Jewish Voters Standing by Their Party, Analysis Says

[kskiska]

There is good news for Democrats concerned that President Bush has been making inroads with Jewish voters: They remain decisively more Democratic than the rest of the electorate and far less supportive of the Bush administration, according to an analysis by the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC).

Combining data from five national surveys taken by the independent Ipsos/Cook Political Report Poll between January 2002 and March 2003, the NJDC found that while "46 percent of all Americans would definitely vote for Bush, only 25 percent of American Jews would do so."

The NJDC findings show that "American Jews remain strongly Democratic -- 64 percent describing themselves as Democrats, and 26 percent as Republicans," compared with the electorate as a whole, which is evenly split. About 64 percent of Jews would like to see Democrats retake control of Congress, while 24 percent want to see the GOP retain control, compared with the electorate which, again, is split almost evenly, according to the NJDC analysis.

"For many months, there has been a drumbeat of suggestions that American Jews are tilting to the right. Finally, we have clear and reliable data, and it gives the lie to the oft-repeated myth," said NJDC executive director Ira N. Forman. "It is particularly striking that after September 11th, a war against terrorism and military intervention in Iraq -- at a time when the president's approval numbers have been so high among Americans in general -- that his approval ratings among American Jews have been so mediocre."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13704-2003Jul5.html?nav=hptoc_p

[Iris]

1. Love, love, love it!

thanks for some great news!

[mjb4]

2. Repuke reponse is you are rich

why are you a dem?

[aquart]

6. Can you say long memory and restricted country club?

The Powells may not remember that kind of thing, but my folks do.

[Cassandra]

23. You don't need that long a memory

The country club near my parents is still restricted; it's been made very clear to them that they're not welcome.

[lcordero]

3. All you have to do is look at the Bush* Administration

Rumsfeld shook hands with Saddam 20 years ago. Hell, the previous Repuke Administrations brought Saddam to power. The only reason that they turned on Saddam was because it was profitable to do so. Do you think that anybody that knows that is going to align themselves with somebody that is eventually going to stab them in the back?

[Dhalgren]

21. Right!

And the repugs would sell Israel down the river in a heart beat if it became profitable to them. If the various Arab groups would tell the Emperor that they would give him control of fifty percent of the oil if he would push Israel into the sea, he'd yell, "Bring 'em on!"

[peacetalksforall]

4. What does anyone know about the Ipsos/Cook Political Poll?

Is it reliable?

If yes, shout this result!

Since only 27-30% of the country is hard core right wing and the cabal of the right wing seems to 1/2 Jewish and 1/2 Christian born against or traditional Christian, this skewers the ratio significantly.

I never wanted to believe that the majority of Jewish voters would switch. Let's hear it for a strong sense of justice.

[hedda_foil]

12. Ipsos/Cook is one of the most reliable polling organizations.

[Tinoire]

5. Bush miscalculated that one

The Jews enamored with his Christian-right vision of the Israel switched long ago, under Reagan.

Very few others will budge. Bush's vision and way of doing things are anathema to true Judaism, Christianity, Islam and all the other major religions out there!

And the Muslim vote? The one that got him over in 2000? I think he can forget about it.

Hence the flurry, the rush to rig the voting machines.

This is going to get ugly because they boys don't want to go and will pull every trick in the book this time.

[NNN0LHI]

7. Now really. What is so surprising here

The Republican base which is made up of redneck racists who hate Jews as much (if not more) as they hate blacks, Latinos, Muslims and anyone else who does not fit into their christian white supremacy profile. Who is kidding who here?

Don

[Dhalgren]

22. Yeah,

I've never understood how reasonable, educated people could support the Republicans after they embraced their "Southern strategy". It was and continues to be a dispicable, blatantly racist strategem that they appear to get away with year after year.

[proud patriot]

8. I think Bush's base is pissed at him now too

The waffling bush did on both SCOTUS rulings last week
I imagine at the very least his base is dissappionted .

[Frances]

9. It's true that the fundies

are very supportive of Israel right now, but if Bush gets his way and the whole world comes under his sway, you can bet there will be 3 fundy missionaries for every Jewish person in Israel. Israel will become a museum for Christianity.

