Jews cooling on Obama—sort of
Jewish support for Obama has declined 10% from 2008.
That’s a not insignificant amount, although it may seem small. But it only seems small if you don’t realize how deeply ingrained Jewish Democratic affiliation is. Also, compared to Obama’s drop among other groups that support him, this exceeds the average decline.
It was sociographer and Commentary writer Milton Himmelfarb who famously said “Jews earn like Episcopalians, and vote like Puerto Ricans.” That was back in the non-PC 1950s, when you could get away with saying something like that without offending Puerto Ricans too deeply (no one cares about offending Episcopalians). But it turns out that these days Jews vote more like Puerto Ricans used to than Puerto Ricans do today.
Why? Norman Podhoretz tackled it in 2009, here:
…Mr. Obama beat Mr. McCain among Jewish voters by a staggering 57 points. Except for African Americans, who gave him 95% of their vote, Mr. Obama did far better with Jews than with any other ethnic or religious group. Thus the Jewish vote for him was 25 points higher than the 53% he scored with the electorate as a whole; 35 points higher than the 43% he scored with whites; 11 points higher than the 67% he scored with Hispanics; 33 points higher than the 45% he scored with Protestants; and 24 points higher than the 54% he scored with Catholics…
Most American Jews sincerely believe that their liberalism, together with their commitment to the Democratic Party as its main political vehicle, stems from the teachings of Judaism and reflects the heritage of “Jewish values.” But if this theory were valid, the Orthodox would be the most liberal sector of the Jewish community. After all, it is they who are most familiar with the Jewish religious tradition and who shape their lives around its commandments.
Yet the Orthodox enclaves are the only Jewish neighborhoods where Republican candidates get any votes to speak of…The upshot is that in virtually every instance of a clash between Jewish law and contemporary liberalism, it is the liberal creed that prevails for most American Jews. Which is to say that for them, liberalism has become more than a political outlook. It has for all practical purposes superseded Judaism and become a religion in its own right. And to the dogmas and commandments of this religion they give the kind of steadfast devotion their forefathers gave to the religion of the Hebrew Bible. For many, moving to the right is invested with much the same horror their forefathers felt about conversion to Christianity.
All this applies most fully to Jews who are Jewish only in an ethnic sense. Indeed, many such secular Jews, when asked how they would define “a good Jew,” reply that it is equivalent to being a good liberal.
But avowed secularists are not the only Jews who confuse Judaism with liberalism; so do many non-Orthodox Jews who practice this or that traditional observance. It is not for nothing that a cruel wag has described the Reform movement””the largest of the religious denominations within the American Jewish community””as “the Democratic Party with holidays thrown in,” and the services in a Reform temple as “the Democratic Party at prayer.”
I haven’t yet read this book by Podhoretz, a longer treatment of the same question. But it’s on my “to-do” list.
Neo,
There’s still (to me) something puzzling in that statistic of so many Jews still approving of Obama (though I agree that the 10% drop in support is noteworthy).
I understand the idea, expressed so well in the “Democratic Party at prayer” joke (which I find very funny), but most Jews of my acquaintance, and I know a large number, embrace a fairly moderate, middle-of-the-road sort of liberalism. Not many are raving leftists. The latter seem more the type to stick with Obama.
Jamie Irons
Liberalism has about as much to do with authentic Jewish tradition as bagels and lox does. But that’s about all you get, tradition-wise, from “loosely affiliated” Jews. It’s flim-flam, feel-good, emotion based pap.
The vast majority of Orthodox Jews I know are deeply conservative, both social and fiscal. About the only reason you sometimes catch them voting Democrat is for the same reason as Democrats’ natural constituency – they give better stuff.
This from The Weekly Standard:
N.Y. Democrats Poised to Nominate Former Black Panther, Anti-Israel Radical for Congress
The heart and soul of the Democratic party?
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/n-y-democrats-may-nominate-anti-israel-radical-congress_646925.html
Chuck Schumer,
Will you be supporting Mr. Barron?
