Jews for Obama, or Not

According to Bernard Avishai in the October 2008 issue of Harper's, in an essay "Obama's Jews," when Obama took the Democratic nomination, he was ahead among Jewish voters 2 to 1. That isn't enough to win the presidency, especially Florida.

Jews are only 2% of the population, but 4% of the voters. Demographically Jews take the right to vote seriously. As a kid growing up, our family gathered around the television in the living room to watch the first presidential debates between JFK-Nixon. My father asked questions of my sister and me afterwards. Watching the debates every four years remains a family tradition, although who knows whether they will go forward tonight.

The problem is that back in 1968, Jews voted almost 5 to 1 for Hubert Humphrey. They were a block of votes that could be counted on to turn out and vote Democratic.

Jews still consider themselves progressive: polls show that 50% of Jews call themselves liberal or progressive, and only 21% consider themselves conservative.

Looking at Obama's message, it should resonate with Jews. It's an immigrant narrative, 70% of Jews rejected the idea of the Iraq war, and 70% of American Jews favor resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict by putting pressure on both sides. The right wing of the Jewish population is where Obama will not find support, and where those viral emails claiming he's a Muslim in disguise probably did some real damage. It's believed that those emails started in Jerusalem, and started for a reason.

That's the serious side of the Jews for Obama issue.

Sarah Silverman, the outrageous comedienne, has a video called "The Great Schlep." In it she makes the case to "schlep" to Florida to convince Nana, Zadda, Grandma, or Grandpa to vote for Obama. It's a hoot.

We need a hoot this morning.