On November 2, roughly 8 of every 10 American Jews will cast a vote for John F Kerry and his sophosticated continental wife, Teresa.
Enjoy, putzes.
****
h/t Ace, who observes, “At some point American Jews are probably going to notice that, while there is a lot of overt anti-semitism in more insular parts of the Heartland, the political left is filled with the not-so-stealth British version of polite and sophisticated Jew-hating.”
Well, Ace, those of us who aren’t looking for cocktail party invites already have noticed.
****
See also LGF.
****
update: Bill INDC has more. See also CQ, Instapundit, Darleen’s Place, and Radioblogger.
Comment by TalkLeft on 10/31 @ 6:22 pm #
Jeff, there is very little difference between Bush and Kerry on Israel. If you’re upset about a large number of Jewish citizens voting for Kerry, why not look for the real reasons? Just like non-Jewish Kerry supporters, it’s the war, the economy and Bush’s failure as a leader and inablility to chart a corrective course or acknowledge a mistake.
Comment by Daniel on 10/31 @ 6:31 pm #
Adam Brodsky of the NY Post chimes in, as well.
Comment by Silicon Valley Jim on 10/31 @ 6:32 pm #
there is very little difference between Bush and Kerry on Israel
There is certainly the difference that the President has demonstrated, time and time again, that he will not consort with Yassir Arafat. Perhaps Kerry would behave similarly (although I doubt it), but he certainly hasn’t demonstrated it.
It absolutely astonishes me that the President’s share of the Jewish vote would be no higher this year than in 2000. I would expect a Jewish voter in 2000 to be concerned about George W. Bush’s support of Israel because of his father’s attitude towards Israel (and also at least one statement of his father’s secretary of state). I would also expect Jewish support for Al Gore to be somewhat higher simply because he had a Jewish running mate. Neither of those is the case this year.
Comment by jeff on 10/31 @ 6:42 pm #
Wait a minute, are you JEWISH???
Comment by TalkLeft on 10/31 @ 7:23 pm #
“I would also expect Jewish support for Al Gore to be somewhat higher simply because he had a Jewish running mate. Neither of those is the case this year.”
Maybe that’s because Jewish voters vote their politics rather than their religion. Joe Lieberman, aka Republican Lite, was a detractor rather than a benefit to the Gore ticket.
Comment by Les Nessman on 10/31 @ 7:30 pm #
“At some point American Jews are probably going to notice that,…” yeah, right. Just like ‘At some point, American Blacks are going to vote less than 90% Democrat.’ Blah, blah, blah. Don’t hold your breath.
No, because the Dems will always be the party that promises more ‘free’ candy to the voters and will make ‘the Undeserving Wealthy’ pay for it. That, mixed with a liberal media bias, makes me marvel that the Republicans get elected at all.
Comment by G.W. on 10/31 @ 7:32 pm #
I recently talked about this with someone here in the the Southeast, and his answer was: “Because they don’t care about Israel. All they care about is abortion.”
Might I add: “And gay marriage.”
Worse still, none (well almost none) of them is going to have an abortion. Nor a gay marriage for that matter.
Yet, while Jews have never had it better (from the point of view of freedom and prosperity) than in the US, oh since say King David’s Kingdom, there is no guarantee that it will remain so. A strong State of Israel offers the only guarantee of shelter during hardship for Jews anywhere.
Jews are the only minority to consistently vote against their own best interest!
G.W.
Comment by shlomo on 10/31 @ 7:37 pm #
Charles Krauthammer has an excellent article on this very subject here ( http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_showa.html?article=46022 )
If you think there’s virtually no difference between Kerry & Bush on Israel you are nuts. Jews who care about Israel’s security should vote Bush.
Comment by McGehee on 10/31 @ 7:40 pm #
Actually, G.W., I don’t think that’s true. I think that most minorities in free and open societies tend for some reason to vote against their self-interest more often than not.
It starts from the whole notion of being a minority. In America, majorities and minorities are fluid, not permanent. Those who vote as if minority status were permanent, undermine their own interests.
Comment by Rightwingsparkle on 10/31 @ 7:47 pm #
Off topic, Did you hear today that Chris Heinz called President Bush a “cokehead?”
what is it with Teresa’s family and the stupid things they say?
Comment by Robin Roberts on 10/31 @ 7:57 pm #
Its rather easy to claim that John Kerry’s policy with respect to Israel is identical to George Bush’s policy.
