Disaster or Opportunity? U.S. Jews Taking Stock...

NEW YORK, Nov. 6 (JTA) — The morning after an election in which Republicans swept both houses of Congress, many American Jews are worried.

While they praise the Republican Party and President Bush for their staunch support of Israel at a time of peril for the Jewish state, many fear that the Republican domestic agenda may seriously threaten their own.

And with Republicans now in control of the White House, Congress and the Supreme Court, political insiders expect Republicans to push their domestic agenda, which in the past year has taken a backseat to Bush’s foreign policy focus on terror.

“It’s a disaster,” said Washington political media consultant Steve Rabinowitz, who also worked for the Clinton White House.

Jews are “newly vulnerable on policy and on the issues about which we care most,” he said, naming education, a woman’s right to choose, judgeships, Social Security and the environment.

At the Republican Jewish Coalition, where the hold music played Frank Sinatra, the weather was decidedly sunny.

The outcome of Tuesday’s election “means a great opportunity to see firsthand the talent and leadership and commitment that the Republican Party has and will once and for all put to bed the myth that the Republican Party is a party who is at odds with the interest of the Jewish community,” said the group’s executive director, Matthew Brooks.

While exit poll data on how Jews voted is still unavailable — except in New Jersey, where Jews voted overwhelmingly to send Frank Lautenberg to the Senate — most political observers suspect that Jews voted the way they always do: largely Democratic.

“The races that were close six years ago were close again,” said Democratic pollster Mark Mellman.

Despite the Republican sweep, the Democratic-Republican divide is still fairly evenly split among voters, he said, noting that Democrats lost two Senate seats, but gained four governorships.

“Without big change in the overall voting behavior in the country, it’s hard to imagine there was big change in Jewish voting behavior,” he said.

But Brooks said it was impossible to estimate how Jews voted. “Unfortunately, we’re sort of flying blind without the benefit of any data,” he said.

But “given the fact that we saw a tremendous surge in the amount of Jewish community fund raising on behalf of Republican candidates, the fact that we saw major Jewish newspapers endorsing Republican candidates” — Brooks referred to cases in South Florida and New York — “the fact that we elected a Jewish Republican senator in Minnesota and a Jewish Republican governor in Hawaii only supports the position that support for Republicans across the board are strengthening in the Jewish community.”

Republican candidates likely find more support among Orthodox Jews than the Jewish community in general, said Harvey Blitz, president of the Orthodox Union.

Apart from surmising that many voted to re-elect Gov. George Pataki in New York, Blitz said he did not know whether most Orthodox Jews vote Republican.

Many Orthodox Jews have found common ground with the Republican Party on domestic policies such as school vouchers — an issue that in fact divides the Jewish community.

But even Orthodox leaders were reluctant to pronounce the election a clear victory.

“Yesterday’s election is very meaningful and creates certain opportunities” like President Bush’s faith-based initiative, which allows government funding to religious groups to provides social services, said David Zwiebel, executive vice president for government and public affairs of Agudath Israel of America, a fervently Orthodox group.

But he added, “it may create certain problems as well” in the realm of civil rights, where Democrats may be more sympathetic to some of the group’s other priorities.

Zwiebel cited the Workplace Religious Freedom Act, which includes protection for Sabbath observers. It “could be on that particular issue, we’ll find less of an ability to move forward,” Zwiebel said.

Ambivalence may, in fact, characterize much of the Jewish community in the wake of Tuesday’s election.

“I think that parts of the Jewish community are quietly okay with what happened because Bush is such a friend of Israel,” said Democratic strategist Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi.

But others feel like “they’re standing in the middle of a blizzard and nobody’s offering them a coat.”

Brooks, of the Republican Jewish group, described the Republican domestic agenda as one of economic growth, protection for senior citizens, Social Security savings and prescription drug savings.

But most Jewish leaders name different priorities: church-state separation, public education and care for the poor.

And according to Mellman, total Republican control will ignite the far right to push their domestic agenda.

“The far right’s going to say we’ve given you complete and total power, what do we have to do to get our agenda through?” Mellman said.

That “creates the possibility for renewed conflict” between the Jewish community and the far right — whose relations have recently softened due to mutual support for Israel and Republican inactivity on the domestic front, he said.

“Those that are preaching some sort of notion that this is going to usher in a wave of far-right political activity are doing nothing than playing to the worst fears of the Jewish community,” he said.

“There’s been nothing in the first two years that would lead to that conclusion. The president has governed in a very practical, pragmatic” and inclusive manner, he said, giving as an example the education legislation Bush developed with Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.).

Furthermore, “this is not a 61-seat majority,” meaning a filibuster-proof Congress, Brooks said. “There’s going to be a need for a lot of bipartisan cooperation between Republicans and Democrats to pass legislation.”

According to Hannah Rosenthal, executive director of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and a former Clinton staffer, the domestic agenda that the Jewish community has historically favored would suffer under either party.

“Because of the economy, there’s no money to put into investment in building the social safety net,” Rosenthal said, “and that statement would not have changed dramatically” had the votes shifted to the Democrats.

In the meantime, Jews will have to position themselves within the new power structure.

“Politics can create strange bedfellows,” Mizrahi said. “Who would have thought years ago that the Christian right will be our best friend on Israel?” she asked.

“I think the Jewish community is fairly outcome and policy-oriented,” he said.

“There’s no getting around the fact that American Jews are traditional, Democratic liberals, and Tuesday was a very bad day for us,” Rabinowitz said. “And it’s very sad and very frustrating, and worst of all, very worrisome.”

I heard that Norm Coleman and the new GOP gov. of Hawaii are Jews. Very cool. Welcome aboard.

From what I've seen of Coleman, his politics seem to be on the same exact frequency as mine.

