Journalists Lynn Sweet and Ron Kampeas on the Jewish Vote

February, 02 2012
Politics, Religion, topics

By Alexis McNamee

For more on the Jewish vote in the 2012 presidential election, yesterday we listened in to “The Jewish Federations of North America Teleconference Series on the 2012 Presidential Election,” featuring Lynn Sweet, Washington Bureau Chief at the Chicago-Sun Times, and Ron Kampeas, Washington Bureau Chief at the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA). In light of Mitt Romney’s win in Florida, the two experts focused on the important issues for Jewish voters today: the economy and foreign policy. Kampeas recalled Romney stating he would stand “shoulder to shoulder with our allies [in Israel],” whereas Obama has openly criticized Israel on its settlement policy. Yet Kampeas believes that as long Obama is “pro-Israel enough,” Jewish voters will not be deterred from re-electing him. Relations with Iran are also an increasingly important topic—Kampeas predicted voter focus will only shift to this matter if oil prices spike, but also noted that Republican candidates have been taking a more negative stance than Obama. Kampeas and Sweet later discussed Mitt Romney’s proposal to privatize Medicare, and said Jewish support would require Republicans to present a strategy that would protects seniors despite Medicare cuts. Both agreed that the economy is the most important issue to Jewish voters. Sweet suggested that the only way to guarantee an Obama loss in the fall would be if the unemployment rate rises above nine percent before the election. Still, both Sweet and Kampeas predicted that Obama would win more than three-quarters of the Jewish vote—roughly the same rate as in 2008.

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3 thoughts on “Journalists Lynn Sweet and Ron Kampeas on the Jewish Vote

  1. this is posted in the ramadan (ramadam or dan?) section because R & S will just end up with a lot of hate answers.

    so from a liberal point of view as in equality between all races, genders, religions

    what can islam offer? & is the media a lying dirty rat about islam?

  2. If Islam is the true religion, then it doesn’t need to adapt to the world. Islam is the same as it was in the 600s, unlike Christianity. Islam is the fastest growing religion, more people convert to Islam than any other religion.

    Why do you think it should adapt? Islam is fine the way it is and if it weren’t for the political mess in the Middle East (and the West splitting up the Middle East into small countries after WW2), the Islamic World would be one of the most advanced places on Earth.

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