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? .........

[veronica]

I've had this conversation once. The long sad story of how Uncle Issy was kept out of Princeton in the thirties by some Protestant bigot, therefore Jews are Democrats Forever. Poor little prince.

Nasty nasty.

Maybe the real reason is that liberal Jews, and a lot of conservative Jews, too, like Krauthammer et al -- can't bear to rub elbows with Christians, and there are too many conservative Christians in the Repub party. We got a real eyeful and earful of what the real attitudes are during Gibon's release of "The Passion."

Slanderous, and untrue.

Still raging at Krauthammer, eh?

There is a growing contingent of Jewish Republicans, and the paleocons ;) - will just have to get over it. :))

[Mamzelle]

Poor little princess. ;-)

[Doctor Stochastic]

Politics is personal. Some former Republican delagates (Jewish) to the 1992 convention have told me that they quit the GOP over Buchanan's speech. It may take a couple of generations for the GOP to recover.

[veronica]

Not poor, by any means. ;) Poor paleoCON...get over it.

[AppyPappy]

To Bush the jews are fair weather friends. If Kerry were to take a pro Israel stance, they would drop Bush like a pair of dirty socks.

Obviously not. It just proves that Jews aren't "Israel First", despite the crowings of the "anti-Zionists".

[Mamzelle]

I remember the little prince, indulged by Mommy from birth , with a creepy air of martyrdom for all that *other* Jews had suffered in other times and other countries. His idea of recent persecution was Dad being excluded from Episcopalian country clubs. It didn't occur to him that this particular complaint was aired among those who never had a thought of being able to join any country club--which is how princes tend to think.

He's neither paleo nor neo today-- he's a faithful Democrat, voting relentlessly to bring Israel into submission to Arafat. All to get even with the Chruch of England in America? Works for me...works for you?

Have to go now...you can have the last smirk...

[veronica]

Envy doesn't become you. :)

[InterceptPoint]

The two persons, who may the brightest persons walking on planet earth, are Jews named Milton and Rose Friedman. They vote Republican.

And, in my humble opinion, not appreciated nearly enough by the Freeper Community. Milton Friedman is far and away the greatest economist of my time and maybe all time.

[cynicom]

Not????...... I have family that support Bush "ONLY" because of his stance on Israel. If Kerry were to adopt a more pro Israel campaign, they would not even give Bush a kiss goodbye.

[DoctorMichael]

Thread cross-pollination:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1125139/posts

[Lakeside]

Bravo KC Burke! Best and most insightful answer yet.

I would only add that secular Jews also "believe in transcendent enduring moral order and...hold their faith as a loose collection of enlightened sentiment". Their faith is not communist per se but they see themselves at the forefront of helping the oppressed through government intervention. To them that means the Democrat Party. They are willing to turn a blind eye to all its faults as long as they perceive the Party is helping the less fortunate among us.

I have a dear friend (marginally observant) who was floored that I wasn't voting for Gore in the last election. When she asked why I told her it would just be a continuation of the Clinton Presidency and eight years of that had almost wrecked the country. Her answer--"Yes, Clinton was his own worst enemy...but he *helped* people."
My question:"How?" She had no answer...but still voted for Gore.Hope springs eternal.

[Zeppo]

Your post drips with sarcasm, but ignores reality.

[shineon]

I'm not trying to give excuses, but

It is really quite easy to answer this if you can understand life from the Jewish perpective.

You see the Christian right supports Jews, but Jews have been taught not to trust Christians. In case you haven't noticed the pogroms and inquisitions and the holocausts and so forth have been historicaly stamped with a "Christian" flavor to them.

So they kind of have the mentality that a child would have who has been told not to accept candy from strangers. And they go about searching to make up something that will help them from another source, which sadly cannot be found.

[Piranha]

Why do you say that Charles Krauthammer "can't bear to rub elbows with Christians"? I have never heard that, and he certainly didn't write that in his opinion piece on Mel Gibson's movie.

[Temple Owl]

And, in my humble opinion, not appreciated nearly enough by the Freeper Community

There are an American treasure and should be treated as such.

All registered Republicans in Pennsylvania should vote for Pat Toomey today. He is another treasure.

[shineon]

God Bless You

[Wurlitzer]

"I ask the same question about American Catholics"

Saw a poll on FOX over the weekend but I cannot remember the source. Of those Catholics who attend Church they are mostly conservative or at least vote GOP. Of those who claim to be Catholic but do not attend church most are dumbocraps.