Reliably Democratic, Jewish vote gets Romney eye

WASHINGTON – On a trip to Israel, Mitt Romney is trying to win over a tiny sliver of a small but powerful section of the American electorate. President Barack Obama is doing the same at home.

Romney's international trip is unlikely to change the broader campaign against Obama but the Republican is looking to close the gap among Jewish voters. His campaign doesn't anticipate winning a majority of Jewish voters, but he is trying to whittle down Obama's stronghold.

Romney hopes the trip to Israel will help him make inroads, especially in Florida, where roughly 4 percent of voters are Jewish. But surveys of American Jews indicate that only 6 percent of them place Israel as their top priority.

Romney also hopes to solidify his standing with Republican evangelical Christians.