Posted on 06/02/2004 12:44:08 PM PDT by Piranha
WASHINGTON - The shouts of "four more years" that greeted U.S. President George W. Bush at the AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) convention in Washington two weeks ago surprised many in the American Jewish community.
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Bush is a president whom even the Democrats say is one of the best friends Israel has ever had in the White House. Still, when the crowd at a convention of a Jewish organization spontaneously calls for the reelection of a Republican president, it is a news item.
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"It was a pleasant surprise," says Michael Leibovitz, the Jewish outreach coordinator at Bush-Cheney election headquarters. In an interview with Haaretz, Leibovitz ...[said] that he saw some who were not traditional Republicans but rather "Jews who simply understand that this is simply a wonderful president in his support for Israel."
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There is no talk at Bush's headquarters regarding official figures, but there are expectations that the Jewish community will double its support for the president in the elections this November. Four years ago, Bush received only 19 percent of the Jewish vote and now the Republican party is talking about a return to the glory days of the Reagan presidency, with almost 40-percent support from American Jewry.
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The main conclusion of the [Gallop] survey is that Jews have remained Democrats just as they were. Fifty percent of the Jews surveyed define themselves as Democrats, 34 percent view themselves as independents and just 16 percent declared themselves as Republicans.
These figures remain practically unchanged in the 12 years analyzed by the current survey.
If the independents are pressured into deciding where their tendencies lie, it turns out that 68 percent of Jews are Democrats, 28 percent are Republicans and just 4 percent have no political identification. When the Jews are compared to adherents of other religions in the United States, their unequivocal support of the Democrats is very prominent.
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39 percent support [President Bush].
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"The president's support for Israel is unbelievable," says Leibovitz. "I joined the campaign because I felt our community has to help him. Our message is the president's record."
Leibovitz speaks of Jewish conventions at which he says he has heard Jews who for years have supported Democratic candidates declaring they will vote for Bush because of his positions on Israel.
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[M]any figures in the Jewish community feel that the younger generation of American Jews are not the same committed liberals their parents were. The young Jews are more mature, believe more in the Republican economic approach and are cut off from the big protest movements of the 20th century. In that case, it will be much easier for them to digest Bush's attitude and adopt it as their own, thanks to his foreign policy positions and despite his approach to domestic policies.
Why so low? I always assumed that successful people that use their intellect to be conservative. Don't they realize that if their candidate were elected, then their homeland would be handed to Palestine?
Nope. They normally vote democrat in droves. Must be the old age pension money thing.
Many Israelis themselves vote for candidates who want to hand part of their homeland to Palestinian arabs.
American Jews as a group have a strong Liberal Democratic tradition dating from the time of Franklin Roosevelt. For Reagan to have gotten 40% of the Jewish vote was a remarkable success (George Bush 41 got approximately the same amount in 1988, although his Jewish support was reduced by half in 1992). Now, his son George Bush 43, stands to realign the Jewish vote.
In my opinion, President Bush's support for Israel is entirely sincere. Strategically, it is useful as a "loss leader" to bring more Jewish voters into the Republican store. Many of them, I believe, will like what they see.
What is the "pension money thing"?
I hadn't heard either Republicans or Democrats discussing Social Security or 401(k)s as an issue. What am I missing?
Why do so many white Catholics (over 50% ?) favor the Dems and Kerry? Why, why, why?? Woe is me.
What point are you trying to make? I will answer your sarcastic question though, it is because so many are uninformed and basically ignorant of the issues.
My sweet mother, bless her heart, never voted (thank God) but she always supported a democratic president. She lived through the depression and FDR, Truman, Kennedy. She listened to the "story" of how the republicans wanted to do away with SS to save money for themselves and business. She truly believes that Klinton was framed. Said he only admitted to what he admitted to to get people off his back. She is 86 now, so I guess some of that though process can be charged to the age thing. She always said/says that republicans don't care about the little man and want to do away with her SS. I told her that was untrue and she said I was stupid to believe otherwise. Oh, well. What can you do?
I'm going to throw in my .2 cents...and I hope to not offend someone, since I'm not referring to all Jews. I believe that historically, many Jews have embraced socialism because of the so-called, social-justice aspect. For centuries, Jews have been persecuted and run out of countries..especially those with strong nationalistic principles.
I believe this is one of the reasons some Jews support the socialistic aspects of government. Historically, where/when ever governments have developed strong nationalistic tendancies...which unfortunately, is how the Right is painted, Jews have often suffered. As wrong as it may be in this present day, they view the more socialistic types of government as less a threat to their lives. The Democrats (unfortunately) just happen to fit their bill.
Jews are said to have the employment habits of Episcopalians and the voting habits of Puerto Ricans. Go figger.
when I have seen too many socialist Jews out there I just log onto JPFO and I feel buch better.
The real reason is that historically there was logic behind group voting for Democrats, as was the habit of the Irish and Polish Catholics ,et al. Old habits die hard, especially with the "old".
It has less to do with willful ignorance, and almost everything to do with "fear" and perceived self interest. Democrats took care of the Irish and the Jews, and "intelligence" had very little to do with it.
So they would prefer to support their enemy because their enemy used to be their friend?
why so low?
just because someone is born jewish doesnt mean they are very religious or care about a foreign country. Also i suppose alot jews might be real liberal and might think that israel is the worst threat to the world.
To many liberal Jews, Israel is only about 4th on their list of "important " issues.
Thats just the way it goes with some people who live the good life in a secure stable peaceful democracy. Many Israelis had to have a stick of dynamite shoved up their butts before they gave up on that PeaceNow crap. Such is human nature.
No, the Jews have embraced and founded Socialism, and like many old mistresses, she can't be given up.
Thanks for the enlightenment. Of course, that's on par for FR.
Roger that.
Honestly? People like Roy Moore scare the sh!t out of Jews.
Re: "Honestly? People like Roy Moore scare the sh!t out of Jews."
The line starts back there bub. What ever you do don't get between him and an all-you-can-eat buffet.
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