# Why do American Jewish voters favour the Democrats? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 10, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456 "2011-11-10T01:36:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/61 "2011-11-14T15:12:18Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Isn’t that the same as supporting any other single-issue candidate? 2nd Amendment, pro- or anti-choice, etc? > > ETA or simply because they’ve got a (D) or (R) next to their name? Did you mean single issue voter? I haven’t heard of many single-issue candidates. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/62 "2011-11-14T15:31:43Z")
As long as the Republicans are sucking up to evangelical Christians, I don’t see the Jewish vote going their way. Sure, all the evangelicals love to pledge their everlasting support for Israel and they’re quick to jump on anyone who does not toe the hard line pro-Israel line as being anti-Israel. But they don’t do so because they love the Jewish people. They do so because in their view of the Rapture, the Jews have to be in Israel for it to happen, and then after it does all the Jews will die like all the other non-Christians. Somehow a lot of Jewish people may not be overcome with gratitude for such support. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/63 "2011-11-14T16:47:45Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > Did you mean single issue voter? I haven’t heard of many single-issue candidates. There are lots of single-issue candidates. Candidates have to campaign on multiple issues, but lots primarily campaign on one. Obama campaigned on not being George Bush, which was exactly what people wanted in a candidate at the time. That isn’t to say he couldn’t have won the election on his own merits, but there was no reason for him to bother. I guess it would be more accurate to call them single-_theme_ candidates. Another good example is Ron Paul, who campaigns on a theme of returning America back to a halcyon time of freedom, liberty and prosperity that never really existed. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/64 "2011-11-14T22:15:24Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I have to admit curiosity as to how many candidates on ether side don’t support Israel. Because I’ve never heard of anyone capaigning on the idea of ending the US commitment to Israel. It seems more a choice of candidates who support Israel in defense of her borders vs. candidates who imply we should join with Israel in wiping out the Arabs and Muslims from the face of the earth – though this latter is probably overstating their position. This is a tangent off the OP’s topic, but I think both parties provide lip service for support of Israel for the same reason: votes. American Jews are a large voting bloc both parties believe they need to court, but I don’t think it, in reality, has anything whatsoever to do with warm and fuzzies for Israel. Democrats have issues with Israel’s bluster, how it interacts with its neighbors, and its treatment of Palestinians, e.g., aid blockades, rights violations, settlement expansion, etc… but the Democrats also know they must be circumspect when, if, or how they choose to criticize Israel for fear of offending American Jews and losing votes. It’s this expediency that sickens me. Democratic politicians, some of whom are Jewish, have been cowed into remaining mum in the face of egregious acts that are, ostensibly, anathema to Democratic/progressive/liberal principles. However, Democrats know where their bread is buttered on this issue so the expediency is, disappointingly, expected. Republicans, generally, have no problem with Israel’s aggressive acts and are kindred spirits with the hawks in the Knesset who see military action as the solution to just about every issue in the region. I think Republican support for Israel goes as far as Israel being a geographically strategic launch-point and a perceived extension of the US’ military footprint in the Middle East …well that, and their dream of Armageddon so the Christian god will come back and smite all non-Christians. 😛 Anyway, to your question about how many politicians don’t support Israel, I’d say the number is close to zero, if not zero. It’d be political suicide for an American politician to admit non support for Israel. Heck, it’d probably be political suicide to express tepid support for Israel. ---
**Author:** ![gatorslap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gatorslap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gatorslap)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/65 "2011-11-14T23:03:49Z")
It kind of depends on what you mean by “don’t support Israel”. Doesn’t Ron Paul want to end all foreign aid, including to Israel? ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/66 "2011-11-14T23:08:12Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > This is a tangent off the OP’s topic, but I think both parties provide lip service for support of Israel for the same reason: votes. American Jews are a large voting bloc both parties believe they need to court, but I don’t think it, in reality, has anything whatsoever to do with warm and fuzzies for Israel. > > Democrats have issues with Israel’s bluster, how it interacts with its neighbors, and its treatment of Palestinians, e.g., aid blockades, rights violations, settlement expansion, etc… How does it behave with its neighbors? What “treatment of the Palestinians”? What aide blockades? What rights violations? What settlement expansion? What “etc…”? Israel has allowed all aide to the Palestines. If you are referring to Gaza, it