HOW CAN SO MANY AMERICAN JEWS STILL SUPPORT THE DEMOCRATS?

Iconoclast ^ | by Frank Salvato

[BurkesLaw]

President Bush and Israeli Prime Minster Ariel Sharon made a joint statement Wednesday unveiling a plan for the forward movement of the peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians. They talked about Sharon's plan that would remove Israeli settlements and certain military installations from Gaza and The West Bank, and reiterated that the security fence now being constructed between Palestinian and Israeli territories was a defensive maneuver and not a divisive one. Again, the ball is in the Palestinians court. What they choose to do, we will have to wait to see.

As I listened to President Bush and Prime Minister Sharon speak, I couldn't avoid two questions that kept coming to mind. With his actions and his words of support and friendship for Israel and her people, how can the people of Jewish ancestry in this country not support the re-election of George W. Bush? Or conversely, how could they continue to support the Democratic Party and its current presumptive leader, John Kerry? .........

[VadeRetro]

HOW CAN SO MANY AMERICAN JEWS STILL SUPPORT THE DEMOCRATS?

You still see some of that in the South. Zell Miller is still a Democrat, although he doesn't support them on much of anything anymore. "My Granddaddy was a Democrat. My Daddy was a Democrat. So I'm a Democrat."

[rightwingcrazy]

It took the South about a century for it to loosen its embrace of the Democrat party. These things take time.

[Robert A Cook PE]

What is amazing is that ANY supporter of Israel could support Kerry:

He has demanded that all international controls be passed to the UN, notorious for its anti-Isreali demands and resolutions!

He has conceded that he WILL NOT defend US interests overseas ANYWHERE without UN approval,

He has conceded that he considers the UN the ONLY authority for overseas action ....

So, when Israel is next attacked by the Muslim extremists, or by Arabic armies (as in 47, 63, 67, 73, and the mid-80's!) ....

What will he do when the UN demands that Israel surrender?

Would Kerry allow the US to support the outnumbered, out-of-ammunitions and missiles Israel defense forces when the UN can simply say "No foreign aid."?

[Nonstatist]

If Kerry were to take a pro Israel stance

But that cant happen, given his base. The problem is, not as many liberal Jews care deeply about Israel as much as one would think. Many are liberals first; although not as nihilist as Michael Moore, etc.

And dont forget, the overlapping special interest groups of the Democrap Party are filled disproportionately with Jews: trial lawyers, teachers, gov't workers, non-profits, feminists, enviro wackos, etc.

The only divergence is Israel, and I think close to 40 to 50% of all Jews will vote Republican; not all that shabby, considering.

[graf008]

Well..remember that Sharon faces a possible crisis vis-a-vis other Israeli Parties ragrding this plan - so its not universally supported by Israelis.

Also, some American Jews are not focused on Israel. I know I really could care less to what happens in Germany, though I am German Lutheran.

[graf008]

Catholics are a conflicted bunch. Several issues seem to determine who they support, and neither party has a lock.

[KC Burke]

People of Jewish religious/ethnic are little different from other groups with a large immigrant segment, IMHO.

Like other groups there are observant and nonobservant, or secular, Jewish people. Second, amongst the observant there are those that believe in transcendent enduring moral order and those that hold their faith as a loose collection of enlightenment sentiment. This group can be also divided by the division outlined by Thomas Sowell in A Conflict of Visions as those that believe in the Constrained and the Unconstrained vision of man. The belief in the perfectibility of man and that our social orders can be constructed to adapt such a construct, denying heavenly Grace, works out to about the same division.

The same question can be asked of Christians and to expect Jewish people to always come down on the momentary side of who looks to be doing the better job of friendship to a Jewish state lacks belief in Jewish Americans largely being Americans first, which I believe is the case. Israel is very important to many Jews, but to pretend it is the sum total of their values is simplistic.

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[Rockitz]

I ask the same question about both Catholics, Jews, and even some Christians. It seems to be a huge inconsistency. Ultimately, I think it's because most don't think about or know what they believe.

[elbucko]

...American Jews are at heart socialists. Democrats are socialists.

The right has a problem with its attitude toward groups in that we ignore their "groupness" and treat them as individuals that must all live up to the same standards of behavior in society.

I think these explanations come the closest to defining the phenomenon. Many US Jews have in their American immigrant ancestors, the socialists and anarchists of Eastern Europe that immigrated around the 1890's and prior to the Bolshevik Revolution. Emma Goldman is a good example. So is Michael Newdow.

