Why Jews Should Vote Republican

One of the most talked about issues surrounding the Presidential election four years ago was how many votes President Bush would receive from the Jewish community.

Considering that Jews make up less than 3% of the American population, on the surface, the question seems irrelevant. Furthermore, the last a Republican candidate received as much as 40% of the Jewish vote was in 1920 – 76 years ago!

There is a simple reason why Jews have historically voted Democrat. Jews have felt the sting of racism, anti-Semitism and social injustices that have plagued all minorities. Like blacks, the Jewish people have felt the pain of slavery and other civil-rights abuses.

According to the Jerusalem Center of Public Affairs:

“Since Jews had lived under regimes that were defined as autocratic, it was natural for this community of immigrants to embrace liberal political values and to even experiment with socialist ideas. As a result, the Democratic Party and other liberal and even left-oriented political expressions became the avenue of affiliation for many of these new Americans.”

Another likely cause was due to many Jewish immigrants’ embrace of assimilation. While some held on to their religious affiliations, many new Americans dismissed their faith as an unwanted tie to the “old country”. While reducing their commitment to their faith, they filled the void with liberalism and humanism. No longer was G-d the ultimate authority. In His place, secularism became the deity.

To this day, the strongest advocates for secularism and separation of Church and State have been Jews.

However, the time has long since come for the Jewish community to reconsider their blind faith in the Democratic Party.

After World War II, and the founding of the State of Israel, Jewish loyalty to the United States was often questioned. For many anti-Semites, the fact Israel was a free and independent country simply meant nothing and Jews were looked at as un-Patriotic for their dual support of both Israel and America. In order to prove their allegiance to the USA, most Jews shunned their outward Jewishness and openly embraced their secularism even more dramatically.

In the 1970’s, President Richard Nixon was considered a “great friend” of Israel. While later discovered to be an ardent anti-Semite, his concern of the State of Israel was just. His military support of the Jewish state during the Yom Kippur War help Israel overcome her initial losses and assisted her victory in 1973. But even with all he did for Israel, he never received more than 35% of the Jewish vote.

Ronald Reagan was also considered a great President for the Jews. Yet he never garnered more than 39%.

Since being elected in 2000, President George Bush has perhaps been the most “pro-Israel” President ever. His approach to the Arab-Israeli situation has been a breath of fresh air. Consistently, he has sided with Israel in all disputes with her Arab neighbors, defended Israel against increasingly unfair “World opinion” and has made clear he understands the history and reality of the conflict. In fact, Bush has been the first American leader who has acknowledged the Arab goal of Israel’s annihilation.

And yet in the 2004 election, only 24% of American Jews voted for him.

This poses an interesting question. Why?

With the remarkable support the Republicans have given to Israel, why do Jews continue to vote Democrat?

Of course, what should be noted here is the current state of the Democrats. At one point, not very long ago, Senator Joe Lieberman was the standard bearer of the Democratic Party. Not only was he the Vice-Presidential nominee, but as a somewhat observant Jew, Lieberman was focal point and example of the relationship between Jews and the Democrats.

But something happened to change that. On September 11, 2001, America was attacked by the same Islamofacist terrorists that had been attacking Israel since the day of her founding. While 9/11 wasn’t the first attack by Arab fanatics, it marked the first time that a successful attack took place on American soil. Suddenly, in just one morning, the country realized that we were no longer safe. Where we used to feel it couldn’t happen “over here”, we now knew it not only could, but did.

Because of the attacks, many people began to understand what Israel had been living with for the last 60 years. It was an eye-opening experience for many Americans. However, in the aftermath of 9/11, the Democratic Party faced a huge dilemma. While supporting the Republican administration during this time was seen as vital for America’s best interests, politically, it was suicidal. When President Bush declared that it’s better to fight them there, then to wait for them to come here, opposition meant that you were painted as weak on national security – and rightfully so.

Because of this conundrum, in order to differentiate themselves from the Republicans, many Democrats embraced the far-left side of the political spectrum. Instead of “putting the nation” first, many Democrats seized the opportunity to play politics instead, thereby splitting an already-weakened Democratic Party.

This all culminated with the re-election of President Bush, and the wider gap in the number of congressional and senate seats.

In addition, the loss so overwhelmed the Democratic Party, they began to move farther left. In doing so, they began to embrace organizations and people who have long been considered radical in American society. People like Reverend Al Sharpton, Michael Moore, Cynthia McKinney and numerous academics, who for many years were considered “fringe” liberals, began to be looked at and admired as mainstream. Suddenly, those liberals who had been known for their ardent anti-Semitism were given podiums to spout their leftist, anti-establishment, anti-American, and anti-Semitic opinions.

Suddenly, Joe Lieberman was no longer the conscience of the party – he was the outcast.

In place, we have politicians like Congressmen John Conyers, whose mock anti-Bush hearing featured anti-Semitic speeches and literature, and John Dingell, who refuses to take sides between an organization that hides behind women and children and a democratic government who sacrifices their own in order to avoid killing innocents.

While the Democrats continue to demonize blacks, Jews and every other minority group, the Republicans were the first to appoint a black person as Secretary of State, having now done it twice, a Hispanic Attorney General and the first to openly suggest that maybe, just maybe, the Palestinians should be held responsible for their actions.

On the other hand, Democrats have Howard Dean make a fool of himself in order to be “more-Jew-loving” than the Republicans.

Since 9/11, most orthodox Jews (roughly 10% of the Jewish population) have thrown their support to President Bush. As a group, the orthodox have always had an extremely strong tie to the State of Israel. This connection is based on G-d’s promise to the Jewish nation that Israel is their gift and their home.

However, even when President Bush announced his support for a “two-state” solution, orthodox Jews continued to support him. Why? Because they understand that America is fighting the same enemy. It is precisely that “Israel” connection that binds the two together.

However, in the secular Jewish world, while still somewhat attached to Israel – at least historically – that tie is not as critical. Secular Jews, like many of the immigrants before them, consider themselves secularists and humanist’s first, and Jewish second. While orthodox Jews consider themselves lucky to live in America, secular Jews don’t recognize that feeling. Being Jewish is not what they are. Sure they eat matzo at the Seder and of course, they laugh at Woody Allen, but that’s about as connected as they get.

The shame is that what these secular Jews don’t understand is history. In 1942, the Nazi’s didn’t care if you considered yourself a Rabbi or an Atheist; you were put to death for just being a Jew. The same holds true today. Liberals care less how Jewish you are, as long as you vote for them. Unfortunately, that’s the litmus test for Democrats. If you vote for them, you’re worthy. If not, you’re a racist.

In there quest to be everything for everyone, the Democrats have become nothing for no one. In their own warped sense of morality, they have become the very thing they promised to fight. Instead of battling the demons of anti-Semitism and fascism, they have embraced it in the name of victimhood and politics.

Until the Democratic Party reverts to its causes of justice and truth, it would be a mistake for any Jew, orthodox or not, to support such a lost cause.