My theory is that jews are ubiquitous social networkers in their communities and are therefore more exposed to liberalism’s fashionable thought tactics. Basically a form of conformity that takes advantage of people’s fear of not fitting in socially.
From what I’ve heard from Jewish friends, their antipathy towards the Republicans stems from their fear of evangelical Christians. And this stems from their association of such with the KKK, the old South, and thus conservatives; and at the end Republicans.
I know, I know, a twisted trail of illogic, but there it is. They associate Republicans with an existential threat.
physicsguy:
Considering that the KKK were the Storm Troopers (wannabes, anyway) of the Democratic Party in the old South, well, “twisted trail of illogic” indeed.
–
My take on the 10% is that there are those many Jews who, like the rest of us, don’t want to give up their hard earned money:
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/2012/06/11/rivers-chafes-obama-soak-rich
physicsguy.
What makes it nuttier is that this whole evangelical Christian thing is decades younger than the American Jews’ attachment for liberalism. Sort of a cause looking for any handy excuse, imo.
Jamie Irons. Your Jewish friends may be middle of the road libs, but that doesn’t mean they might vote Rep. It means, at best, they’ll vote dem and try to remember to worry about some terrible lefty excess. Or not. Because, bad as it is, it’s not what the republicans would do, would have done.
Actually, in 2008 Obama did slightly better among hispanics (62%) than he did with jews. Of course at this point he’s at about 55% with hispanics.
If trends continue this will be a more massive repudiation of the Democrats than FDR’s victory was for the Republicans.
Milton Himmelfarb (not Martin)
The Jews are the male sheep that leads the flock, bearing a bell announcing arrival.
In 2008, the popular vote was 69,456,897 to 59,934,814 for Obama.
If 10% less vote for Obama, then the popular vote will be 62,511,207 for Obama.
If those 10% vote for Romney, then the popular vote will be 66,889,504 for Romney.
Romney wins.
It has begun.
It continues!
Looks like Obama will be the first loved and all around adored President to get his ass kicked in a landslide election. I know it sounds counter intuitive, but he’s that brilliant.
One last comment. Jews aren’t superficial, generally, like Obama. Andrew Ferguson for The Weekly Standard calls Obama a “waterbug.”
How perfect. Have you ever seen a water skipper?
“You see a figure traveling lightly and swiftly over the surface of things, darting away before he could leave an impression that might last.”
I submit that Jewish people really don’t admire this quality. Jewish people rely on hard work, perfection of technique, quality education and mastery of subject matter. Thus, their value is based on truth and performance. I’ve recently read that South Korea has become Torah obsessed because they believe the book that created Jewish performance can help them achieve success performance.
And like the Asians, who already lead the nation in earnings and education, need another advantage!
Glen H: thanks, fixed!
uncleFred:
Not sure what you’re talking about, because in 2008 (according to exit polls) Jews went 78% for Obama.
And here’s a fascinating chart. You can see that this level of Jewish support for the Democratic candidate is very typical in recent years.
Reagan made a bit of a dent in that, but even then Jewish support for Reagan’s opponent Mondale was in the 60s. The exception is when Reagan defeated Carter. Carter only got 45% of the Jewish vote that second time around, after having gotten 71% when he ran against Ford.
speaking of Jews fearing Evangelicals/Republicans….I grew up in an Evangelical House, going to Evangelical Churches…when I was a boy we had this class for boy’s at the church , “Galileans”, that had levels of achievement kinda like the boyscouts, except the challenges were things like memorizing Bible verses, reading books off the list, etc….I specifically remember two of the books I read back then, one was “God’s Smuggler”, a true life story of a Bible smuggler behind the Iron curtain and the other was the true story “The Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom. Boom’s family was arrested by the NAZI’s for hiding Jews in their house. If I remember correctly, (Spoiler alert) , she was the only one of her family to survive. You understand, she was considered a hero in Evangelical circles for trying to save Jews….A conservative evangelical might/ maybe will try to convert you, since he believes Jesus was the promised Messiah, but generally he will be your friend…really need to understand which side of the aisle your friends are on…
I think what is seen is a 10% drop, what is unseen could be worse. If another 10%, or higher percent, simply don’t vote, that could be much more devastating. With Zero only taking in 60% for many of his state nominations, this is observably possible. Many people who are still seriously Democrat will not be voting.
