Should Republicans be Worried?

Alexis Rice — May 7, 2009 – 11:17 am | Barack Obama | Democrats | Environment | Health Care | Israel | Republicans Comments (0) Add a comment

In an editorial published in the Forward this week, questions the future of the Republican Party and why the Jewish Community’s trend of supporting Democrats is just another sign of their shrinking base:

The stubborn, lingering affinity that American Jews have for the Democratic Party defies what passes for political scientific wisdom. Generally, the more accepted, educated and prosperous an immigrant group becomes in American society, the more likely its members are to shift rightward on the political spectrum. Yet in the last presidential election, only African Americans voted for Barack Obama in greater numbers than Jews.

This should worry national Republicans not because Jews, at less than 2% (and shrinking) of the American population, are game-changers. We’re not. It should worry them because it’s an indication of their inability to craft a political message that reaches those who, by at least some standards, ought to be receptive. And it’s a sign that the recent attempts by some Republicans to use Israel as a wedge issue — or a scare tactic, take your pick — don’t find much resonance. American Jews care deeply about Israel’s security and survival, but American Jews also care about this country’s economic and environmental health, its judicial values and its global reputation.

> Read the Editorial

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