Jews and Democrats

[Samof94]

What makes it so most Jews are Democrats as a whole??? This is in spot of the GOP pandering to Israel, which is more of an evangelical issue.

[Alcibiades]

Well-educated, socially liberal, largely secular and concentrated in urban areas and the Northeast = mostly Democratic, regardless of ethnicity. Add in to that Jews’ ancestral connections to the Democrats going back to the New Deal, and you have a solidly Democratic group. Republicans’ pandering to Evangelicals is far more off-putting to most Jews than any support of Israel is attractive.

[TML]

Orthodox Jews lean Republican, while Reform/secular Jews lean Democratic.

[rhg2052]

Well-educated, socially liberal, largely secular and concentrated in urban areas and the Northeast = mostly Democratic, regardless of ethnicity. Add in to that Jews’ ancestral connections to the Democrats going back to the New Deal, and you have a solidly Democratic group. Republicans’ pandering to Evangelicals is far more off-putting to most Jews than any support of Israel is attractive.

This pretty much sums it up, but just to add a few more points:

Most American Jews are either very secular non-denominational and/or belong to the Reform denomination, which emphasizes shared culture, humanism, progressive values and ethics, and individuals choosing how to express their own faith over any kind of strict dogma, rituals, or even belief in God. Most of us have no personal connection to the nation of Israel besides the fact that they also happen to be Jewish, and maybe taking a trip there at some point. Many are in fact quite wary of them, seeing that how the Israeli government treats the people of Palestine runs contrary to the ethics that we are taught (not to derail this thread into an Israel/Palestine debate).

[Sol]

Orthodox Jews lean Republican, while Reform/secular Jews lean Democratic.

Though it's worth noting that many Orthodox Jews still vote for Democrats.

[King of Kensington]

They're highly educated and live in liberal metropolitan areas.  Something like two-thirds of American Jews identify with liberal streams of Judaism (mainly Reform, smaller number Reconstructionist) or are totally nonaffiliated/secular. 

Seems to me to me there's about a 30-35% ceiling for the GOP in its current incarnation.

[King of Kensington]

Democrat/lean Democrat

Orthodox  36%
Conservative  64%
Reform  77%
No denomination  75%

Republican/lean Republican

Orthodox  57%
Conservative  27%
Reform  17%
No denomination  15%

Ideology: Liberal

Orthodox  12%
Conservative  35%
Reform  58%
No denoination  58%

Ideology: Moderate

Orthodox  27%
Conservative  33%
Reform  29%
No denomination  26%

Ideology: Conservative

Orthodox  54%
Conservative  28%
Reform  13%
No denomination  13%

https://www.pewforum.org/2013/10/01/chapter-6-social-and-political-views/

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

interesting to see Conservatives largely split in 3 equal segments on ideological identification.

[King of Kensington]

Trump's Jewish vote seems to be holding up from the polls I've seen, which are suggesting 70-25 D. Which suggests he only had the hard-right of the community to begin with, and little to lose on the right flank. Orthodox Jews are sticking with him.  

[catographer]

Republican outreach to Jews is extremely ill-informed and counter-effective. Jewish Americans strongly support racial and social justice, and likewise support a two state solution and equal rights for Palestinians. GOP Israel rhetoric is very right wing and nationalistic, which turns Jews off a lot.

Source: I’m an American Jew, in a family of secular liberal American Jews.

[Hnv1]

Well, I know plenty of centrist Jews who are mild social conservatives who could have been R targets but they won't flip because of the religious right, or let's be more direct about it, Christian conservatives.
There is some primordial wariness from the "Christian Nation" talks

[TransfemmeGoreVidal]

Well, I know plenty of centrist Jews who are mild social conservatives who could have been R targets but they won't flip because of the religious right, or let's be more direct about it, Christian conservatives.
There is some primordial wariness from the "Christian Nation" talks

This, it's much deeper then a lot of other factors people consider. Like it is true many Jews are secular and well-educated but there's also many Jews who have had the same path over several generations of assimilating into whiteness that other white ethnic groups did yet are still outsiders in a way that Irish or Italians haven't been in a long time. Even a generation ago when the suburbs were far more Republican then they are now Jews were still far more likely to vote Democrat then their WASP or Catholic neighbors. I think that culturally because most Jewish families still have stories of having experienced anti-Semitism in recent history there's just an innate hostility to a political party that from the McCarthy era to the War on Terror to Trumpism has by and large been the home to nationalistic and racial hysteria because the feeling is always there that even if Jews aren't the target they sure as hell sound like people who have made Jews the target in history and that if things get worse that could easily change.

[King of Kensington]

Well, I know plenty of centrist Jews who are mild social conservatives who could have been R targets but they won't flip because of the religious right, or let's be more direct about it, Christian conservatives.
There is some primordial wariness from the "Christian Nation" talks

This, it's much deeper then a lot of other factors people consider. Like it is true many Jews are secular and well-educated but there's also many Jews who have had the same path over several generations of assimilating into whiteness that other white ethnic groups did yet are still outsiders in a way that Irish or Italians haven't been in a long time. Even a generation ago when the suburbs were far more Republican then they are now Jews were still far more likely to vote Democrat then their WASP or Catholic neighbors. I think that culturally because most Jewish families still have stories of having experienced anti-Semitism in recent history there's just an innate hostility to a political party that from the McCarthy era to the War on Terror to Trumpism has by and large been the home to nationalistic and racial hysteria because the feeling is always there that even if Jews aren't the target they sure as hell sound like people who have made Jews the target in history and that if things get worse that could easily change.