There is a virulent prejudice among Jews against evangelical Christians. I hear it in New York often enough (even though I’m one of those un-offendable Episcopalians). It really bugs me: my mother’s family were First Christian Church members, and they were salt of the earth folks, would go out of their way to help people, and the most ambitious thing they were likely to get up to was a bake sale.
Srsly.
To enlarge on the previous: it reads to me as not so much fear as contempt, which I’ve heard expressed in biting terms. They say they’re worried that these Protestants will pass [unspecified] laws harming them or doing ill in the world (well, I could dilate upon the Protestant record of dealings with the Children of Israel versus the Catholic, but I don’t have all day). I dunno. Seems like many of them see us all as Archie Bunker types (he was a Roman Catholic, tho).
Actually, I’m not sure What they think we WASPs would do. The way we look at it, we threw the party that everyone else wanted to crash (America). But we’re not allowed to claim credit for that any more.
Speaking of pride in one’s heritage, the Puerto Rican Day parade took over Fifth Avenue yesterday, attracting millions. Many of the young men were totally shredded, tattooed, and exhibiting their muscular torsos by going shirtless, with their pants slung below the point of peril. And they radiated menace. Not the put-on kind, but the kind meant to signal to all comers that they were ready to rumble.
The police presence was at battalion strength.
physicsguy, Beverly,
You seem both to be hinting at a single point about American Jews* I’ve encountered before, that they’re hopelessly out of date. “This is not your grandfather’s Democratic Party,” as one of the Republican Jewish Committee ads put it. For the mainstream of American Jews, it’s still the old world when the patriotic Social-Democrats roamed the West, and Islam was on nobody’s radar.
I say “mainstream” because there are far too many American Jews who have actually bought into Marxist Leftism lock, stock and barrel. The mainstream are those who haven’t, not because they reject it, but because they’re not aware of its existence and of its having eviscerated the older Left they still praise. Ignorance is the disease here, and worse, because it is tenaciously clung to. Ignorance of the updated political reality, not to mention the tenets of traditional Judaism, as exemplified by one Jewish forum poster who called me “Christianized” because I stated the Orthodox Jewish ruling that abortion is murder except for saving the mother’s life.
This stubborn Jewish vote for the party now home to the sworn enemies of the Jews is nothing but a symptom.
* Israeli Jew here.
“Actually, I’m not sure What they think we WASPs would do. The way we look at it, we threw the party that everyone else wanted to crash (America). But we’re not allowed to claim credit for that any more.”
Good point, Beverly.
Actually, I *DO* claim credit for it every chance I get. I often say “I’m proud to be a WASP…WASP’s founded this great country.” at dinner parties, etc.
Other ethnic groups certainly have helped to build on that most excellent start. Right now, there are times when I think the Asians may be our salvation.
jon baker
That reminds me of a woman who was apparently authorized by ten Boom herself to pose as ten Boom giving talks. She got herself up in a bit of Dutch costume–hat and a kind of shawl–donned an accent and spoke in the ten Boom POV, stayed in character, etc. Came to our church years ago.
Seems the Germans were going to round up Jewish kids and send them to camp. The Dutch resistance got a bunch of Dutch cop uniforms and, posing as Dutch cops, took the kids from the collaborators. After which, young Dutch women would put Jewish kids on their bicycles and pedal up and down the streets looking for somebody to adopt the kids. And I thought cold calls were tough.
Worked.
I read of a French town which sheltered a bunch of Jews under the direction of the pastor. I got the book to find out what the locals did to the inevitable asshole who would tell the Germans. Wasn’t any. Amazing.
One writer interviewed a number of the Righteous who said their motivation was that this is what Jesus would do.
