Lies and statistics.

Mr Geras links to this report in The Guardian:

George Bush has failed to win over any of the traditional Jewish backing for the Democrats, despite the unwavering White House support for Israel and a vigorous campaign by the Republican party.

That seems quite surprising. I've certainly read pieces by some American Jews about how their political allegiances are changing in the light of both parties' attitudes towards Israel, and particularly because of the increasingly open Jew-hatred of so many on the Left. Yeah, that's anecdotal, but still.

But the The Guardian continues:

In a poll released yesterday by the American Jewish Committee, Jewish voters preferred John Kerry to Mr Bush by a margin of nearly three to one: 69% to 24%.

It is an improvement on Mr Bush's 19% Jewish support in 2000 but well short of the Republicans' hope of 30%.

Right. So Bush has achieved a 5% gain in Jewish backing, and The Guardian describe it as a failure to win anyone over. That's a bit of a lie, really, isn't it?

In Florida they make up 3.9% of the population, more than the margin of victory in the 2000 election.

Right. Bear in mind that that margin of victory was in Bush's favour, not Gore's. The Guardian are subtly implying here that winning enough Jewish support could swing Florida's election in Bush's favour, when the reality is that Bush won Florida and that winning Jewish support could increase the lead he already has.

So what The Guardian are actually reporting on here is the interesting fact that Bush has succeeded in winning over enough of the traditionally Democratic American Jewish vote to win Florida and therefore the 2000 election with less (who knows? — maybe even none) of that annoying controversy that he had last time. And this they give the headline "Bush fails to raise Jewish support".