If you listen to some of these people you would think the Brown Shirts are going to be in the streets any day now. Never mind the virulent antisemitism that flows from certain wings of the Democratic party. It's amazing how some very smart people can come to some really stupid conclusions.

>“Politics can create strange bedfellows,” Mizrahi said. “Who would have thought years ago that the Christian right will be our best friend on Israel?” she asked.

Not your best friend, your ONLY friend. The left hates you. Can you not figure that out yet? You still pull that donkey lever. Why?

My neighbor and best friend is a very liberal Jewish woman who is in deep depression over the Republican wins. Like me, she has taught her children to be honest, hard working and moral. Yet we're on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Are Jews, like Blacks, politically indoctrinated in their places of worship? In her mind, her worst enemy is a "rightwing, fundamentalist, conservative" (she's made an exception for me). Try as I might to help her see the light, I get nowhere... [Her entire family crosses over party lines to vote for John Warner, VA in the primaries. I wish that were a sign of hope.]

Are Jews, like Blacks, politically indoctrinated in their places of worship?

I think it was Eliot Abrams who pointed out that religious Jews weren't really the problem. It was Jews who gave up on their traditions and made progressive causes their religion.

You people don't get it. You probably also fall for the line that Hispanics are natural Republicans because they have "family values".

Most Freeple here are the ones who are delusional, not these liberal Jews. You need to look past the surface bu11sh!t of political ideology to understand what is really going on; in other words, to "read the code" and understand. Political ideology is the boob-bait used to fool those who don't understand the code.

Not your best friend, your ONLY friend. The left hates you. Can you not figure that out yet? You still pull that donkey lever. Why?

The sad fact is, that Hitler has been mischaracterized as a right-wing extremist and fascism as a right-wing ideology ever since the end of WWII, and a majority of Jews believe it and associate us with Hitler. Every time someone makes this false characterization, those of us who know better should take the time to point out that fascism is a form of socialism, i.e., it is a left-wing ideology. The fascists were very similar to modern democrats in ideology and in their need to hate and demonize people, but many Jews have not figured this out yet.

In the book "Babi Yar" by A. Anotli (Kuznetsov) suviveing eye-witness'e recount how Soviet Jews, who were stripped naked and standing in lines while small goups were lead over the hill into the pit where they were machine-gunned, argued among themselves and convinced themselves that what was oviously happening to them was not happening. There is a simular mindset among the leftist Jews in this country in that they embrace thier enemies and shun thier true allies.

I am not orthodox, but rather a conservative Jew who was liberal in college... but of course, I didn't manage to vote (read too busy partying). Once I got out into the real world and had to take responsibility for myself I could no longer reconcile the sense of entitlement the democratic constituency had to live off of other ppls labor (anti-entitlement). Nor could I reconcile how big liberal bureaucracy wished to over regulate the individual and our inherent freedoms (the right to protect my family w/ guns).

As I learned more about Judaic doctrine in the Torah and Talmud I became Pro Life, moreover it is the moral, rational and most fundamental principle that humanity can hold.

More and more Jews in America are realizing your astute observation regarding the hostility in the Democratic party toward both Israel and the Jews... The younger generation of Jews is more apt to be conservative and vote Republican than the older Jews who can't get past that reflexive liberal lean.

"You need to look past the surface bu11sh!t of political ideology to understand what is really going on; in other words, to "read the code" and understand."

So what is, in your opinion, "really going on"?

Does she have e-mail... perhaps another Jew can successfully get her to see the light. I work in my community to inform the liberal Jewish mafia about keeping all their eggs in the enemies basket... some are starting to listen.

Re: Despite the Republican sweep, the Democratic-Republican divide is still fairly evenly split among voters, he said, noting that Democrats lost two Senate seats, but gained four governorships.

Interesting spin, her are the facts.

1) The democrat party doesn't have the White House.(1R-0d)
2) The democrat party lacks a majority in the Senate.(53R-47d)
3) The democrat party lacks a majority in the House of Representatives.(226R-209d)
4) The democrat party lacks a majority of Governors seats across the 50 states.(25R-25d)
5) The democrat party lacks a majority of State Houses across all 50 states. (25R-22d)
6) In total, the GOP won 51.6%, compared to 45% for the party formerly known as democrats.

VBWC< "in other words, to "read the code" and understand"

Your cryptic response is "code" for Jews are commie traitors? I guess I'm the only Jew who didn't get the handbook from the elders of Zion instructing us how to undermine America and dominate the financial markets of the world.

Did I let the cat out of the bag Buffalo Wing?

Damn, I get so angry about this! If Jews feel that education is so important (which historically, they have), I have 5 words to say: Kansas City MO School District. This fiasco shows exactly what a combination of liberal democrat control and federal "tweaking" can do to a public school system! Mark

Enlighten me to this conspiracy theory... am I the only Jew not in on the joke... where do I get my free credit card... you know the one... it's subsidized by the labor of hard working gentiles.

Perhaps the Elders of Zion exclude me from their machinations because they know I vote Republican, am Pro Life, Pro gun and anti welfare state.

You're right. Leftists, who like super strong governments, obfuscate - the continuum doesn't run from "Nazi govt." on the right, to "Soviet govt." on the left. The continuum runs from "too much govt." to "not enough govt."

No, I get it. You wish to make a Post Hoc Ergo Hoc argument regarding Jews traditional support for Liberalism. What I am telling you is that observant Jews are not democrats because the platform of their party violates the fundamental tenets of Judaism. So be angry at the person's politics not at his last name-- a "Berg" or a "Stien" is not indicative of a persons moral gravity.

It is not Judaism that makes people liberal, rather it is the distortion or secularization of any belief system that sends people astray from God.

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