Gallup has new poll data out showing that “religious intensity predicts support for McCain.” Jews are no exception — except that they are.
Only 39% of U.S. Jews report that religion is important in their daily lives, well below the overall national average. Among this smaller group of religious Jews, however, Obama and McCain break even, 45% to 45%. This compares to Obama’s 68% to 26% lead among the majority of Jews for whom religion is not important.
So, yes, like in many other faith groups, Jews who value religion are more likely to back McCain than Jews who don’t. In fact, the gap between religious and non-religious is widest within the Jewish community (Obama won the latter group 68 percent to 26 percent).
At the same time, despite that wide gap, Obama does better with Jews who say religion is important (45%) than he does with white Catholics (37 percent) and white Protestants (27 percent) in that same category.
I have an article up about the National Jewish Democratic Council event Sunday night, during which several speakers and attendees expressed concerns about Barack Obama’s ability to hold on to Jewish voters. Even NJDC’s executive director, Iran Forman, who generally can be counted on to dismiss GOP predictions of a Jewish shift, was voicing concern about the presidential race.
Pastor John Hagee took 15 minutes today during his trip to Israel to hold a conference call with reporters from JTA, the Jerusalem Post, the Associated Press and the New York Times. Hagee, responding to questions that were submitted ahead of time, defended himself against Rabbi Eric Yoffie of the Reform movement and other critics who accuse the mega-church leader of being anti-Catholic and bent on stopping Israeli peace moves.
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UPDATE: Here’s the statement that Hagee has released…
Statement of Pastor John Hagee
In Response to Allegations by Rabbi Eric Yoffie
In a speech last week, Rabbi Eric Yoffie attacked me and the organization that I founded, Christians United for Israel. In his speech, Rabbi Yoffie accurately describes the Jewish community as one that is “supremely sensitive to the power of words.” It saddens me that Rabbi Yoffie failed to exhibit the very sensitivity of which he spoke. I must say that Rabbi Yoffie’s speech demonstrates not only a lack of respect for me, but a troubling lack of respect for the truth.
Rabbi Yoffie begins his attack by accusing me of being “anti-Catholic.” He supports this very serious charge by repeating verbatim the Catholic League’s claim that I called the Catholic Church “a great whore,” a “false cult system,” and an “apostate church.” I am deeply disappointed that Rabbi Yoffie would repeat this false charge without even bothering to check his facts. Had he done so, he would have found that I have never called the Catholic Church by these names. On the contrary, I have consistently taught that these three concepts from the Book of Revelation refer to all Christians from all denominations who reject the Gospel, and not to any one Church or denomination.
Rabbi Yoffie next claims that I and Christians United for Israel are “extremists” who reject a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In making this allegation, Rabbi Yoffie completely ignores CUFI’s actual record of activism. Instead he relies on a few quotes from me and others pulled out of context. Rabbi Yoffie ignores our record because this record completely undermines his claim.
When it comes to the issue of land for peace, it is true that I and many other Christian Zionists have grown skeptical of territorial concessions after watching the results of Israel’s withdrawals from Southern Lebanon and Gaza. However CUFI’s fundamental philosophy from day one has been that Israelis and Israelis alone have the right to make the existential decisions about land and peace. To the extent that CUFI has taken concrete action in connection with the peace process, it has at all times been limited to asking the White House not to pressure Israel into making territorial concessions that she herself does not wish to make. We simply do not, and would not, seek to tell the Israelis what to do.
I want to close by noting that I am speaking to you from Israel. I have just returned from a solidarity rally in which I lead over 1,000 Christian friends of Israel through the streets of Jerusalem carrying banners proclaiming “Israel: You are not alone!” Yesterday, I and the CUFI leadership met with Israeli leadership including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Kadima, Foreign Minister Tzippy Livni, and Binyamin Netanyahu from Likud. It was a pleasure to meet with and learn from these three brilliant statesmen. Let me assure you that when it comes to the large majority of Israeli Jews and American Jews, our work of Christian-Jewish dialogue and reconciliation continues moving forward.
Former JTA staffer Matthew Berger says Giuliani is too much of a leader to take a Cabinet post if the GOP takes the White House. Berger has been following Rudy’s campaign for MSNBC.
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Obama’s foreign policy adviser, Tony Lake, was at NYU today, talking to students at the Bronfman Center about why he thinks the Democratic presidential hopeful is so great. But before he got into details, Lake, who served as national security adviser in the Clinton administration, described his own history of first being mistaken for, and then actually becoming, a Jew.
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Barack Obama just finished a conference call with Jewish reporters (read the news brief). He took four questions, the first from JTA’s own Ron Kampeas. But while questions dealt with the Middle East, and the recent controversy about Obama’s church, what the candidate really wanted to talk about was the smear campaign that has circulated by email among Jewish leaders in recent weeks. Read the rest
Arlen Specter, one of only two Jewish Republicans in the Senate, has held back from endorsing a candidate. In a brief interview with JTA Friday, he said the field was too muddled to make a decision so far in advance of the Pennsylvania primary in April. Oh, and by the way, if the Republicans end up brokering their nominee come convention time, Pennsylvania will have way more clout if Specter keeps quiet. Good thinking Arlen!
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Senator Joseph Lieberman, in South Florida this week to stump for John McCain, says he won’t accept a position in a McCain administration — including the VP slot.
Caveat emptor: There is quite a bit of background noise and unfortunately a fair amount of cellphone interference on this interview. After the first minute or so it’s less apparent, but we apologize nonetheless.
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Senator Norm Coleman addressed the Republican Jewish Coalition Friday morning in Boca Raton. Afterwards, he spoke with reporters about why he’s supporting Rudy Giuiliani for president.
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Representative Adam Hasner, a Jewish Republican in the Florida House of Representatives and the House Majority Leader, talks to JTA about why he’s supporting John McCain for president.
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According to Joe Lieberman, John McCain thinks heaven is filled with Jews praying. Lieberman also says Iran’s leaders are modern day Amalekites. Click below to hear Lieberman’s speech Thursday to a Chabad luncheon in Fort Lauderdale.
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