Jewish Partisanship and Voting Patterns

The Jewish vote has been a sought after political property for many years. Jews view themselves as political activists and are very involved in the political process. Even though they only make up about 4 percent of the electorate, they vote with their pocket books before election day, and vote in reliable numbers on election day, with as much as 80 percent of eligible Jewish voters turning out to vote. Jews are also geographically concentrated and happen to live in many key swing states. In any close election where money and votes are important, a small amount of Jews can make a very large difference.

Over the years, Jewish partisanship has reflected the shift in party ideologies. Jews have long been progressives and beginning in the 1860s until the 1930s, this was a critical component of Republican ideology. Abraham Lincoln was an American hero for preserving the Union and ending slavery, but he was also a hero to the Jews for overturning General Ulysses S. Grant’s order no. 11, which directed that all Jews conducting business as peddlers or merchants in the Tennessee River Valley be removed from that area. President Lincoln denounced the order for being in direct conflict with the principles of the nation and demanded that it be rescinded. This began a relationship between the Jewish people and the Republican Party that would last for over half a century.

As Franklyn Delano Roosevelt and the Democratic Party established themselves at the forefront of the progressive movement, they won over the support of the Jewish community. Roosevelt was a hero to the Jewish people for transforming the nation’s economy, and for mobilizing the nation against Nazi Germany. They were inspired by his progressive views towards the government’s role in its citizen’s lives and in the economy. While the Depression formalized the Jews position, it was not the lone contributor to the redistribution of Jewish support. President Woodrow Wilson played a large role in the redistribution as he captivated American Jewry by endorsing the Balfour Declaration and Zionist claims in Palestine, condemned anti-Semitism both domestic and abroad, and appointed the first Jew, Louis Brandeis, to the supreme court. Wilson’s quest to create the League of Nations also represented the kind of progressive thinking that the Jews are attracted by. Between 1928 and 1948 Democratic presidential candidates won atleast 75 percent of the Jewish vote and over the years the Jewish people have remained steadfast in their overwhelming support for the Democrats.

Understanding Jew’s tendencies towards liberalism is they key to understanding Jewish political trends. One explanation for Jewish liberalism is that the ideas of liberalism resonate with Jewish religious teachings. Judaism’s messianic principles involve a world moving toward democratic and universal ideals and are seen as being aligned with progressive political interests.

Another view is that Jews have a natural alignment with liberal institutions of the general society because of their belief in self-advocacy. Persecution against the Jews has taught them that they must take care of themselves, and one way of doing this is through political advocacy. Communal vigilance has kept the Jewish people strong and it is possible that Jews identify themselves as liberals because they see a shared relationship between themselves and groups like the labor movement, women’s organizations, and other socially progressive groups.

Over the past few years, Jewish support for the Democrats has been decreasing. A majority of Jews still support the Democratic Party, but just not in the overwhelming numbers that they once did. This has been caused by a couple factors. One reason is that the Orthodox community has become decidedly Republican. Also, non-practicing Jews have begun to lean towards the Republicans, and kids aren’t as likely to feel the allegiance to the Democratic Party that their parents do. The main factor is the strong support that George Bush and the Republicans have shown for Israel, a key Jewish issue. Bush has been a great friend to the Jewish state and as a result he has received higher Jewish electoral support than any Republican president since Ronald Reagan. However, the Democrats also recognize the need for a strong relationship with Israel, and the small defection of Jews to the Republican Party might be candidate specific.

As the battle for the Jewish vote continues, the Jewish community will continue to support the Democratic Party, just not in the overwhelming numbers they once did.

For Further Reading:
Windmueller, Steven. "Are American Jews Becoming Republican? Insights into Jewish political Behavior." Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Dec. 2003.