Why do Jews vote Democrat?

[jordan179]

Burt Prelutsky, at Townhall

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/BurtPrelutsky/2008/05/12/why_jews_vote_the_way_they_do

says:

If I am asked one question by my readers far more frequently than any other, it’s why do so many

Comments

[steltek]

I think it's also the way in which the left has successfully fabricated the mantle of being the ideology that is for helping the poor benighted masses the world over, and casting conservatives as the villains trying to stop them from feeding hungry children -- if you buy into it (which I don't) it does seem to tie in well with the concept of "tikkun olam".

[rinku]

I think there may be some truth to this theory, but I think it's more likely that it's as simple as this: Jews tend to go to college more than most other groups do, and people who went to college tend to become Democrats, primarily because most professors in college (especially in the humanities) are Democrats.

So maybe Teyve woulda been a Republican

[pogo101]

I dunno. There may be something to the factors you cite, but I'd always just believed that if a given "group" is disproportionately URBAN, it's more likely to vote for the center-left or left parties. In contrast, I am guessing suburban and rural folks -- Jewish or not -- are less likely to vote for the same parties.

[rinku]

The problem with this comment is that neither party wants communication between the parties, it's desirable to the people who wish to be elected that their supporters think that the opposing side is evil rather than just misguided, it gives them more motivation to vote, more motivation to donate, more motivation to volunteer, etc

[rinku]

Agreed, I think I just disagree on the language, I think being a good conservative / a good liberal is incompatable with being a good human being.

[pithhelmet]

Historically, and I emphasize the word "historically," the Dems have always come to bat for the Israelis when it came to funding and arms sales and such. The book I just finished George Crile's Charlie Wilson's War recounts how supportive Dems like Wilson, Harry S Truman, JFK, etc. were of the State of Israel.

Granted, that's not the case now, but I think it does play a role in voting.

[jordan179]

Historically, and I emphasize the word "historically," the Dems have always come to bat for the Israelis when it came to funding and arms sales and such.

This is quite true, but the last Democrat pro-Israeli US President was Lyndon Baines Johnson, and he finished his last term 39 1/2 years ago. Carter has revealed himself a naked anti-Semite, and Clinton invited Arafat to the White House. Meanhwile, extreme anti-Semites such as Al Sharpton are allowed to speak at Democratic Presidential conventions.

I think it's long past time for American Jews to acknowledge that the old anti-Semitism of the American Right has long since moved to the lunatic-fringe and out of the Republican Party; and been replaced by a new anti-Semitism of the American Left. And what's worse, the old right-wing American anti-Semitism merely wanted to snub Jews: the new left-wing American anti-Semitism wants to kill them.

I'd rather ally with Archie Bunker than Adolf Hitler.

[eric_hinkle]

I think it's long past time for American Jews to acknowledge that the old anti-Semitism of the American Right has long since moved to the lunatic-fringe and out of the Republican Party; and been replaced by a new anti-Semitism of the American Left. And what's worse, the old right-wing American anti-Semitism merely wanted to snub Jews: the new left-wing American anti-Semitism wants to kill them.

Based on what I've read in various books covering the American Far Right (by which I mean groups like the skinheads, the American Nazi Party, Christian Identity, etc.), I'd say that there's been plenty of "Let's Kill the Jews!" sentiment floating around the Right in America. Go and read Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke's Black Sun for all the murderously anti-Semitic Far-Right lunacy you can stand

[pithhelmet]

Though few go as far as one very demented furry I knew of who bluntly stated that the best solution for our problems in the Middle East is to stop helping Israel, arm the Arabs and then just turn our backs while they 'cleanse Palestine' of the Jewish 'infestation'.

"'Cleanse Palestine' of the Jewish 'infestation'." -- That's a line worthy of Julius Streicher, NSDAP!