Jews would be a hell of a lot safer in an American evangelical church than on an American or European uni campus, or in a number of European cities.
Or at a convention of liberal protestants, come to think of it. I’m a Presbyterian. You’d have to see what our denom says about Israel not to believe it.
Jews in “flyover country” aren’t nearly as in-the-tank for Obama. I’m from the South and my Jewish friends from high school have about the same attitude toward the Democrats that my Christian friends do.
So the strong Jewish tilt may be simply due to the fact that so many American Jews live in Obama’s strongholds: the Northeast Corridor, California, and college towns around the nation. It makes it very easy to cast conservatives as the Cossacks if you never actually encounter any.
Math alert. The actual decline in support among Jews is 18%. (78-64)/78*100=18%. The percentage of Jews who still support Obama is 10% less than it was, the drop in Jewish support among Jews is 18%.
Frankly any Jewish support for Obama is counter intuitive in light of the prohibition against more than one g-d.
I think Trimegistus has a point. So do people who know horses. Horses generally do what is familiar, and follow other horses; likewise Jews. Great grandpa voted Democratic so that means I must as well. Add in the implications of geography as Trimegistus noted and one sees a population (the Jews) voting for those who support killing it, that is, an administration friendly to the Moslem Brotherhood and other “moderates”.
The drop in Jewish support of Obama is a very good sign and much, much more significant than most people realize.
There’s a reason why Jews are attracted to liberalism and Obama’s preaching: Torah and Talmud teach and value community. An individual finds his place in his family and the nation and many commandments emphasize solidarity by the required participation of the nation. And yet, the individual is not lost. This, to me, is one of the central beauties and mysteries of G-d’s gift of Torah.
I’m obviously pro-Torah and I am troubled by reform and conservative Judaism. “Reform Judaism?” Are G-d’s commandments eternal or in need of reform? Oh, they’re not G-d’s commandments, just good stuff learned over 4000 years? So they (like our Constitution) must be changed as we change.
The history of Judaism is constant with the theme of apostasy and yet observance of Torah survives.
Still, Reform and Conservative Jews profit by keeping what Torah they do keep. The link below is the blog of a liberal Jewish rabbi, Rabbi Fink. The man is studied, smart, and thorough. But there’s that liberal bend which has more in common with social justice Christianity than Judaism. Rabbi Fink expresses it this way: “It would make me much happier to see people find the good in others and respect their choices, than to use their beliefs as a tool for division. It would save a lot of time and grief as well.” Good ole PC and multiculturalism here because what is good practice as a modifier of observance becomes the observance itself.
http://finkorswim.com/2012/06/07/a-suggestion-for-orthodox-jewish-political-activists-regarding-same-sex-marriage/#comments
Horses or other animals, but herd mentality of Jews is manifest. No wonder, actually, for people held for centuries in ghetto and seeking safety in numbers in times of persecutions. It is ingrained deep in instinctive patterns of social behavior. Jews in mass are the most tribal of all modern people.
N-Neocon…I highly recommend Norman the Great’s wonderful little memoir of 1999,”Ex-Friends”, recounting of his ‘NY Intellectuals’ multi-“divorces” from his Neocon conversion and mugging by reality. Great read.
This brings up a biography of Oscar Hammerstein II I happened to see on PBS the other night.
Curiously, I thought, no mention at all about what I presume was his Judaism, but much talk of Hammerstein’s “Liberalism,” his tackling of–at the time– the controversial issues of prejudice and racism in his musicals– miscegenation in Show Boat, and biracial marriages and children in South Pacific, as he taught his audience moral lessons.
All well and good, but then the next segment talked about his “political activism,” and how he supposedly budgeted 10% of his time each day to lecture his children on the evils of Joe McCarthy, worked against the HUAC hearings, and supported the “Hollywood Ten”; all actions applauded by the narrator of the film.