has allowed all the aide but has blockaded materiel that can be used to continuing bombarding Israel. (The question is not how Israel interacts with its neighbors, but how the neighbors interact with Israel: continual bombarding from Gaza, and occasional bombarding from Lebanon and Jordan.) I don’t know how Israel can interfere with the rights of other countries unless you are referring to their right to eliminate the state of Israel, but in Israel all Israel citizens (including the 25% Arabs who remained after the partition of the land in 1948) have equal rights. Some Israeli Arabs hold government positions, including judgeships. The settlement question was settled and agreed to in the last Oslo accord. The continuing building to the present settlements in the West Bank was not objected by the Palestinians until President Obama demanded that Israel cease such building as a prerequisite for peace. I don’t know what you mean by “etc…” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/67 "2011-11-15T04:20:15Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > And it’s part of the historic Jewish scheme of promoting Communist dominion while simultaneously controlling capitalist enterprises and wealth. 😕 I thought they gave up all that for show biz. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/68 "2011-11-15T06:11:30Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > And you’ve also seen what can happen to Jews in societies where religion and secular law are completely separated (USSR) and it also ain’t good. > > Actually, pretty much anywhere in the world for Jews ain’t good. The conditition of the Jewish people in America is excellent. They are practically assimilated, highly wealthy and educated, in positions of power, enjoy equal rights, and have full protection from violence. What more can they (collectively speaking) wish for? ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/69 "2011-11-15T06:12:25Z")
A proper deli on every streetcorner! ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/70 "2011-11-15T06:15:42Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Many Jews identify with being socially liberal. In addition, the Christian evangelicalism of the right can be quite a turn off. It is however quite Semitophilic (?), and are strong supporters of Israel and often such as in Pastor Hagee’s case entertain absurd views that while say Islam is not valid that non-Messianic Judaism is equally valid as the Christian religion. The Christian Right (the Falwell-Robertson-Neocon wing as opposed to the paleocon-neoisolationist conspiracy theorists) are not bigoted against one group and that is the Jews. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/71 "2011-11-15T06:17:57Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > It is however quite Semitophilic (?), and are strong supporters of Israel . . . I think Jews have deeply mixed feelings about [Christian Zionism.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Zionism) ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/72 "2011-11-15T06:19:46Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I think Jews have deeply mixed feelings about [Christian Zionism.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Zionism) Well politically speaking, it works to their advantage so I’d be curious what would be their main concerns. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/73 "2011-11-15T06:32:56Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Well politically speaking, it works to their advantage so I’d be curious what would be their main concerns. It’s the part where Christian Zionists see the Jews as a means to an end. And it doesn’t “work to their advantage.” Christian Zionists tend to be conservative and American Jews tend to be liberal. It is possible (but not a guarantee) that they would agree about Israel, but Israel is not the primary concern for all U.S. Jews. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/74 "2011-11-15T06:40:50Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It’s the part where Christian Zionists see the Jews as a means to an end. And it doesn’t “work to their advantage.” Christian Zionists tend to be conservative and American Jews tend to be liberal. It is possible (but not a guarantee) that they would agree about Israel, but Israel is not the primary concern for all U.S. Jews. I meant regarding Israel. At the least support for socially moderate neocons is warranted/ ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/75 "2011-11-15T06:46:09Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > At the least support for socially moderate neocons is warranted/ Some of neoconservatives are Jewish, of course. The problem is that most Jews in the U.S. are not “socially moderate,” so they have little reason to support moderate neoconservatives. And again, neoconservatives are happy to be supported by Christian Zionists, and most Jews don’t want to be involved with Christian Zionists because while they support Israel - in some cases, more unflinchingly than American Jews do - they view Judaism as a lie or a flawed religion. So I think most Jews find it hard to get in bed with people like that. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/76 "2011-11-15T14:50:48Z")