If anything the Jewish / non-Jewish gap has lessened in the suburbs as they've shifted in a more Democratic direction. 

[Samof94]

Well, I know plenty of centrist Jews who are mild social conservatives who could have been R targets but they won't flip because of the religious right, or let's be more direct about it, Christian conservatives.
There is some primordial wariness from the "Christian Nation" talks

Don’t some of them want to convert them to Christianity?

[TransfemmeGoreVidal]

Well, I know plenty of centrist Jews who are mild social conservatives who could have been R targets but they won't flip because of the religious right, or let's be more direct about it, Christian conservatives.
There is some primordial wariness from the "Christian Nation" talks

Don’t some of them want to convert them to Christianity?

The fact that someone is religious and holds socially conservative views doesn't mean they have any desire to convert to Christianity. Plenty of Jews, Muslims, Hindus, etc have similar views to conservative christians.

[ottermax]

Well, I know plenty of centrist Jews who are mild social conservatives who could have been R targets but they won't flip because of the religious right, or let's be more direct about it, Christian conservatives.
There is some primordial wariness from the "Christian Nation" talks

This, it's much deeper then a lot of other factors people consider. Like it is true many Jews are secular and well-educated but there's also many Jews who have had the same path over several generations of assimilating into whiteness that other white ethnic groups did yet are still outsiders in a way that Irish or Italians haven't been in a long time. Even a generation ago when the suburbs were far more Republican then they are now Jews were still far more likely to vote Democrat then their WASP or Catholic neighbors. I think that culturally because most Jewish families still have stories of having experienced anti-Semitism in recent history there's just an innate hostility to a political party that from the McCarthy era to the War on Terror to Trumpism has by and large been the home to nationalistic and racial hysteria because the feeling is always there that even if Jews aren't the target they sure as hell sound like people who have made Jews the target in history and that if things get worse that could easily change.

If anything the Jewish / non-Jewish gap has lessened in the suburbs as they've shifted in a more Democratic direction. 

I think this is interesting to observe in the United States. Most of my Jewish family are in the Toronto area where Conservative parties have succeeded in making them a more loyal constituency or swing vote. Meanwhile in most Jewish suburban communities in the Northeast and elsewhere Jews were usually the bulk of the Democratic party (as often seen in who gets elected), but now the suburbs have joined Jewish voters in nearing their level of Democratic support in places like Westchester. Even growing up in suburban Seattle Jews formed the backbone of suburban Democratic party apparatus despite the small population - but once Obama was elected suddenly everyone else had joined the Democrats. Interestingly Jews are still the ones often running for office as seen by Kim Schrier - representing a largely non-Jewish district herself among many other examples from 2018.

[RINO Tom]

Well-educated, socially liberal, largely secular and concentrated in urban areas and the Northeast = mostly Democratic, regardless of ethnicity. Add in to that Jews’ ancestral connections to the Democrats going back to the New Deal, and you have a solidly Democratic group. Republicans’ pandering to Evangelicals is far more off-putting to most Jews than any support of Israel is attractive.

And even further back!

1916: Wilson, 55-45% (7% more Democratic than the nation)
1920: Harding, 43-38-19%, with the 38% being a Socialist (and evidently taking nearly all of those votes from usually Democratic Jews, if we look at the Hughes-to-Harding changes)
1924: Davis, 51-27% (49% more Democratic than the nation, by margin!)
1928: Smith, 72-28% (61% more Democratic than the nation, by margin!)

[Samof94]

Well, I know plenty of centrist Jews who are mild social conservatives who could have been R targets but they won't flip because of the religious right, or let's be more direct about it, Christian conservatives.
There is some primordial wariness from the "Christian Nation" talks

Don’t some of them want to convert them to Christianity?

The fact that someone is religious and holds socially conservative views doesn't mean they have any desire to convert to Christianity. Plenty of Jews, Muslims, Hindus, etc have similar views to conservative christians.

Obviously. I was referring to evangelicals who want to turn Jews into Christians.

[Torie]

I wonder these days if you adjust for other factors (e.g., education, secularism, urban, region) just how distinctive Jews are from other voters, at least white voters.

[King of Kensington]

A lot less than in the past I suspect.

At this point (non-Orthodox) Jewish Democratic voting is as much about integration (into professional class liberalism) as it is about being "outsiders" in American society.

[RINO Tom]

I wonder these days if you adjust for other factors (e.g., education, secularism, urban, region) just how distinctive Jews are from other voters, at least white voters.

I mean, the only one I think would "explain" it is geography.

[MargieCat]

My religion is Reform Judaism. A plurality of American Jews are reform, unlike our Israeli counterparts.

Being secular, we also tend to be more socially liberal.

People that are socially liberal tend to be drawn into the Democratic party. It's really that simple.

We also tend to be highly educated and have the critical thinking skills that prevent us from falling for the GOP fearmongering.

[King of Kensington]

AP Votecast:

Massachusetts  85-14
California  82-17
Maryland  78-21
Illinois  75-22
Pennsylvania  73-24
New Jersey  72-27
New York  58-42
Florida  56-43

I suspsected that there was a significant difference between states, but there's little hard data for that.  Not surprising to see California and Massachusetts having more progressive voting patterns, and NY Jews more conservative.

[Tekken_Guy]

From what I understand, Jews who speak Hebrew and have ties to Israel really like Trump. The ones whose ancestors came from Europe between the early 20th century and the Holocaust are strongly Democratic.

[Horus]

From what I understand, Jews who speak Hebrew and have ties to Israel really like Trump. The ones whose ancestors came from Europe between the early 20th century and the Holocaust are strongly Democratic.

Basically a tl;dr version but accurate