Why So Few Jews Vote for Republicans

It is no secret that Jews in America have historically not favored the Republican Party. Several polls estimated that only 25 percent of Jews voted for Bush in 2004. Although disputed for of its small sample size, the National Jewish Democratic Council's 2006 poll showed only 12 percent of Jews voted for the GOP. The Jewish Community Relations Council estimated that Bush got just 19 percent of the Jewish vote in 2000.

Commentators in the Jewish community and party pollsters debate endlessly why Jews are not more favorably disposed toward the GOP. Jews are wealthier and more educated than the average American, generally oppose affirmative action and favor strong support of Israel. On these counts the GOP should, many say, have greater appeal.

Is it because Jews have an historical affinity for FDR and the party of immigrants and the "little guy"? Is it because of Jews' religious devotion to "tikkun olam" — repair of the world — which they translate to support for governmental social services? Maybe some of each but perhaps something else is at work

The dustup over the location of Mitt Romney's presidential announcement — the Henry Ford Museum — may be revealing. For Jews over the age of 40 or so, the name Ford means more than Mustangs and American innovation. Ford, of course, was a notorious anti-Semite, publisher of the International Jew (an update of the Protocols of Zion), and an apologist for Hitler who received the Grand Cross of the German Eagle from Hitler's Nazi government in July 1938. In many Jewish homes, owning a Ford was verboten.

Fast forward to today. As soon as Romney announced that he would make his presidential announcement at the Ford Museum, the accusations and statements started to fly. The National Jewish Democratic Council came out first, chastising Romney for making a pilgrimage to the site of this famous anti-Semite. Republican Jewish Coalition Executive Director Matt Brooks fired back in a press release today, saying, "I'm saddened and disappointed by the attack today by the NJDC against Gov. Romney."

Pointing out that former President Clinton had once said nice things about Ford, the RJC said that "The RJC believes that the NJDC does a disservice to Gov. Romney's strong record of support for the Jewish community and to their own reputation by their actions."

The NJDC responded, ""Presidential campaign announcements are as much about symbolism of the location as the substance of the speech. Mitt Romney went to a museum named after the most premier anti-Semite and xenophobe in American history. But his choice of location suggests that he should do his homework on basic American history."

It is doubtful either of these groups believe Romney is really an anti-Semite. Democratic consultant Dan Gerstein perhaps said it best: "I don't think Romney is guilty of anything other than obliviousness.

But you could argue that obliviousness is indicative of a broader problem with the social conservatives Romney is trying to court, which is a lack of sensitivity to the concerns many Jews have about their place in American society."

Indeed, the incident may say something not only about Romney but about the GOP's problem with Jews. In his boatload of advisers, Romney apparently did not have anyone to say, "You know, a lot of Jews really hate Ford, and it might mess up your message. Let's try Edison's lab to make a point about American innovation."

The GOP has become a rural, overwhelmingly Christian and Southern party. It is not populated by urban ethnics who, even if they aren't Jewish, understand Jews' cultural references and sensibilities. Ask an Italian New Yorker in October why the restaurants are empty, and he'll say "It's Yom Kippur, silly." You would never catch a Greek from Chicago saying, as a Republican from southern Virginia just did, that asking the state to apologize for slavery was like "asking the Jews to apologize for killing Christ."

In short, the Republicans are not just our kind of people, many Jews say. They don't sound like us, they don't talk like us and they don't understand us. Unless and until that changes, Jews likely will likely be voting overwhelmingly Democratic for years to come.

The reason whomever says Clintoon was so good to Israel is that the leadership of the GOP "never" challenges and proves that propaganda to be false. I blame a lot of the misinformation minorities are fed by Liberals on the GOP. No one disputes the lies and distortions Liberals spew and are put forth via their allies, the MSM.

It's up to the GOP to expose Liberals as the liars and manipulators they are.

You are right, proselytazing is illegal, but I have friends who have tried to "witness", openly. And it seems to be more frequent than not, because the laws had to be placed to stop the amount of missionary work that follows many of the groups that visit there. I guess, especially in the Orthodox part of Jerusalem, it would be as a Christian in a synagogue, trying to convert people. By the way, those friends who told me went to Israel on a missionary trip, they were in the midst of Orthodox sector.

So how do Christians vote? Are they a monolith?

I have never seen a breakdown on how Christians vote. There have been data on Catholics, Protestants, and various Protestant groups. Obviously, they are not a monolith.

AIPAC gets support from a very limited Jewish constituency. 9 out of 10 Jews have no ideas who they are or what they do, let alone support them.

AIPAC is probably the most effective lobbying group in America. Certainly, most politicians of both parties are well aware of AIPAC. I serioiusly doubt that only ten percent of the Jews in America know who they are and what they do.