Confused in Minneapolis writes: “Just saw Perry and Romeny suggest they would concisder zeroing out aid for Israel, and nobody said shit about it. I don’t get it.” ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/77 "2011-11-15T15:43:32Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > …the foundation for the politician’s support of Israel probably comes from his belief, and the belief of his Christian constituents, that doing so sets the scenario for the return of Jesus, the end of days, and the assimilation and ultimate annihilation of the Jews. I hear this a lot on these boards, but I don’t think it’s actually true. I don’t know of any Christians who think about Israel in such a calculating and cynical way. Based on what I have heard and seen, support for Israel is based more on [Genesis 12:2-3](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%2012:2-3&version=KJV): > [@](#): > > And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: > > And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Maybe I shouldn’t say anything, since I am a Democrat. Better maybe if American Jews keep thinking that Republicans are secretly out to annihilate them. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omg_a_Black_Conservative)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/78 "2011-11-15T16:21:46Z")
[quote=“[t-bonham@scc.net](mailto:t-bonham@scc.net), post:30, topic:602456”] [li]Jews are more **educated**. Higher levels of education correlates with voting Democratic.[/li][/quote] No, it doesn’t. If you start at the lowest education level, you find a disproportionate amount of Democratic voters compared to Republican voters. As you work your way up the education ladder, you find fewer Democrats and more Republicans. By the time you get to college graduates, you’d notice that a greater percentage of person’s holding a Bachelor’s degree (or any other four year degree) are Republican or lean Republican than are Democrats or lean Democrat. This trend only reverses itself once you get to the Graduate level. (And before someone decides to hop on me, go to the [GSS](http://sda.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/hsda?harcsda+gss08) website and construct a chart with “PARTYID” as the row variable and “DEGREE” as the control.) Anyway, threadjack aside, if I had to hazard a guess, I’d say it’s the same reason that Blacks vote Democrat-- perception. Just as Blacks perceive the Democrat party to be working in their best interest-- even if perception does not match reality-- so, too, do Jews. In the U.S., Jews have been voting Democrat since around WWII, probably in response to growing anti-antisemitism in Europe among “right-leaning” governments, long before the rise of the “Christian Right” or whatever you want to call them, and have been ever since (though, it’s important to note that older Jews are more likely to vote Democrat than younger Jews). It’s odd that Jews continue to vote Democrat when, generally speaking, Republicans are generally more “pro-Israel”/“pro-Jews”, which is part of the reason I’d guess Jews started voted Democrat in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/79 "2011-11-15T16:28:22Z")
> [@Omg\_a\_Black\_Conservative](#): > > It’s odd that Jews continue to vote Democrat when, generally speaking, Republicans are generally more “pro-Israel”/“pro-Jews”, which is part of the reason I’d guess Jews started voted Democrat in the first place. Perhaps Jewish people prefer to vote based on their opinions and values rather than on who talks the biggest game about being “pro-Israel” and “pro-Jews.” Republicans have generally tried to win votes from Jews through the second method, and it hasn’t worked very well. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456/80 "2011-11-15T16:47:14Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Perhaps Jewish people prefer to vote based on their opinions and values rather than on who talks the biggest game about being “pro-Israel” and “pro-Jews.” Republicans have generally tried to win votes from Jews through the second method, and it hasn’t worked very well. I honestly think all this discussion about the Republicans working to win the Jewish vote is overblown. In fact, Jews make up a reasonably tiny part of the US electorate - around 2% of the population (depending on how you define it): > **[American Jews | Demographics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Jews#Demographics)** > > As of 2020, the American Jewish population is, depending on the method of identification, either the largest in the world, or the second-largest in the world (after Israel). Precise population figures vary depending on whether Jews are accounted for based on halakhic considerations, or secular, political and ancestral identification factors. There were about four million adherents of Judaism in the US as of 2001, approximately 1.4% of the US population. According to the Jewish Agency, for the yea... [In contrast, Muslim voters make up between 0.8 and 2.2% of the population, depending on whose figures are used - not that this suggests Muslim-Americans are “one issue” voters either, of course, but many can be expected to disapprove of Israel just as many Jews can be expected to approve. [Islam in the United States - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_muslims#Demographics) ] As you and others have said, Jews do not appear to be one-issue voters by and large, focused on Israel. Thus, the percentage of _Jewish_ voters likely to be swayed by a pro-Israel stance will be some subset of that 2% - that is, a very small percentage of overall votes. It seems to me far more likely that the rhetoric of support for Israel is intended to appeal to non-Jewish voters. Moreover, though I have no figures on the matter, I’m willing to bet that the majority of those so interested are _not_ apocalyptic millenialist types. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-american-jewish-voters-favour-the-democrats/602456.md?page=5)