At midday tempers were flaring and civility was thin. Around noon, the Republicans secured their 80th vote and the bill passed. Many, though, appear to harbor deep misgivings. Other than the popularity of it, I'm not sure what the point is. What's not clear is voter sentiment in south Florida, the Jewish members' home region.
Lawmakers assume their voters mirror the state.
But it's never been tested. The only time Jews were ever polled was a 1989 American Jewish Committee national survey. It found a sobering 74 percent of Jews pro-death penalty, slightly more than Americans overall. The organized Jewish community, on the other hand, is overwhelmingly pro-abolition. The Conservative and Reform rabbinates have long opposed capital punishment on talmudic grounds, insisting the danger of punishing the innocent outweighed any benefit.