According to its website, this is how they describe themselves: From a small public affairs boutique in the 1950s, AIPAC has grown into a 100,000-member national grassroots movement described by The New York Times as "the most important organization affecting America's relationship with Israel."

So are you a fan of the Mearsheimer and Walt article "The Israel Lobby?"

Fan? I have read the article in Foreign Affairs and I have read critques of it. It is what it is.

I am also a conservative Republican Jew. It took 9/11 to wake me up, since before that I was politically challenged. Once I woke up and realized what a POS the Democrats really are, I was able to show my husband the truth. I find it amazing (and disgusting) that so many Jews in my family are still blind to the garbage that the Dimwitcrats spew. I despise the Democrats with a vengeance, and will debate any relative too stupid to see the error of their beliefs. What can I say...you can't pick your family, but you can pick your political party!

We need to all work together in the Republican Pary, no matter what religion we are, to prevent the Dems from taking the White House, prevent them from ruining the country and stop the spread of terrorism within our borders.

We all need to work together in the Republican Party, no matter what religion we are, to prevent the Dems from taking the White House, prevent them from ruining the country and stop the spread of terrorism within within our borders.

Amen to that! And, I might add, prevent them from completely socializing and communizing the country within our borders.

BTW, a friendly suggestion: please work on your other relatives to "convert" them to the cause. Our survival depends on it!

I might add, prevent them from completely socializing and communizing the country within our borders.

I totally agree with you there! As for my relatives, I've been trying to get my brother to see the truth, but no matter what I say he refuses to discuss it and ends our conversations (he lives in a blue state). I'm chipping away at some of my other relatives, and have made inroads with my mother-in-law. Will keep trying!

Let me see if I understand your points.

1) Jews vote Democratic ("Jews represent the Dems second most loyal constituency).

2) AIPAC represents the Jewish vote ("And yes, there is a Jewish vote, just ask AIPAC").

3) AIPAC is a very powerful Jewish pro-Israel lobbying organization. ("AIPAC is probably the most effective lobbying group in America...I serioiusly doubt that only ten percent of the Jews in America know who they are and what they do.")

There is something fundamentally wrong with your logic unless you are saying that the Democrats are better for Israel.

My logic works. AIPAC in fact only represents a small portion of Jewish supporters who are Hawkish.

....................

"The fact is that most American Jews, and many other American supporters of Israel, do not see eye-to-eye on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with the most hawkish, knee-jerk Israel supporters in the U.S. government -- even if their presumed leadership, represented by AIPAC, often appears to do so."

http://www.vegsource.com/talk/pub/messages/8817.html

"In this critique he alludes to a column he wrote in November in Haaretz that spoke to the new Soros Initiative to create a progressive American Jewish lobbying alternative to AIPAC. "

and

"How about this distortion: "we represent the consensus view in the American pro-Israel community." Not true. AIPAC's views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are in direct contradiction of the views of the majority of American Jews as proven by public opinion surveys. "

http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2007/01/24/aipac-blows-smokeagain/

There is something fundamentally wrong with your logic unless you are saying that the Democrats are better for Israel.

No. My point is that support of Israel is really a non-issue or at the very most, an unimportant one for Jewish voters because both parties overwhelming support Israel. Hence, the Jewish vote is influenced more by social issues, culture, history, etc., which is why they support the Dems predominantly.

My logic works. AIPAC in fact only represents a small portion of Jewish supporters who are Hawkish.

AIPAC represents its membership's views, hawkish or otherwise. I don't view them as some "small" narrow interest group nor do the politicians. For example, almost every major candidate for the Presidency feels compelled to address the group at their annual meeting as well as many prominent elected officials like the VP.

Here is AIPAC's press release on the 2006 elections. Like any good, effective lobbying group they don't take sides politically unless they feel like their interests are at stake, e.g., McKinney.

"How about this distortion: "we represent the consensus view in the American pro-Israel community." Not true. AIPAC's views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are in direct contradiction of the views of the majority of American Jews as proven by public opinion surveys. "

Whether that is a fact or not is a matter of debate. The fact is that AIPAC has been very successful in achieving its objectives and the politicians who support them have not suffered any political consequences for their votes.

Religion has a lot to do with it.

Let's take West Virginia, hardly an urban state (the largest city has about 65,000 people. Most of the Jewish people I socialize with support DemocRATs at the national level.

Now, if you are familiar with WV politics, you know that at the state level, the GOP is pretty weak, so that there are a lot of DINO DemocRATs who would be Republicans nearly anywhere else. Thus, it's not too surprising that most Jews support RAT candidates at the state and local level, since in many instances, there is no viable alternative. However, to my dismay but predictably, Jewish voters tend NOT to support these DINO's, but rather support the leftie RAT's in the primaries.

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