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  • Writer's pictureSteven Windmueller

Wind Election Report #8: An Update of the 2020 Election


A newsletter focusing on the 2020 election and American Jews



New Polling Data:

This week, a new election poll was released by the Jewish Electorate Institute. Here are its top findings:


  • 67% of Jewish voters disapprove of President Trump’s job performance. This is about 15% higher than the American electorate as a whole.

  • 70% of Jewish voters view Joe Biden in favorable terms, more than 20% higher than the American electorate.

  • Biden overwhelmingly leads President Trump on every issue, including Israel.

  • Kamala Harris matches Biden in favorability among Jewish voters.

  • 90% of Jewish voters said the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic is an important issue to consider when deciding which candidate to vote for.

  • A majority of Jewish voters believe that Trump deserves the greatest blame for the spread of coronavirus, and less than a quarter of Jewish voters trust Trump on the federal government’s response to the coronavirus.

  • More than 80% of Jewish voters believe the rise of anti-Semitism and white nationalism are very important issues to consider when deciding which candidate to support. Nearly two-thirds of Jewish voters trust Joe Biden more on anti-Semitism, and one quarter of Jewish voters trust Donald Trump.

  • Most Jewish voters feel less secure than they did four years ago, and a majority believe they will be less safe if Trump is reelected.

  • 88% of Jewish voters self-identify as pro-Israel, and a majority of Jewish voters are critical of at least some of the current Israeli government’s policies. Democratic and Republican Jewish voters identify as pro-Israel at the same level.

  • Jewish voters prioritize domestic policy issues over Israel when asked which issues are most important. Less than one-fifth of respondents said Israel is the one of the most important issues when deciding which candidate to support.

  • The Israel-UAE agreement had no effect on a majority of Jewish voters’ view of Donald Trump. Jewish voters trust Biden more than Trump on Israel.

  • Unlike other constituencies, most Jewish voters plan to vote BEFORE election day AND feel comfortable with non-in-person voting methods.

 

New Articles on the Election:

This week, addressing Jewish leaders in advance of the New Year, the President restated his case for being the “best President” in support of Israel.

https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/09/17/if-the-other-side-gets-in-all-bets-are-off-trump-warns-jews-ahead-of-election/


Eric Yoffie, writing in Haaretz, contends that Jews will overwhelmingly embrace the Biden campaign.

https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-why-joe-biden-will-win-the-biggest-jewish-vote-ever-1.9094449


How important is Israel to American Jewish voters? This opinion piece examines new data on where the Jewish State fits in.

https://www.jpost.com/opinion/what-does-the-us-2020-election-day-mean-for-israel-640401

 

Steven Windmueller is the Rabbi Alfred Gottschalk Emeritus Professor of Jewish Communal Studies at the Jack H. Skirball Campus of HUC-JIR. His writings, including his previous Wind Election Reports can be found on his website: www.thewindreport.com.

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