[ugarte]

10. In my experience right wing fundies love Israel

but are very uncomfortable with Jews. Go figure.

[Scurrilous]

14. Yep!

The fundies profess undying love and devotion for the Jewish people and the state of Israel. Then they embrace some bizzaro apocalyptic scenario from Biblical Revelations which when followed to it's end-times conclusion, leads to the destruction of the Jewish faith.

[sendero]

17. that makes a lotta sense...

... since I am very comfortable with American Jewish folks, but do not think much of Israel :)

[GabysPoppy]

18. Then you won't mind then

That American Jewish folks are not very comfortable with you.

[sendero]

19. au contraire

oh he who knows nothing.

[GabysPoppy]

20. Well at least you didn't say

Some of my best friends are Jewish.

[Herschel]

24. The Jewish people are great friends

of the Democratic party. The Democratic party is a great friend of Israel. That is why I am puzzled and distressed by so much anti-Israel feeling here at times.

[starroute]

26. But Israel is not a great friend to American Jews

The Israeli version of 20th-century Jewish history, which is narrowly holocaust-centered, has gradually pre-empted the authentic history of American Jews, which involves the immigrant experience of the early 1900s and the spectacular flowering of Jewish culture in America.

This pre-emption has turned American Jews from regarding themselves as high-level achievers to feeling like insecure victims, always anticipating a new wave of anti-Semitism and believing their security to be dependent on the military supremacy of a tiny sliver of land which itself continues to exist only thanks to American support.

There is something very messed-up about that.

Moreover, Israel, far from being thankful to American Jews for making its existence possible, appears determined to snub them -- for example, in its denial of the legitimacy of Reform and Conservative Judaism. And in the long run, by inciting anti-Semitism rather than curing it, Israeli policies make all Jews less secure.

There is a peculiar emotional tangle here that no one seems very willing to look at directly, and that in itself is likely to make its ultimate negative effects all the greater.

[raleighdemocrat88]

27. Diaspora

Many Israeli Jews are puzzled why Jews still live in America. But wiser Israelis see that a Jew can sometimes help Israel more in America than being in the Jewish state.

[ThorsteinVeblen]

28. Israel does not equal Jew

The left wing critique of Israel comes out of the intellectual basis provided by many left wing American and European Jews. Jews have been at the center of the critique of Western Civilization. The critique of Israel is nothing more than a continuation of this tradition.

Jews are not a monolithic people. They don't support Israeli monolithically. Look at Noam Chomsky or certain sects of Hasidic Jews or Gush Shalom. Most who do support Israel don't do so unconditionally and hold Israel to the high moral standards respect for civil rights that is part of Jewish tradition. By reducing all Jews to Likudniks you are creating a charactiture, that when inverted, can be fodder for anti-semitism. Anti-Semitism comes out of the reduction of all Jews to a single thing - be careful you don't do this unintentionally.

[NNN0LHI]

29. You know Thor? I could not have said it better. Thank you n/t

[Nottingham]

11. Well I hope your right!

:bounce:

[wabeewoman]

13. This is getting good!

Another DU forum topic was posting the military response to bush and it certainly appears he's lost a lot of them. Ohhh, this is good. Lets see, that leaves the far right wing. Anybody else?? Dare I dream that bush loses REALLY REALLY badly and the boy wonder can't save him??

[Kamika]

15. Result of education?

Dont get me wrong Im no elitist or so, but i tend to see that the majority of republicans are rather uneducated. And its no secret that education is very important to the jewish community and they are very educated. Hence they can think for themselfes.

Imo thats the reason

[Iris]

16. Go study it

That's the response a Jewish friend of mine received whenever he asked his parents a question.

Come to think of it, I can remember my own mother telling me to "go look it up" on a number of occasions when I asked complex questions.

Anyway - I love "Go study it". Plan to use it on my own kids.

[Mountainman]

25. Makes sense to me. Repug = fundies fundies = theocracy

If you want the fundie churches to run you life vote repug. Any freedom loving non Christian would not want fundies in charge of everything.

Is this what you want in your public schools?

OK kiddies. No matter what your parents taught you at home, Jesus (W's personal friend) is the one and only God, now let's all recite the Lord's Prayer and the pledge of allegiance to America and President Bush.