The question has never been whether most Jews will vote for Barack Obama. The question has been will enough Jews support Obama to really help him, particularly in Florida.

Jewish voters, since the days of Franklin Roosevelt, have been among the most loyal Democratic constituencies. In 2000, 80 percent of Jewish voters supported Gore/Lieberman. In 2004, 74 percent backed Kerry/Edwards. At a conference on Judaism at Brandeis University that I attended in July, speakers presented anecdotal evidence that Jewish voters might not embrace Obama the way they have supported past Democratic nominees: Elderly aunts, grandmothers, who always vote Democrat, were now threatening to back McCain, they said. Indeed, Gallup polling in July suggested Obama might fall short of matching Kerry’s numbers. At the time, Jews backed Obama over McCain 61 percent to 34 percent. But a new Gallup poll suggests that Jewish voters’ reservations are fading. This poll shows Obama beating McCain 74 to 22. [Click here to read more from Gallup.] Pollsters didn’t ask this question, but it would be interesting to know if the selection of Sarah Palin, an outspoken evangelical with Pentecostal roots, undermined McCain’s support among Jewish voters.

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