Posted on 06/10/2002 5:27:17 AM PDT by SJackson
Edited on 04/22/2004 11:46:36 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Jews are, in many ways, no different than their gentile neighbors in the northeast when it comes to liberalism on this issue. The notion of the "conservative white Catholic voter" doesn't exist anymore in NY/NJ.
It strikes me as a little low too, though it's an impossible number to come up with. I've seen 15-20% Rep, 50% Dem and a 35% swing vote used a lot, and it seems to fit with the results.
Of course you've seen some changes lately, notably in NY, ie the mayor's race and Hillary's 58% showing amongst Jews in the bastion of liberal Jewry.
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I'm not aware of either party including the Holocaust in their platform. You may be focusing on the wrong issues.
Actually, there's been a significant turn in younger Jewish voters based largely on economic and tax issues, and social security.
My family and myself are part of the 10%, except when I voted libertarian against my rino senator dick lugar. My father also admits not voting republican once, by voting for Mcgovern.
It is an opportunity for both Republicans and Jewish people to find common ground but traditionalists on both sides will probably scuttle the opportunity. Too bad that politics and Political correctness will get in the way of reason and justice. Maybe that best summarizes the Jewish attitude anyway.
Though many explanations have been advanced, my pet theory is that Jewish "liberalism" persists because it is based in long standing tradition. Just as American and English political tradition is derived from Anglo Saxon roots which valued the individual, freedom and personal liberty, Central and Eastern European political tradition has its roots in the birth of socialism. And the great influx of Jews into the United States in the early 20th century came from central and eastern Europe, so they would have been carrying this leftist political tradition with them. Their political tradition has deep roots, it continues to be handed down, generation to generation.
I have at least a little hope that things may change, I personally belong to both Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership and the Jewish Republican Coalition. I have a close buddy (Jewish) who has seen "the light" and become a conservative. Though intellectually conservative, emotionally he still retains "liberal" instincts...tradition.
Thanks for your reply, I've given alot of thought to it over the past couple years.
Recently I've spent some time on the Reform Judaism official websites and am sort of stunned over the lefist philososphy that seems to be embraced by their (our) leadership.
Hard to figure out what to do about it, it doesn't get mucn discussion, folks don't want to be accused of anti-semetism.
But I promise you that the greatest threat to world Jewry does not come from fascism on the right (i.e. Le Pen in France)but rather from socialists on the left. The French government refused to label the recent burning of Synagogues in France as terrorism or hate crimes because the perpatraitors were arab citizens who aligned themselves with socialist factions of the government-- and the government qualified its condemnation of these acts by stating the hostility was understandable in light of Israel's "occupation" of Palistinian territory!
What does attacking French Jews have to do with Israel? On September 12th, had French Jews gone out and burned down Mosques in retaliation for Arab-backed terror against the U.S. and U.S. Jews how quickly would the French government condemned this hypothetical retaliation? The fact is there was no backlash against Muslims after Sept. 11th because civilized people don't scapegoat a whole race or culture based on the deeds of a minority of them. But the French and the arab terrorists they sympathize with are not civilized; and liberals are not capable of making this distinction.
What else could she ask for?
I hope she at least "thanks" you every night for your hard work, if you know what I mean. ;-)
Your not married are you.
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