All you have to do is selectively read Kerry’s words during that half of the time when he is adopting the administration’s policies … and ignore the other half of the time when he is condemning the same policies he’d adopted or would adopt a day later. Of course, this represents a long-standing Kerry strategy. Kerry doesn’t take multiple sides of an issue merely out of incompetence ( no matter how much it appears to be an indication of his essentially incompetent nature ), in fact Kerry takes multiple positions so that people with completely contradictory views can convince themselves that he is their candidate.
Real easy. Although it is hilarious to see people who recognize that Kerry is fundamentally dishonest find ways to spin that dishonesty into yet another reason to feel good that they are conned.
Now anyone who actually bothered to hold in their minds all of Kerry’s pronouncements on Israel would know that it would be insane to claim he was in fact pro-Israel.
Comment by Rightwingsparkle on 10/31 @ 7:59 pm #
Ms TL says:
“it’s the war, the economy and Bush’s failure as a leader and inablility to chart a corrective course or acknowledge a mistake.”
Hmmm..lets see…
1)the war…Kicked ass in Afghanistan, first free elections EVER there. Girls may now work and go to school. We build roads and schools ect.. On to Iraq. We capture one of the most evil dictators ever (as we are finding out more and more everyday) MOST of Iraq is in the process of rebuilding and getting ready for free elections in Jan. The one hotspot is the only place the MSM ever seems to notice. Not all the good. In the process, we uncovered the food for oil scandal revealing a corrupt UN and countries who were benefiting off the suffering of the Iraq people..
Sounds like a success to me Ms TL.
2)The economy. When one considers the blow 9-11 gave us, plus a recession Bush inherited, he has done an AMAZING job of rebounding the economy.
3)A leader. He is decisive and strong. Disagree with the decisions if you wish, but making decisions that he believes is right and standing firm is the mark of a great leader. Bush has done that.
4)Acknowledge a mistake. Yeah right. He is not so stupid to list mistakes so you can spend the rest of the election cycle saying “See?? Even he admits he did that wrong!!” The mean left takes anything he says and twists into the worst possible meaning.
I’m done. Your wrong. No surprise there.
Comment by MarkO on 10/31 @ 8:00 pm #
The “cokehead†reference is the best Kerry can do since CBS blew the Guard story. You see, don’t you, that the entire effort to insinuate the Guard canard was to make the argument that GWB missed his physical because he was so coked up that he didn’t dare show up for testing for months.
Because the paid whores couldn’t get the fake documents in the record, so to speak, it falls to the idiot son to spew it out on the Sunday before election. You really didn’t think it was simply about missing a drill?
Oh, did you know that the VP has a lesbian daughter? Hey! I mean that in the kindest possible way. Did you hear the one about the priest and the rabbi? Rabbit? Hell, I can’t remember now.
Do you have any bad baby cases?
Comment by Rightwingsparkle on 10/31 @ 8:06 pm #
Oh…forgot to mention the most important thing of all…..
He has kept us SAFE.
Comment by Robin Roberts on 10/31 @ 8:07 pm #
Don’t miss, MarkO, the anti-semitic overtones surrounding the comment as pointed out in the CQ link Jeff added above.
Comment by Robin Roberts on 10/31 @ 8:11 pm #
Those who claim that the Bush administration is somehow incompetently running the War on Terror have only one way to show they are not hypocrites.
Condemn FDR for allowing millions to die in Nazi Germany’s hands for running WWII so “incompetently”.
Failing that, hypocrite is the nicest label appropriate.
Comment by Robert Schwartz on 10/31 @ 8:57 pm #
Rightwingsparkle here is the whole quote you missed the really relevant part:
My fellow jews need to wake-up.
Comment by MarkO on 10/31 @ 9:02 pm #
Robin Roberts. A great pitcher. Anyway, I didn’t miss the hate. I was responding to another part of his talking points (and don’t think for a minute this was off the cuff).
How can Democrats vote for this empty suit?
Comment by Aaron's Rantblog on 10/31 @ 9:20 pm #
I know, for a fact, that I have influenced at least a dozen Jewish Gore voters to switch to Bush for 2004. I hope that I am not unique.
I’m on <a href=” Jews and Christians and the 2004 Elections”>record</a> with my family that I’m severing for at least a decade anyone I learn voted for Kerry as I would anyone who I learned eagerly volunteered to be a capo during WWII.
