Jews for Obama?

If you're a Jew with Internet access, by now you've probably seen Sarah Silverman's video thegreatschlep.com. Sponsored by JewsVote.org, a project of the Jewish Council for Education & Research, the video encourages young Jewish people to make a trip to Florida before the 2008 presidential election to encourage their grandparents to vote for Barack Obama.

From the JewsVote.org website:

The goal of JewsVote.org is to find out what is unsettling so many people in our community, those friends and family who have typically supported the more progressive candidate for president, and to convey to them why we are so excited about the possibility of an Obama presidency.

Jews are generally regarded as a pretty Democratic bunch. Sarah Silverman describes us as "the most liberal, scrappy, civil rightsy people there are," and Woody Allen calls us "New York, Jewish, left-wing, liberal, intellectual, Central Park West, Brandeis University, the socialist summer camps and the father with the Ben Shahn drawings."

Yet the Jewish vote for Barack Obama is not a forgone conclusion.

Our social values are aligned with the Democrats. We're militantly pro-women, minorities and gays. We show up for even the rallies no one cares about. Again, to quote Woody Allen, "I can't enjoy anything unless everybody is. If one guy is starving someplace, that puts a crimp in my evening."

Yet the one issue that surpasses even those that center around civil liberties is the continued existence of the state of Israel.

In her video, Silverman says, "Barack Obama's foreign policy is much more stabilizing than John McCain's and much better for Israel." But the reality is McCain has a 25-year pro-Israel voting record and Obama has only two years of Senate experience.

We're optimistic that when Obama says he wants to talk to Arab leaders, some of whom have been candidly anti-Israel, he has Israel's best interest in mind. We hope that he sees Israel as "the only true ally of America in the region, a fellow democracy and a Western nation," as Ed Lasky does in The American Thinker. We're encouraged that Obama's Muslim lineage might make him more relatable to the Arab countries than our gun-toting, cowboy hat wearing, yahoo current president. But Obama's foreign policy record has yet to be tested, and as liberal and civil rightsy as we Jews are, we don't have the luxury of not being single-issue voters.

Jewish voters want to get behind Obama. He represents so much of what we stand for and cherish as Americans. We just need to know that he is behind us.

Comments

[mindkind]

I have a soul searching question for all Jewish voters thinking of voting for McCain: have you ever voted Republican before?
If that is you, and the answer is no, then watch this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylav7dY7SJQ
Teri Szucs

[mindkind]

The Jewish vote; Holocaust survirvor supports Barack Obama
My father, Louis, has a message for all Jewish voters about why they should supports Barack Obama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylav7dY7SJQ

[parvo63]

Michelle:

I'm Jewish. I'm secular. I have Master's degree. I'm divorced. I have 4 kids. One of them serves in the IDF. I'm a man of common sense.
I vote for McCain.

[mindkind]

Have you ever voted Republican before?

[UrbanInterloper]

I'm not sure to whom you're referring when you say "we," but contrary to your unsubstantiated assertions, the fact is that Jewish-American vote for Obama is indeed "pretty much a forgone conclusion." According to all substantiated reporting, including a major national poll of Jewish American opinion conducted in July, Obama has a huge lead among American Jews (62% support him vs. 32% for McCain).

Here are other key findings from that poll:

- Obama's support ranges between 56% and 70% for all denominations but Orthodox, which are 77% for McCain. So if Obama has to win over any American Jews, it's just the Orthodox ones.

- If American Jews are "single issue" voters, their issue is the economy--55% rank it their top issue--not Israel. Israel was ranked only 7th in importance, at 8%, behind Iraq, national security, health care, the environment, and other things.

- 61% believe that Bush's presidency and Iraq misadventure has made Israel less secure.

- 69% of Jewish Americans support diplomacy with Iran, not military action.

- 78% reject alliances with Christian Zionists a la Rev. Hagee who claim to support Israel as part of their own end-times theology. (And Gov. Palin's churches are steeped in it.)

Don't take my word. Download the powerpoint to see for yourself:

http://www.jstreet.org/page/media-advisory-new-survey-american-jewish-community

Perhaps Obama does need to win over more Jewish Floridians - but if so, they represent an exception to Jewish American opinion.

[dsbsh]

I posted a couple of months ago on this issue, stating that the Jewish vote would most likely end up in the neighborhood of 70% for Obama. That's pretty much where we are now: http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/20/new_poll_jewish_vote_for_obama/

This is a non-story, except to say that once again, GOP efforts to dumb down the Jewish vote into "we support Israel" doesn't work.

[Thembi]

Great article. THANK YOU for schleppin'!

[officewag]

Courting the Jewish vote is numerically like courting the Mormon vote. Better for Obama to go after the Hispanics? Many just suppose that Israel would prefer the old guard, military establishment of which McCain, with all his stance of being a 'maverick' certainly represents.
This link is to a video produced by Israelis4Obama (yes, they do exist). Have a look
http://israelitybites.blogspot.com/2008/09/israelis4obama-message-for-high.html

[laurinek]

I cannot imagine why Jewish people would prefer a Palin in the White House. There is alot more to supporting Israel than just supporting its existence. LIke a new foreign policy that stresses diplomacy and peace while still being aware of the dangers

[hellakali]

hes gone out of his way to prove it...what else can he do? Promise NOT to speak to enemy leaders to prevent mishaps? i think Obama is doing everything right when it comes to Israel and being open to negotiating with our enemies at an attempt to prevent wars.

What I don't get is how everyone is saying "I need to get this and that from him" when all my life..he is the first president I CAN RELATE TOO...so being that for the last 12 years I have voted for men that I wasn't 100% sure of..its your turn. This is crazy too me.

Only reason so many have all these expectations is because he has been the only candidate to try to accomidate everyone. That alone, should speak for itself...but I guess you need more..right?

*smh*

[Insearchoftruth]

Voting for Obama is a big step for a lot of ethnic groups. I feel your anxiety. The good news is that this is a democracy and not a dictatorship. Think about all of the people and institutions that would need to be manipulated to cause the smallest degree of harm to Israel. Israel's friendship with America may be expressed by the POTUS but it is not determined by the POTUS. One man will never have that much power in this country. Good luck and be sure to vote.

[MPeter]

This is what Obama has been saying for nearly two years. Even during his tour to the Middle East, he took time to assure the leaders of Israel that America is and will always be an ally. An Obama Administration would not go back on that. McCain will not finish his first term. It is all in the Medical Records he is hiding. Can we afford Palin?

[sssteverrr]

Why in gods name do Jews not have the luxury of not being single issue voters. If you would vote for a candidate who would continue the destruction of America because Obama's stated Israeli policies are not tested then you are an Israeli, not an American. A MCCAIN PRESIDENCY PUTS AMERICA AT RISK, AN OBAMA PRESIDENCY PROTECTS ISRAEL AND HELPS STRENGTHEN ITS MOST IMPORTANT PROTECTOR: US!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!. DON'T BE SO FOOLISH.