Posted on 12/07/2006 10:25:52 AM PST by Sabramerican
Not in 1977.
He was the worst president in my lifetime and THAT is saying a lot.
It's all about the candidates. Republicans have never put up candidates that appeal to Jews.
If Reagan's VP had been Jack Kemp, for one example, he would have gotten a huge percentage of Jewish votes in 1988. And probably reelected in 1992. May have changed the entire Jewish voting pattern. And no Clinton. Maybe reagan's biggest mistake.
Those Jews that voted for Bush I, as a residue from Reagan, were very disappointed. Dole, laughable? Bush II may sour Jews on Republicans even further.
Jimmy is a lamebrained bigot who holds grudges. A hugh embarrassment to the US.
You would have to define Leftist.
Conservatives and Republicans until recent decades were not Jewish friendly.
Jews, like most, have a tendency to gravitate to where they feel comfortable. And for a long time that was the Democrat party.
NY, the most Jewish of States, had long term Republican Senators and Governors, because those individuals earned the trust of the Jewish community.
That Tikkun Olam crap is a very recent explanation. Jews moved Left because that is where they found emancipation from ingrained anti Semitism.
Jewish tradition- as can be seen by those who keep Jewish tradition, the Orthodox- is very Conservative.
Yes, but how do you really feel about Jimma?
I define leftism as socialist, or those philosophies derived from or based on it.
I certainly agree that Jews moved left as a reaction to antisemitism. I think this happened in Europe, well before the great immigration here of c. 100 years ago. I also think that "conservative" antisemitism has been responsible for keeping American Jews on the left up through WWII. Perhaps the current persistent leftist antisemitism and leftist anti Israel attitude will change this. Not so much the Orthodox Jews, I think.
As far as I know, not being much of a scholar, or very religious, you are right that traditional Jewish teaching, in the sense to which you have referred, has nothing to do with leftism, as it far predates it. I hadn't meant to say that leftism was part of Judaism, merely that European and American (and probably European?) Jews of the last 120 or so years have more often than not adopted leftist political beliefs.
When one becomes a part of the Radical Left, having genocidal fantasies about the extermination of Israel simply goes with the territory. Jimuh is quite predictable in this regard.
Meaning that they have not been so leftist.
You define Leftist as Socialism, others define it an being pro choice or having a sympathy for certain gun laws or other issues.
Define Socialist.
If Left is labor unions and such, it's true, and was from necessity, not any sort of Jewish tradition. It is how Jews raised themselves into the mainstream. The environs of the Right were closed to Jews.
But Jews, the People who invented the concept of Freedom escaping from bondage in Egypt, may be the least intrinsically economic socialists and greatest entrepreneurs.
He's got cranial rectus disease. In other words, he's a liberal.
Many I know are still stuck in the 1930 - 1975 meme that equates (wrongly) the Democrat Party with Civil Rights ergo, they are felt to be some sort of guaranty against Nazism. They have fallen hook line and sinker for the smear of GOPers as being "fascists." There is a sad aspect of American culture, that is a result of the Great Depression. That aspect is a permanent far left group, who are very antagonistic toward big business and toward traditional society. We can thank FDR for that.
Nah, most of the whiners (see Woody Allen) are nothing more than self-loathing dumb-fukks. They have listened to the lies of pre-eminent thinkers like Stalin, Hitler and Arafat for so long that they actually BELIEVE that the Jewish people are responsible for all the ills of the 20th century. In an attempt to "cleanse" themselves of their monstrous and largely unfounded guilt, they vote for any and all politicians who promise to take your money and give it to those that THEY deem to be more worthy than you.
"Hey Peanut Boy, you're next!"
Carter is a wicked, treacherous, and dangerous man with a large ego buttressed by false piety. He is a ghoulish Haman who deserves nothing but universal condemnation.
Socialism, as defined by me (though I think my understanding is fairly sound) is basically the political and economic philosophy that maintains that all members of a society are working toward a common good that is to be selected democratically. Following from this premise is that since everyone is working toward the same goal, then everyone is to be equal by sharing in the same goal, the common goal. Also following is that since the political and economic goals have been selected democratically, then the people and the community, the people and the government, are the same. Therefore, the common goals toward which all society is working, as selected by the people, are equally selected by the state. The emphasis is on the group, rather than the individual. The details that manifest, things like affirmative action, wage and price fixing (unions), government control of means of production, etc., all these things follow from the basic premise of a common goal.
I agreed already that Jews moved leftward as a reaction to right wing antisemitism, which permeated both the private and the public sides of European and American life. In my view, it is the emphasis on equality that was the attraction, since societies traditionally have relegated Jews to a less than equal place, although I'm sure the other aspects of socialism were also attractive to those who could be idealists, as they continue to be the world over to many peoples. I personally think that moving to traditional liberalism would have made more sense, though. In fact, I believe that the remnants of tradtional liberalism that still cling to modern liberalism are an attractant for Jews.
Yes, I think it's a great paradox that a left leaning segment of the population is also one of the most capitalist segments. Of course, I understand that Jews became capitalists because landowning, and many of the professions, were traditionally prohibited to them.
I forgot to mention, Carter is a complete jerk.
In conclusion there is no "...Jewish tradition of cherishing leftism".
"What's the Matter With Jimmy?"
He's down to his last truckload of Billy Beer and he's gettin' antsy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.