If you aren’t willing to get uncomfortable about THIS election and GET IN THE FACE OF YOUR KERRY-VOTING “FRIENDS” and RELATIVES… to hell with you.
My take on the “Jewish” Kerry supporters is that they, at most, may spend no more than 12 hours a year doing anything recognizably and uniquely Jewish: Passover seder, and maybe a few hours on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Among Sabbath observant Jews who keep kosher, I suspect the GOP will have 80% or more of the Jewish vote. One can REASONABLY conclude that the more Jewish a Jew is, the more likely he is to be politically rational.
Bagels, lox, Zabar’s coffee and memorizing the op-ed pages of the NY Times on Sunday mornings is NOT the equivalent of a Jewish catechism, though most feel and act like it is. Their solution to antisemitism is a passive assimilating nihilism. No Judaism=no antisemitism. The end is the same as that of the Nuremburg Laws.
I’m predicting near-record Jewish GOP voting levels. Here’s the rate since 1916:
I recently posted on Free Republic a good list of articles for Jews and a survey of Jewish GOP voting rates since 1916:
* 1916 45%
* 1920 43% (but 38% also voted Socialist!)
* 1928 28%
* 1932 Under 20%
* 1936 15%
* 1940 10%
* 1944 10%
* 1948 25%
* 1952 36%
* 1956 40%
* 1960 18%
* 1964 10%
* 1968 17%
* 1972 34%
* 1976 27%
* 1980 39%
* 1984 31%
* 1988 27%
* 1992 15%
* 1996 15%
* 2000 19%
* 2004 ??%
I think it will approach Ike’s post-WWII peak of 40%. I know LOTS of Jews who will vote for Bush for president but Democrat for every other office.
My posts on the Dhimmicratic party in January of 2003 when the Dem primary season began: DENIAL ain’t just a river in Egypt, January 26 and I Don’t Trust Joe Lieberman
Comment by Darleen on 10/31 @ 10:01 pm #
Dennis Prager has spent a week speaking to Jews in Penn, Ohio and FL. He believes more Jews than expected will vote for GW. He explains those reasons in depth in this article. Excerpt:
Comment by Walter Sobchak on 10/31 @ 10:18 pm #
Of course, some Jews might be thinking about the fact that most right-wing support for Israel comes from the fervent belief that the re-establishment of Israel is a sign of the endtimes, during which the Savior returns and either converts or kills all the Jews… not the most reliable of allies. Others might be simply be voting based on their own social consciences rather than right-wing propaganda about liberal anti-Semitism. Still others, whose core issue really is Israel, might recognize that support for hardline Likud polices != support for Israel’s well-being in the long term. And some, of course, might actually be voting based on the principles underlying the religious teachings they try to live by, rather than based on the conveniently self-serving right-wing interpretation of those teachings.
Where do you get off acting like you represent Jewish thinking, when you’re so clearly in the minority? For that matter, why should Jews always vote primarily for exclusively Jewish interests? Isn’t that what real anti-Semites try to claim they do, against all the evidence?
Comment by Walter Sobchak on 10/31 @ 10:32 pm #
Oh, and Krauthammer is a worthless fucking tool. If anyone to the left of Joe Lieberman tried to pass off the ridiculous logical leaps he makes as real political commentary, he would instantly be labeled a conspiracy theorist and race-bater. Instead of just latching on to yet another pundit who confirms what you already believe, why don’t you actually think for a second? Do you honestly fucking believe that people on the Democratic side want to harm Israel? If you do, I’d like to see some goddam evidence other than the paranoid maunderings of a strident liberal-hater like Krauthammer. A few assholes at anti-war rallies ain’t gonna cut it, either. Do you think Jews are so fucking stupid that they would vote for a party full of people who hate them? No, I don’t think you do. I don’t think you believe it for even a second. I think you see this as a useful political tool, and you’re playing it to the hilt as we get down to the wire.
Comment by Jeff Goldstein on 10/31 @ 10:40 pm #
Keep spinning, “Walter.” Not sure which principles underlying the Jewish religion allow for the blowing up of pizza parlors, but I’ll re-consult my Talmud.
