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| Jewish voters increasingly put faith in GOP, surveys show |
| 2004-10-12 |
| The question why American Jews vote Democrat against their interests has been discussed extensively by the inmates of the 'burg. I've extracted the relevant statistics from this article. But political rhetoric aside, surveys show that Republicans are making inroads in a group that once regarded their support of the Democratic Party as natural as their attendance at temple on Saturday and their support for Israel. A recent survey by the American Jewish Committee found that younger Jewish voters are much more likely to support Bush than their older counterparts. Bush was favored by 33 percent of Jewish voters under 40, according to the survey. By comparison, he snared the support of 25 percent of Jewish voters between 40 and 50 and a mere 19 percent of those over 60. My aged parents have reached the "a pox on both their houses" stage. Further, support for Bush is even more pronounced in certain segments of the Jewish community: those from the former Soviet Union and Orthodox Jews. A whopping 60 percent of Orthodox Jews surveyed said they supported Bush, compared with 26 percent who said they would vote for Kerry. Although various surveys, including the one taken by the Jewish committee, show Bush will get only 24 percent to 30 percent of the Jewish vote overall, that is up from the 19 percent he got in 2000. It is also within reach of the record 39 percent Ronald Reagan got in 1980. More important, the push for Jewish voters is strategic. The fight is being waged in Florida and other battleground states where the shift of a small number of voters could make a difference. Florida, New York, New Jersey, and lots of Israelis in California - the climate is so like home! Any other states I missed? Although Jewish voters make up only 4 percent of the electorate nationwide, their turnout on Election Day far outstrips any other racial or ethnic group. While about 50 percent of Americans vote in presidential elections, the turnout is 80 percent among Jews. "It's part of the Jewish dictum that is written in the Talmud, that you should vote," said Rabbi Dan Levin at Temple Beth El in Boca Raton. I didn't know that. I thought voting was part of being a good citizen, like praying that our leaders act wisely, our country be blessed, and peace come to all the world. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #10 #5 Shipman - "Terrorism" is not the word Frank G's talking about. :-p |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-10-12 7:59:22 PM |
| #9 Most thinking Jewish voters and those living or regularly visiting Israel understand all too well when a Muslim lunatic with bombs attached under a coat & self detonates in a public square, it is far more then a 'nusiance', it's death. Of course there will be the self hating types which are Super Glued to the Dems/Kerry's leftwing agenda. |
| Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-10-12 4:13:56 PM |
| #8 I should have said "no Talmud Aramaic way to say 'vote'". There are some Syrians (only a few thousand) who today use Aramaic in their daily speech. This group may have a word for 'vote'. If they do, however, it probably is a loan word from another language. |
| Posted by: mhw 2004-10-12 3:46:23 PM |
| #7 mhw : there is no Aramaic word for 'vote' - www.etymonline.com : VOTE : from L. votum "a vow, wish, promise, dedication," noun use of neut. of votus, pp. of vovere "to promise, dedicate." The meaning "accepting or rejecting a proposal, candidate, etc." is first recorded c.1460. The verb in the modern sense is from 1552. There has to be some Aramaic way to describe... |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-10-12 2:29:42 PM |
| #6 Florida, New York, New Jersey, and lots of Israelis in California - the climate is so like home! Any other states I missed? Jewish vote's important in Illinois and potentially important (if the swing from D to R is great enough) in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio. If I were one of Rove's men I'd be combing the Southfield/WestBloomfield Michigan and Cleveland and Pittsburgh and Philly Democratic voter lists now for jewish Lieberman supporters. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-10-12 1:16:52 PM |
| #5 Frank, terrorism has 3 Rz. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-10-12 12:35:44 PM |
| #4 but check your spelling first... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-10-12 11:44:18 AM |
| #3 Just put up a bunch of signs : TERRORISM SHOULD BE A NUSIANCE - JOHN KERRY in Jewish neighborhoods in swing states like Florida... Watch the fireworks... |
| Posted by: BigEd 2004-10-12 11:40:04 AM |
| #2 Heh, heh, must be why Kerry is doing a sudden about face on Arafat and the Palestinian issue. I suppose it will help him. |
| Posted by: 2b 2004-10-12 8:24:43 AM |
| #1 It’s part of the Jewish dictum that is written in the Talmud, that you should vote," said Rabbi Dan Levin at Temple Beth El in Boca Raton. Too bad this rabbi didn't cite his source. The Talmud doesn't say "you should vote". In fact, there is no Aramaic word for 'vote'. There are a number of talmudic statements obeying the laws, etc. that could be interpreted that way. |
| Posted by: mhw 2004-10-12 8:11:20 AM |