https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jewish-voting-record-in-u-s-presidential-elections
The above link provides data on the Jewish vote in US presidential elections going back through 1916.
Here is the data for 1976-1992:
1976
Carter: 71
Ford: 27
1980
Carter: 45
Reagan: 39
Anderson: 14
1984
Mondale: 67
Reagan: 31
1988
Dukakis: 64
Bush: 35
1992
Clinton: 80
Bush: 11
Perot: 9
Both Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush experienced large drop-offs in the percentages of the Jewish vote during their respective unsuccessful reelection campaigns. I understand that many Jews were upset with Carter, but what about Bush? Why did his share of the Jewish vote drop by over two-thirds from 1988 to 1992?
Why would urban big city Jews like Jimmy Carter's rural hick persona so much? Especially against a northern moderate like Ford. I know that overall New York state was very close in 1976, as the Northeast was not exactly thrilled with such a Deep Southern moderate running.
Even McGovern got 65%, so it's not like Carter's 71 was that huge, especially compared to Humphrey's 81 or JFK's 82.
Ford was so inoffensive and the last 'decent' Republican president. I am just surprised at his relative under performance. There was no anti intellectualism, and no Christian fundamentalism from Ford either. While Carter was openly evangelistic which could have turned a lot of Jews off. I would have expected 1976 to more of a 60-40% thing among Jews considering all that.