But, as we have since found out–via things like the release of the VENONA decryptions of coded messages sent by the Russian Embassy back to Moscow before, during, and after WWII, documents recently unearthed from KGB and other archives after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the confessions by a few of the aging Communist agents, about to die– McCarthy–harsh and grandstanding though his methods may have been–was essentially right about Communist infiltration of our government and, in fact, his estimates of the number of infiltrators and Communist agents may actually have been too low, and the “Hollywood Ten” were, indeed, Communists, and up to no good.
So, here you have “Liberalism” gone off the cliff, and it appears that, for Hammerstein, Liberalism became a secular religion that replaced Judaism.
Re NeoConScum’s recommendation of Norman Podhoretz’ memoir, “Ex-Friends, I would recommend, for those who have a lot of reading on their plate, Brian Lamb’s Book-Notes interview of NP on C-Span. (It can be found on the C-Span website.) As I recall, Brain Lamb had to ask few questions to get wonderful, extensive answers.
effess…Good thought re-Mr.Lamb. “Ex-Friends” is such an instant delight and not-long-read that I’d still recommend the brief slog through it. My personal favorites were Lillian Hellman & Allen Ginsberg. Side note: Thanks to Allen, I developed a ‘yootful “Eeeuuuuuuuuu”, nose wrinkle reaction to Male Homosexual-Sexual Practices that has never, ever left me.(-: Sorry, Boyos, most of us ‘alpha-dog T-Rex’ males have that reaction whether we keep it under the treeline or not.
One more thing to add, if anyone’s still reading this thread, on why many Jews, even Orthodox, have an antipathy to the Christian Right that prevents them from being open to voting Republican:
One word. Missionaries.
Centuries – nay, millennia – of persecution, pogroms, expulsions, Inquisitions, culminating in the Holocaust, all with one of two aims: the physical elimination of Jews, or their conversion to other faiths. Conversion has always been regarded in Jewish tradition as the greater of those two evils. We recognize that we owe our existence as a people to our continued cleaving to our own faith (hence the verse “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is Our G-d, the Lord is One” being the last utterance of many a Jewish martyr); to embrace another faith is thus considered the ultimate betrayal, and those who actively attempt to recruit us to other faiths are regarded with the greatest contempt and revulsion.
Two modern phenomena must be seen in this light in order to understand the “Christophobia” of today’s Jews, even in the absence of overt missionary activity.
One is the Evangelical / Christian Zionist community. Never before have Jews been treated with this kind of love, respect and support from any Christian community, and in the deep recesses of Jewish collective memory it simply does not compute. There is a deep suspicion that ulterior motives are present, and there are various outlier doctrines in the Christian community (Dominionist, etc.) which are brought to support this hypothesis, i.e. that they are trying to “soften us up” with “love” and then go for the hard sell when we’ve let down our guard. All for our own good, of course.
The other phenomenon is what many Jews consider damning evidence of their aforementioned hypothesis: Jews for Jesus. This phenomenally successful missionary campaign purports to be a loving, caring community of “fulfilled Jews,” incorporating many Jewish ritual practices and affects as a means of reaching out to the large body of unaffiliated or loosely affiliated Jews, whose Reform (or worse) Judaism is alien and alienating to them; in reality they are a Christian group in masquerade.
To nearly all Jews, even Republicans, J4J’s MO smacks of our ancient and archetypal enemy Amalek, who attacked from the rear as we left Egypt in triumph, going after the women and children. The original terrorists, if you will.
This, then, is the emotional baggage with which most Jews, even Orthodox, view Christians. In increasing numbers, many of them are realizing that the Left is the greater threat today, and that the Christian Right’s supposed “fever dreams” are anyway just that for now, and that is opening up the political arena a bit. Still other Jews, even some Orthodox, are opening their minds to the possibility of the Evangelical community’s sincerity of friendship towards them, without ulterior motives.
I think there’s certainly room to apply a dictum of the Sages of the Talmud regarding offers of friendship from a stranger: “Respect him and suspect him,” or, as rephrased a thousand or so years later, “Trust, but verify.”
Nobody can blame the Jews in this regard. A lot of Americans’ support for Obama are also decreasing yearly.