And I’m not voting for “exclusively Jewish interests.” Hell, I’m not even religious. Instead, I’m voting for the rights of sovereign nations, and for a US President who doesn’t accept terrorism even in Israel. And I’m voting against would-be sophisticates like you, who trade on a pro-Palestinian stance to play at intellectualism. I’m voting against dimple-brained internationalist hand wringers—made manifest in John Kerry the candidate– who sigh about the “cylce of violence” and who recognize Yassir Arafat, the man who invented modern day terrorism and whose PA implores children (through fuzzy chick surrogates) to kill Jews, as a Nobel Peace Prize winner and a potential negotiating partner. Fuck you and fuck them.
Incidentally, who says I’m acting like I represent Jewish thinking—other than by virtue of being Jewish myself, and representing my own thinking. In which case, I represent a thinking Jew moreso than “Jewish thinking.”
Now fuck off. I’ve had enough of your condescending bullshit in this thread. Go start fights elsewhere. You’re not swaying anybody here.
Comment by Walter Sobchak on 10/31 @ 10:48 pm #
So then, you’re saying this post wasn’t meant to say “the 80% of Jews who vote Democrat just aren’t smart like me”? Gimme a break. Climb down off your goddam high horse. Have fun with your straw-man moralizing once the right-wing Christians finally realize that their endtimes scenario doesn’t mean jack in the real world, and decide not to be so friendly toward Israel and the Jews in general. You’re entirely too trusting of their motivations.
Comment by Walter Sobchak on 10/31 @ 10:50 pm #
I’m being condescending?
Comment by Walter Sobchak on 10/31 @ 10:51 pm #
Why do you keep modifying your comment?
Comment by Jeff Goldstein on 10/31 @ 10:52 pm #
I think those Jews voting for Kerry are putzes. How that suggests to you that I’m acting like I represent Jewish thinking is beyond me.
Comment by Jeff Goldstein on 10/31 @ 10:55 pm #
Modifying? Well, I edited it to correct a few stylistic failings, but I hardly think I modified it in any important way.
Comment by Walter Sobchak on 10/31 @ 10:58 pm #
You kept adding stuff to it at the end. Whatever, never mind. That Krauthammer thing just really got to me for a minute there, and I’m really tired of the whole “liberal anti-Semitism” thing in general.
Comment by Jeff Goldstein on 10/31 @ 11:02 pm #
Yeah, well, I thought calling you “pig” was over the line, so I removed it. Benefit of having my own blog.
Comment by MarkO on 10/31 @ 11:07 pm #
It seems that Walter’s choosen form of political discourse derives from that great mind, little Jimmy Carville: “SPAWN OF SATAN. LIAR. WHORE.”
Obviously, he cannot defend the Kerry hate speech without attacking Jeff, I mean SPAWN OF SATAN.
It’s so last administration.
Comment by kelly on 10/31 @ 11:56 pm #
Well, gee, Walt, considering that the people who dominate industries such as media, entertainment, and financial are overwhelmingly Jewish I think their preferences regarding Israel are fairly apparent. They simply follow the European model.
Kerry would sell Israel out in a trine. The American Jews wouldn’t care–they’re too in thrall to the European (y’know, superior) mindset.
Here’s a little Halloween teaser: who was the most frequent foreign head of state (ugh) to the Clinton White House? Huh?
Comment by Daniel on 11/1 @ 12:24 am #
Since Wally won’t answer I will – I believe it was Yassir Ara-phat who visited Slick Willie more than anyone else.
Comment by Rightwingsparkle on 11/1 @ 12:31 am #
Wouldn’t it (or shouldn’t it) influence jewish voters to realize that every Arab jew hating organization out there is urging their voters to vote for Kerry?
Comment by Farmer Joe on 11/1 @ 1:28 am #
It’s interesting to note that the real “Walter Sobchak”, viz, the character in “The Big Lebowski” was a convert to Judaism who was obsessed with the trappings of the religion (“Shomer fuckin’ Shabbas!!”) without having any real understanding of it, and who couldn’t go a minute without bringing up Viet Nam.
Just sayin’.
Comment by kelly on 11/1 @ 3:10 am #
Righto, Daniel.
And it’s my fervent hope that Arafat dies a slow, excruciatingly painful death and slithers into hell. And that every effete liberal would look into the mirror and wonder how they ever thought this scumbag could ever be a part of a peace process.
