Posted on 02/13/2007 10:00:19 PM PST by Mount Athos
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.
He was no cultural icon.
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.
There is a common perception that religion has everything to do with it. Same as with the black vote that race has everything to do with it.
Bloc votes are associated in these two cases with race and religion.
In the case of the black vote the common perception is that most blacks hate whites. In the case of the bloc Jewish vote the common perception is that there is some kind of problem with white Christian republicans.
Liberal politicians, liberal teachers, liberal unions, have vilified everything republican, (white, heterosexual, gun-owning, corporation controlled, oppressors of the poor, oppressors of Jews, dirtiers of the environment, promoters of white racial superiority, protectors of the kkk, harming innocent muslims in Iraq, etc. etc. etc.)
The common perception is that these bloc votes have become over time very biased against whites and Christians.
Common perception is a term that I define: Perception means that a person critically analyzes and debunks the propaganda that daily appears in MSM, is talked about by liberal pastors and priests, is forced on kids by liberal teachers, and is forced on an increasingly subjugated population by armed police who enforce the edicts of the ACLU.
Gimme a break. So a person who drives a Jag is an anti-Semite? Hogwash! This reaction is so thin-skinned and pathetic, it's sick. But typically liberal - where victimhood is often a badge of honor.
The fact that Jews embrace govt. control over all when govt control over all almost EXTINGUISHED them, is un-answerable to me. A lot of it now is suspicion of being on the same side as Christians because at least my family thinks that Christians are all out to convert them.
Yet Blacks still vote Democrat?
That started with the Great Society's give away welfare programs. Don't bite the hand that feeds you, you know!
And Miss Rubin is worried about a Southern-Centricty of the GOP?
She is so Technological, Historical, and Mid Western Challenged not to know that many of Edison's buildings were transported to the Henry Ford Museum and are about a 5 minute walk from where Mitt gave his address in the actual Automotive Area of the Museum! The NHS building was on site at Henry Ford and in 2003 it was shipped back to New Jersey, but the biggie, the "Menlo" Lab the other historical buildings remain at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.
If this is the claptrap that is passing as journalism these days it is no wonder the Freep and the Blogisphere is doing so well.
Aside of all the Ford bashing that goes on here on this website Ms. Rubin has stepped in it again. You see for all her banter (and the Jewish organizations mentioned) about Henry Ford's Antisemitic background and yes he was, they should be looking at the progress that has been made within the Ford culture for those of Jewish Heritage. Henry is probably rolling over in his grave with the number of "Hi-Pots" (high potential employees) that are Jewish that have climbed the ladder at Ford (without getting into the details, I have met MANY of them) If I am not mistaken Mark Fields, Alan Mulally's 2nd in command is Jewish.
As a side bar and I have no empirical data, but with the socially consciousness of many Jews It would not surprise me if many have seriously looked at the Escape Hybrid as an auto to purchase for example.
The sad thing about this article is the visibility it will get with all its canards.....
I'm a Jewish conservative/libertarian Republican. My only answer to the question of why Jews don't vote Republican is the same answer to the question of why do Black people not vote Republican - pure prejudice.
In Black churches, the ministers thunder against Republicans, instead of telling the congregants how to be better Christians. Instead of railing against drugs, poor school performance, and promiscuity, they trash President Bush, and Newt Gingerich before him.
In My temple, the Rabbi thunders against the President, and, unbelievably, against intelligent design. (We live near Dover, PA.) On the high holy days, instead of telling us that we should atone, and pray for forgiveness, we are told that, instead of following Jewish moral rules, we must vote Democrat to be good Jews.
In both congregations, the response of the congregants is "amen."
BTTT
i think the jews' infatuation with liberalism has little to do with religion and a lot to do with the the depression era mentality which makes republicans anathema-there are numerous exceptions-as a jew the only 2 jews in congress who would ever get my vote are norm coleman and eric cantor-cantor is dead set against the un and gets a high rating from both the nra and goa-and a low rating from the aclu-my kind of guy-coleman is similar-i wouldn't vote for a pos like nadler or schumer,etc,etc if a gun was held to my head-even though jews are generally well educated a lot of them are hidebound by habit and won't stray from the narrow minded path of liberalism-even when they are voting against their own interests-justice ginsburg showed up at an historical synagogue in rhode island and got fawned over like you wouldn't believe- i am surprised the building didn't collapse from the presence of this little atheist gun grabbing baby killing bitch-even most jewish republicans in rhode island who held office have been gun grabbing women like nancy mayer and lila sapinsley-RINOS to the core-we did have a jewish attorney general,jeff pine who was excellent on gun rights and also pretty conservative-he got fed up with politics and didn't run again-he was replaced by a white anglo-saxon empty suit fop named sheldon whitehouse(!!)who is now a us senator and still a limousine liberal empty suit-in conclusion i think a lot of jews just don't want to look at alternatives to the disgusting left wingers running the dimwit dem party-i will never understand-btw i am NOT a neocon-i was right wing over fourty years ago in high school and am a proud member of the John Birch Society,VFW,and NRA
"History has the tendency to repeat itself. The way the United States is going, it will repeat the way of the Fall of the Roman Empire."
Long before it does that, the US will repeat the fall of the Roman Republic - civil war, followed by dictatorship. A republic can only survive when its citizens have republican (small r) virtues. As in the last century of the Roman republic, republican virtues collapsed, the republic collapsed. I see a collapse of republican virtues in America, and most of the rest of the West.
Good morning ping!
I'm Jewish, Republican, and work at Ford.
Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.
As with many related things on this topic, this goes beyond only Jews to all non-European descended people and their general tendency to not vote Republican.
The Third Reich turned on a small minority of its population--the Jews, Roma, those with physical defects, homosexuals, etc.
Bingo! We have a winner...
According to the logic of the article, the symbolism of speaking at the Ford Museum is more important than Jimmah Carter's antisemitism; Hillary Clintoon's frequent use of the phrase "Jew Bastard, Jew Boy, and "Mother F@$C%ing Jew;" and Senator Robert KKK Byrd's prominence in the RAT party.
Damn good point
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.