That conundrum is on the same level as why blacks continue to vote Democrat.

For instance, 75% of black parents want school vouchers, and yet they continue to vote for Democrats who tell them to just sit tight, they will get the public schools fixed (while they send their own kids to private schools).

Go figure.

Choselife, I hope I can offer an explanation as to your Obama-voting Jewish friend.

1. Voting patterns:  Those of us who believe that Israel is more right than wrong in the current conflict are appreciative that Republcans are supporting Israel - and for very sound reasons too.  We would like to believe that support of Israel is based on ethics and geo-political strategy rather than hopes of a quid pro quo.  Yet there are those Republicans who complain that the Jews should be more grateful.  But the future of Israel is not the only issue at hand and there are Democrats who also support Israel. 

2.  It's a cultural thing. Secular gentiles often underestimate how much their world view has been colored by the prevailing Christian culture in this country, and many gentiles, especially those who don't associate with Jews on a regular basis, tend to think of us just like them, except we don't believe in Jesus (although I do).  Partly this is a result of the "Judeo-Christian meme"
which was propogated for political reasons and leads to misunderstandings about both religions.  Although Christianity has its roots in Judaism and both share similar texts, they developed in very different directions.  So if Republicans presume to know about what Jews believe and care about, they may come away short-changed.

3.  Judaism is the original social justice religion.  Jews stand out as the one ethnic group in America which keeps voting liberal as it grows more prosperous. Jews have made up a large percentage of the labor and socialist movements of the early 20th century, and their children became "Red-diaper babies": libertarians, feminists, ACLU members, experimental artists and their patrons. In the Jewish world 2 degrees of separation is more common than 6, so most "conservative" Republican-voting Jews have family affiliated with these groups and attitudes, and many are proud of their activism if not their exact views.

Indeed, Jews are very conscious and proud of the social justice part of our heritage, i.e., compassionate rules of war, tithing, respecting other religions, intellectual debate, raising children to value study, mandating pleasurable sex as a wife's right, and speaking truth to power.  

For some Jews  it is the only thing about our heritage they are proud of and they apply it to working for causes that are not necessarily in the best interest of Jews, but again, most of us who disagree with them will concede that the activism itself is "very Jewish".

4.  Republicans need to appeal to the Jews' desire to pursue justice and make the world a better place, rather than protect the status quo.  So, for example, if Republicans argue for free markets, it should be because free markets work best to make the world a fair and better place.

Republicans need to convince the Jews that they will maintain a separation of
religion and state. Many of us have personal memories of being forced
to pray Christian prayers and sing Christian songs in school, or
getting beaten up or ostracized for not doing so.  On the other hand, the former would get extremely upset when we were absent from school for our "Hebe Holidays"

There are extremely large swathes of the Republican religious right who still think we are "Christ-killers" and heathens and want to convert us, and then usher in the next millenium. When missionaries ring our doorbells, we don't think "Liberal".  We don't trust that "faith-based initiatives" will be impartial.  Many of us feel very strongly culturally Jewish without any desire to express our identity through religious activities. 

5.  In  conclusion,  Jews will vote for whichever group aligns with our deepest desires for a just compassionate society as well as lasting security for individual rights (including freedom of worship, assembly, conscience, speech, etc., which in turn will guarantee our survival as a distinct ethno-religious group). Is this part of the Republican agenda? You decide.

Speaking only for myself, I vote conservative.

Liberal: a power worshipper without power. George Orwell

I forgot about China. Since they have all of our money and I have read for the first time they are venturing forth on the high seas with their navy which they havent done since the 1500's to quash pirates around the Horn of Africa. I think they will be rattling their sabers too. They may like our money more than jingoism because they have been very quiet over the Taiwan question since they blew some missiles their way in some wargames practice (wink wink) several years ago. PS I like the term runocrats too. It sums up their strategy when faced with an armed threat. Their party's flag should be made from yellow and red cloth.

Change: When the winds of change blow hard enough, the most trivial of things can become deadly projectiles. From a Poster

Me too cl3x...

He's been the man for me long ago...as for a debate, nobody could hold a candle to him on either side of the aisle with maybe the exception of Cheney as far as I am concerned...that is exactly why he will never be chosen to be on any ticket.

They both say it exactly like it is, no matter the subject... they are both conservatives, we can't have that.

I have also posted Cheney/Bolton before too...hehehee...

"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh

Hey, BT.  I think that they ought to ban politicians from running for the presidency, the house or the senate.  Then we could get some real citizens to solve some problems.  'Course I wish Israel and the Palestinians would all just join hands and sing "Love, Love, Love".  That could happen, right? 

"The future is not set.  There is no fate but what we make for ourselves."

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