Scholars: GOP's Jewish moment is a long way off

Associated Press

RACHEL ZOLL, AP Religion Writer

Updated: Oct 18, 2012 2:45 AM

NEW YORK (AP) — Like Chicago Cubs fans in spring, Jewish Republicans start every presidential election season hoping this will be their year. They say American Jews, who have voted overwhelmingly Democratic for decades, will start a significant shift to the political right.

But scholars who study Jewish voting patterns say it won't happen in this presidential election.

Although recent studies have found potential for some movement toward the GOP, analysts say any revolution in the U.S. Jewish vote won't occur anytime soon.

Exit polls in 2008 showed Barack Obama winning 78 percent of the Jewish vote. This year, polls have the president down anywhere from a few to 10 percentage points among Jewish voters compared with four years ago.

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