Obama won 77% of the Jewish vote in 2008.
Do people here think that 2012 will be very different?
All of my Jewish friends have taken the “Palin is an idiot” bait, hook, line and sinker. I find this quite amusing because Palin is among the most pro-Israel politicians out there. Some of the smart Jewish neocons like William Kristol know this and have been big supporters of her.
But obviously Kristol isn’t very influential in the world of American Jewish politics, or McCain whould have done better with them.
I suppose there is some percent of American Jews who don’t like Israel, and are fine with Obama’s policies towards it. But I have to believe that most of the 77% are unable to think their way out of the paper bag they are stuck in.
I’m looking forward to the 2012 elections for many reasons, and seeing how much this demographic and their vote changes is one of them.
It’s very hard to understand why Jews vote Democratic in such overwhelming numbers. They are not affirmative action beneficiaries. They pay a lot of taxes, and don’t take many services. The GOP has never treated them badly. Nixon was a great friend of Israel. So was Reagan. In contrast Carter is a great enemy of Israel.
I don’t get it. Evidently many others do not either, which is why Dennis Prager wrote a whole book on the topic, a book I have not yet read, unfortunately.
There are many, many reasons. I know some of them, and I don't even have time to list all of those, but I'll name a few:
1. Many Jews have always confused government with society -- going all the way back to when they lived in tribal enclaves of no more than a hundred or so people in Biblical times.
2. Many Jews have so prided themselves on their high intelligence that they use it as a an excuse, or defense, against any psychological problems that they have. They even look down their noses at anyone who isn't an academic intellectual who believes exactly as they do.
3. Many Jews carry with them an age-old family tradition of laying guilt trips on each other -- causing many psychological problems.
4. Many Jews advocate the most extreme form of pure altruism, claiming that if ANY personal benefit comes from ANY action you take -- then it is therefore evil (Comes in handy when laying guilt trips on family members and others). This tradition even predates Immanuel Kant in the early 19th century, who codified pure altruism, virtually claiming it was the only moral code available to mankind (which it most emphatically is not).
5. Some Jewish families still carry a grudge against Republicans as representing the Eastern Establishment blue bloods who kept grandpa out of their exclusive clubs.
etc. etc. etc.
6. Many Jews steadfastly cling to the myth that the ancient left-right political spectrum — which puts capitalism next to fascism and Nazisim — is valid. And they fervently believe that when politicians and big businessmen get together it’s initiated by the businessmen (instead of the politicians, who actually initiate the collusions 99% of the time).