With Obama getting closer and closer to the presidency each day, we may very well have our first black president soon.
But what I’m wondering is, could a Jew be elected as president in this day and age?
There are Jews at every level of government but there still has not been a Jewish president. (William Henry Harrison had a huge nose, but that’s the closest we’ve gotten.) Lieberman ran as Gore’s VP and as we all know, they won the popular vote so obviously at least half of the country wouldn’t mind voting for a Jewish VP.
But could a Jew run for president and win? If so, what would this Jew have to be like in order to be “palatable” to the American people? Would he have to be ethnically neutral (white-bread looks and surname) or could someone like Mike Bloomberg who just screams “JEW!” have any chance? Do you think there are more anti-black racists or anti-Semites among the American population?
Interesting question. I happen to be jewish myself. Are there any Jewish people in the international government (besides leiberman) that we may see run for president any time soon?
They’ve got the anti-Christ, what more do they want?
But seriously folks… I may be wrong and no way of knowing for certain, but it probably wouldn’t be as much of an issue as race or gender. As mentioned, I don’t remember it being an issue when Lieberman ran (though he was VP of course). Alabama’s an extremely conservative and traditionalist state (home of the 10 Commandments Judge and all) and yet we elected Don Siegleman, a Catholic with a Jewish wife whose children are raised Jewish. (Admittedly he went to prison, but that has nothing to do with his marriage.) Several other southern and or red states have elected Jews and other non-Christians to office as well. (Crossing the ocean, Dublin has had three Jewish Lord Mayors.)
Jews may be an instance of a stereotype working for the person. I think it’s true other places as well, but in the south Jews have a reputation as being very intelligent and, of course, great with money and in business. (Since so many southern Jews usually came here as business reps for companies or for family members who were well to do, there aren’t nearly the number of working class/blue collar/outright poor Jews you tend to have in NYC or other big northern cities and thus it’s assumed they’re mostly well to do.) While of course there are millions of exceptions to this “rule”, the positive aspects of the stereotype combine with the “they’re God’s Chosen People” to counterbalance the prejudices of those who might not otherwise vote for them due to religion. (Big post-post disclaimer that I’m not voicing my own views but the provincial U.S. stereotype of Jews; I have a modicum of Jewish ancestry and have actually had reasonably intelligent people tell me “You know, I’ve noticed how well you take care of your money” when they learn this; they mean it as a compliment.)
There may be a smaller number of people unwilling to vote for a Jew than for a black guy, but they are more evenly distributed between the parties. If it’s a Republican, evangelicals will stay home. If it’s a Democrat, a good chunk of blacks and Hispanics will.
Well, it depends on what you take “Jewish” to mean. Certainly, someone of Jewish descent could be Christian.
(Also, the majority of voters in the U.S. are white. A black person cannot be white. Etc. What matters is not just what the majority of voters are, but what the majority of voters care about, in terms of similarities between them and a presidential candidate)
I’m chiefly talking about someone who actually self-identifies as a Jew, although I think that even the first president to have any Jewish descent at all will be a significant landmark.
Yes. We’re currently in a period of increased religious influence on our politics and culture, but I believe that we are coming to the end of that period. Even now, it wouldn’t be that big a deal (as evidenced by the Lieberman Vice Presidential candidacy), and once the cycle turns, and religion becomes less important in American life for a few decades, it won’t even be an issue. It will take an Obama, someone’s whose appeal transcends his personal attributes, including his religion, but I have great faith that there is a Jewish person out there who can do it.
How many people are even aware that California’s current U.S. Senators, in addition to being women, are both Jewish?
Yes Americans would vote for a president who was Jewish but not any of the current crop.
Simple questions though: what percentage of America self-identifies as Black? As Jewish? It should be a surprise that a qualified Black may make it there first?
Funny, because when I was little, I was very interested in politics. A friend and I who went to the same school would always talk about that stuff. He told me from knowing me, I seemed like a bussiness man even when my views are more liberal and less lenient to the fee market, at least I self-consciously think. He didn’t imply though that it was anything to do with being Jewish though (and I told him repeatedly about my Jewish identity).
According to Wikipedia there are currently thirteen Jewish Senators - a surprisingly high number considering it’s ten times the percentage of Jews in the national population.
I don’t really see the point of this argument. Blacks in general have a reputation for being poor, criminals, and immoral. Jews have a reputation for being successful at the extreme ends of everything besides sports. Even in the backward towns in the U.S. no one makes fun of Jews in general except maybe for a rare off-color joke. There simply isn’t much anti-semitism in the U.S. at all. Otherwise people would have to reconcile their beliefs against the fact that their world renowned heart surgeon, favorite director, and movie stars happen to be Jewish.
I don’t understand why the OP was started in the first place. Only about 2% of the U.S. population is Jewish yet the U.S. is the primary Jewish nation in the world in terms of numbers with Israel being second and the other countries trailing far behind. Americans love Jewish people overall and recognize everything they have accomplished which is extremely impressive to anyone.
Fundamentalist Christians actually like Jews because they control Israel and that is way better than Muslims or any other group occupy the Holy Land. If a primary platform goal was the defense of Israel then a boatload of fundamentalist Christians would be all for that. That isn’t unprecedented. George W Bush has always made that clear and that was critical to many conservative Christians.
I can see the basic point in the OP but I think it is extremely minor. Almost any other minority group would have a harder time than Jews.