The phrase .."we ignore their 'groupness'", is very profound. It is the same dynamic that causes "groups" such as blacks and Hispanics to feel welcome by the Democrats. Many of these people have not thought of themselves as individuals, but members of a larger whole. This dynamic is not lost on the Democrats, and confuses Republicans.

[Ann Archy]

Amen....they keep those three groups on the liberal plantation by repeating the LIE that they are for the Little People. When in essence they are for the Lazy Immoral Ignorant people.

[EQAndyBuzz]

"HOW CAN SO MANY AMERICAN JEWS STILL SUPPORT THE DEMOCRATS?

It is quite simple really, the American Jews are at heart socialists. Democrats are socialists. QED"

Traditionally ethnic groups vote Democrat because of history. When ethnic groups came to the States in the late 1800's, there were politicians there that promised them everything in return for a simple vote.

This was handed down from generation to generation, not unlike a parent handing down a story or a recipe. People do not like change and as you may have noticed with first or even second generation Americans, the desire to change just isn't there.

Combine that with economics, where immigrants didn't have much and you have the makings of a very loyal Democrat. Doesn't matter if the politician didn't do crap in 30 years. People do not change.

[unixfox]

HOW CAN SO MANY AMERICAN JEWS STILL SUPPORT THE DEMOCRATS?

Because they didn't learn anything from the Nazi's?

[Liberty Valance]

HOW CAN SO MANY AMERICAN JEWS STILL SUPPORT THE DEMOCRATS?,

As Tevia might say....

Tradition!

[ought-six]

"I ask the same question about American Catholics."

American Catholics are increasingly voting Republican. The only real exception is the urban CINOs (Catholic in Name Only), as exemplified by such as the Daleys in Chicago and the Cuomos in New York and the Kennedys in Massachusetts. I've noticed a lot of Catholics, including urban Catholics, who are not part of a political machine are abandoning the Dems in droves.

[river rat]

The TWO most plausible explanations for Jews supporting Democrats.

1. Stupid
2. Socialists/Marxists

Probably and equal number in each group.

Semper Fi

[ought-six]

"It is quite simple really, the American Jews are at heart socialists."

That's pretty much true, and that has always surprised me, given the fact that the Jews have suffered terribly under socialist regimes (for example, National Socialism in Germany and Communisn in the Soviet Union, just to name a couple).

[alwaysconservative]

What excellent points about how Republicans have ignored the "group identity" of various groups! Bravo! But I believe that it is a "hard-wiring" problem: We Republicans believe in individual integrity, opportunity, and responsibility; that is in contrast to those who are enslaved by the Dims and socialists. The latter are not comfortable with the concept of their individual identities. Like groups of little kids, they feel much safer in packs or groups, being told how to think or how to respond rather than coming up with satisfactory answers for themselves. It is why President Bush (a LEADER) is willing to stake his political future on issues that are dear to him (National security, Israel, Iraq, tax cuts, school choice, pro-life), while the former occupant of the WH was obsessed with reacting how the polls seemed to want him to act (herd or mob mentality).

It seems like the American Jews are reacting as a group out of a vestigial fear rather than from issues of intellect. If intellect prevails, we Republicans win hands down every time. If fear of individuality or oblique threats to their security prevails (whether or not these threats are factual), the left wins. Sad. Thinking people should not allow themselves to be duped by irrational hysteria instead of acting with reasoned evaluation of what the big picture really shows.

[river rat]

Actually, the two most plausible explanations for ANYONE supporting Democrats --

1. Stupid
2. Socialists/Marxists

And again, probably an equal number in each group.

THIS IS NOT A DOUBLE POST.

Semper Fi

[2banana]

Most American Jews have a death wish. Thye will help elect John Kerry, and for that support the Bin Laden boys will have an uncontested environment for the killing fields of Americans and Jews. As for American Blacks, they are now quickly becoming toast. They frittered away their political power by becoming the "slaves" of the Democrat Party. But now that Hispanics and Asians are the "monster" political minority in the USA, Blacks are passe! Leaving themselves no where else to go has doomed them to remain at the bottom of the totem pole forever in the USA! Thankfully, Hispanic and Asians are not so stupid. Blacks have been betrayed by their leaders and the Democrat Party. They will never learn!

Partly true - Blacks have also aborted themselves to a now declining percent of the population. Interracial marriage is now common. The black vote will become more of a marginal issue.