American Jews and the 2012 election

Hour 1

Pointing to the defeat of the Democratic congressional candidate in a special election in New York’s heavily Jewish 9th congressional district as an example, Republicans say that support for the President among the American Jewish electorate may be waning.  Democrats counter saying Jews are consistently and historically loyal to their party and its candidates including the President.  American Jews make up just 2 percent of the nation’s population but because they have a record of high voter turnout, live in important swing states, and are politically activist and generous financial contributors, their vote is considered crucial to the success of any candidacy.  We talk about Jewish voters — who they are, who they vote for and what issues are most important when they cast their ballot — with STEVEN WINDMUELLER of Hebrew Union College’s Los Angeles campus, Democratic pollster JIM GERSTEIN and Republican pollster NEIL NEWHOUSE.

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[audio: 101111_100630.mp3]