Yeah, I know, as if…
Comment by Robin Roberts on 11/1 @ 3:26 am #
Walter slimed: “the fact that most right-wing support for Israel comes from the fervent belief that the re-establishment of Israel is a sign of the endtimes, during which the Savior returns and either converts or kills all the Jews…”
This is of course a rather despicable little slander and I thank Walter for confirming my impression of what a despicable bigot he is.
Comment by Donnah on 11/1 @ 3:57 am #
Mikey at least liked his cereal.
Comment by kelly on 11/1 @ 4:03 am #
Right on, Robin.
Utterly disgraceful. Bigotry on the cheap.
Comment by Walter Sobchak on 11/1 @ 4:16 am #
Really, Robin? This is the first entry that comes up on a Google search for “end times israel prophecy”. Figure it out for yourself.
By the way, all you [wonderfully insightful people whose respect I so clearly and desperately want]* who refer to me as a “bigot” need to take a pill. I’m not the one who invented the prophecy, and if you don’t want to see right-wing Christian Israelophilia for what it is, then that’s your prerogative. But it doesn’t make me a bigot in any way.
*edited by site administrator, because “Walter” is a dick who tries to goad me into banning him so that he can assume the role of tortured intellectual martyr.
But I prefer to keep him a dick in this instance.
Comment by Rightwingsparkle on 11/1 @ 4:28 am #
Oh dear, well if it comes up on a Google search then it MUST be what all Christians believe, right?
A bigot is exactly what you are Walter. Not to mention a foulmouth crude leftie.
Comment by Harry in Atlanta on 11/1 @ 6:00 am #
In order for Kerry to get into the good graces of the important Europeans he will have to bend over backward to support Arafat and step on Sharon’s neck.
If I were in the Israeli government and John Kerry wins the election as President I would advocate bombing the ever-loving shit out of Iran’s nuclear sites before Kerry was sworn in come January. I mean when I finished there would not be a stone larger than my pinky fingernail.
Comment by McGehee on 11/1 @ 1:42 pm #
In order for Kerry to get into the good graces of the important Europeans he will have to bend over backward to support Arafat and step on Sharon’s neck.
No, they want him (and America as a whole) to bend over forward. Kerry, of course, will be only too happy.
There wouldn’t “be anything wrong with that” if he stays a Senator—but if he becomes President…
Comment by El Jefe on 11/1 @ 1:48 pm #
P. J. O’Rourke
Comment by triticale on 11/1 @ 2:47 pm #
Walter’s equating of politicaly conservative Christians with pre-Millennialists is simplistic at best. The one Freeper I knew personally devoted most of her time before 9/11 trying to lead those who were awaiting the Rapture away from such error. The people I know who speak of End Times tend to be stolid Democrats.
Comment by Introspective on 11/1 @ 3:02 pm #
As a pro-war democrat, a hawkish american, and one who “woke up” to the dangers of the post-911 world, I for one am having a hard time with the israel issue.
I’ve always supported our israeli friends. Always took that support as something that is a given.
But if american jews continue to support the political party who would make americans less safe, while at the same time expecting their non-jewish countrymen like me to continue unwavring support for the israeli homeland, I think a reckoning is going to be due. If american jews cannot be bothered to vote for an administration that puts the safety of americans on a high level, I for one will think it high time to reevaluate my support of those american jews in their support of israel.
Comment by Robin Roberts on 11/1 @ 4:51 pm #
Walter, one of many signs of bigotry is a corrupted and incompetent logic. That some interpretations of Revelation lead to the idea that Israel’s existance is a part of the Christian apocalypse does not mean that this prophecy is an important belief to all “right wing” Christians. Nor does it mean that such interpretations are an important part of the connection some Christians feel toward Israel – other important issues are shared values, custodianship of the Holy Land and the general appreciation of an underdog.
The bottom line is that you are indeed a despicable bigot.
Comment by Aaron's Rantblog on 11/2 @ 8:44 am #
Introspective, I suggest you read my post today entitled Stay at Home Evangelicals to Blame if Kerry Wins. The Jewish vote SHOULDN’T MATTER if Christians voted right. Details at link.
I suspect anyone who says they’re pro-Israel and yet have been voting consistently Democrat since Dhimmi Carter was President.
Seems like you’ve got a chip on your shoulder and are just looking for any excuse to see it fall off. I may be wrong but that’s what it looks like from here.
The momentum is definitely moving toward the GOP and primary Jewish pundits are strongly pro-Bush.