. Perhaps the Jews realize that a neverending war is NOT the solution for Israel

You have got to believe that Israel does not want a war against Iran because they might end up getting the raw end of the deal from Iran.