Many of our ancestors carried the socialist intellectual virus when emigrating from Europe a century ago.
And subsequently brought it down to South Florida, unfortunatly. Thankfully, the Cuban vote down here typically cancels out the left-wing senior citizen Jewish vote down here.
The interesting thing is, that other ethnic groups were on the political (if not the cultural left) when they first came here, but became more "moderate" (read: Mainstream Democrat) by the second generation. Many Polish Catholics (I am half-Polish) helped to elect Socialist Candidates in Milwaukee and Chicago, but moved to the moderate wing of the Dem party within 20 years.
My paisani, on the other hand, have always been swing voters (Wendell Wilkie received 40% of the Italian vote against Roosevelt in 1940), never truly swearing allegiance to either party.
This particular half-breed has lived most of his life in New York, but has the politics of an Idaho backwoodsman. A'int assimilation great!
And I've heard the younger Jews are starting to break from their parents and grandparents on their votes as well which is good to hear.
It took LBJ in both sides of my family's case to start the break. Reagan did it for most of the rest of the family. Klinton solidified it among all but the most liberal with his backing for partial birth abortion, which is not popular among Irish.