In one political sense, Jews are no different from Gentiles: just as liberal-churched (ELCA, PCUSA, UMC, Episcopal) and non-churched Gentiles tend to be Democrats/Greens, while small-o orthodox-churched (LCMS, ARP, SBC, AOG, traditional Catholics) Gentiles tend to be Republicans/Libertarians, Reform, Reconstructionist, and non-synagogue Jews tend to be Democrats/Greens, while Orthodox and Conservative-synagogue Jews tend to be Republicans/Libertarians.
A second point is that the bulk of Jews who emigrated to America in the early 20th century were already socialists, and they came here to escape persecution from culturally-conservative totalitarians, which is how conservatives are often perceived today by non-conservatives--so being an American Jew and supporting Ted Cruz is thought of as the 21st century equivalent of being a Ukrainian Jew and supporting the Tsar a hundred years ago.
Finally, there is one aspect of the American Jewish experience that is unique. For Gentile ancestors, America was the "promised land" to which they came, and which was their destination, but American Jews have a "promised land," Israel, and those with the future-looking, religiously motivated, entrepreneurial spirit become Israelis, leaving behind what becomes a greater percentage of American Jews being more European-socialist, meaning Democrats.
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Excellent point but go convince, secular, assimilated Jews that Israel, their Promised Land is indeed waiting for them.
No, for the vast majority of Jews in America, America IS THE Promised Land. Israel is not REALLY seen as their homeland, America is.
Fact, Israel was created in 1948, America's Jews voted with their feet to stay put in America. Fact, less than 25% of American Jews ever visited Israel! After 65 years, the Jews still prefer to go to Cancun, Bahamas or China before setting foot in Israel! They are alienated from Israel or scared to feel a connection to her.
The Jews of America will gladly contribute money to send Russians or Ethiopian Jews straight to Israel but that's where it stops. Unfortunately Israel is seen by American Jewry as it was framed in 1947-48, a place for unfortunate souls who have no choice, the wretched refugee remnants of WWII. Not for me, for some other poor SOB.
The truth is, is that Israel is an amazingly advanced, Democratic, Western a open society where the mortality rate is lower than in the USA. Israel is a young and dynamic entrepreneurial society moving at light speed ahead and this, despite the wars, terror and financial blackmailing by the Arab boycotts!
BTW, Israel WAS European Socialist under Ben Gurion and thank G-d, they dropped that ideology with the rise of the Likud party PM, Menachem Begin in 1977. Now they are a fully fledged market-driven economy leaving the Arabs in the dust.
American Democratic Jews do not really understand Israeli Republican Jews because each side's reality is very different. They are brothers but the Israelis are firmly planted on the ground and have no time for whimsical Left wing BS even though many of the elites there were copying the American Jewish approach to conflict resolution. That was called the “Oslo Peace Process” - what a bitter lesson that was.
Now American Jewry is more concerned with Trans-gender Homo rights while their Israeli brethren have to contend with being annihilated by Iran and an American President Man-child who won't be there for them...
What a world of difference!!
The Protestant vote has only gone democrat three times, 1932, 1936, and 1964, the Catholic vote has only gone republican 5 times, Jews have never gone republican.
I wonder if there is a big political split between urban-living Jews and those Jews who live in rural areas. I mean, I can’t think of any other group that tends to live in urban areas as frequently as Jews but who also tend to vote more conservatively. Maybe it’s just a function of urban areas tending to produce liberals vs rural areas tending to produce conservatives.
Freegards