The answer at this time is not yet clear, but from what I have seen and heard personally, this Presidential election is likely to be different than ones in the recent past when gauged by the depth of Jewish support for the Democrat standard-bearer.
I am Jewish - and have been a conservative Republican for more than 25 years. I am a decided minority within a minority - but I am not alone. The phenomenon of Jewish -Democrat affiliation has been explored in depth by many observers over the years and better than I can do in this space. Suffice it to say that it is a cultural and not a religious phenomenon, in part an accident of history and of location, and has endured in spite of broader assimilation by Jews into mainstream American life. Years - centuries of persecution, actually, have created an instinctive bond among American Jews that is reinforced by physical proximity, predominantly in the New York metropolitan area, but in other enclaves as well, such as Brookline, Massachusetts; Hartford, Connecticut; Skokie, Illinois; the larger Los Angeles, CA area; and Miami, Florida.
This year, there is a buzz, and an unfamiliar one for many. Much of this is occurring quietly, below the radar, so to speak, but it is real and more significant than the usual cultural angst that one would expect from a people who tend to be more than a little openly emotional in any event.
Take it for what it's worth, but in speaking with my Jewish friends and relatives, few of whom share my proud right-wing views, they are very, very nervous about Barack Obama, his entourage, and his meshuggenah wife. Several have quietly informed me that they plan to vote for John McCain, but haven't yet told anyone. The consensus is that Obama would not only be bad for Israel's security, but his lack of experience and the radical anger of the people around him would be bad for America's as well. Anecdotal evidence, to be sure, but the one thing you've got to know about us Jews is that we like to tell a good story, and this could be a very interesting one indeed.
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The issue of why Jews vote predominantly for ‘Rats has come up very frequently in FR discussions over the several years I’ve been here.
I’d suggest that there has been a slow movement away from the ‘Rats over the past several decades, as younger Jews are more likely to convert to the GOP than their parents and grandparents. This will be accelerated in future generations because of, among other factors, more orthodox Jews in the Jewish population because of larger birth rates.
The ‘Rat policies and agenda, of course, are increasingly troublesome to the American Jewish community as a whole.
As to McCain vs. Obama, look for McCain to get at least 40% of the Jewish vote, the largest percentage for a GOP presidential candidate since Harding in 1920.
I am a Conservative Republican Jew and have been since I could vote. My brother is an Orthodox Jew and he and the members of his synagogue are Conservative Republicans. There are many Liberal Jews, but there are many Conservative Republican Jews as well and many on this website.
There is no love for the Marxist Messiah in Israel. That distrust and concern will be made known in America. It is up to Conservatives, since the leadership of the GOP are eunuchs, to expose the antisemitic Osama Obama and his racist wife. Exposure is what destroys Liberals. I would say the RAT Messiah, endorsed by Al Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah, has more to expose than any candidate in the history of this country. Each of us has to get to work to expose all these traitors. We can do no less than our troops are doing in Iraq and Afganistan. We’re fighting the enemies of America here; enemies of your children and grandchildren’s futures.