Milton Himmelfarb, essayist and thinker, once famously quipped that “Jews earn like Episcopalians, and vote like Puerto Ricans.” There is some truth to this, and that’s why it prompts a laugh even from liberals. But what is this about? As the midterm elections approach, it’s worth contemplating why a resounding majority of us vote Democrat,…
Jewish Democrats in New York City love Mayor Michael Bloomberg, but a plurality backed his strongest critic. Exit polls show that Jews rejected Bloomberg’s perceived successor in the recent primary election, joining instead with city Democrats to back Bill de Blasio, the candidate who assailed economic inequality as he railed against the three-term mayor. Jewish…
he economy was the strongest determinant for Jews who voted for Barack Obama, according to an analysis of polling data. “Not only do Jews hold fairly liberal to progressive positions on economic justice issues, their views on such matters emerge as the principal decision-making fulcrum in their choice for president, as well as for senators…
Each month, Forward editor-in-chief Jane Eisner hosts The Salon, a conversation with Rachel Sklar of Change the Ratio and other Jewish women about life, love, politics and everything in between. In the latest episode, Sisterhood contributor Sarah Seltzer discusses lessons from Hurricane Sandy; Amy Webb, author of “Data, A Love Story,” talks about how she…
It is a time-honored post-Election Day Jewish tradition. As in years past, Republicans and Democrats dove into the numbers Wednesday in hopes finding data confirming that they won the elections — or at least put up a good fight. For Republicans, any number indicating a Jewish shift toward their party is magnified; Democrats, on the…
American liberals are deservingly jubilant. Our standard-bearer has been reelected, liberal heroes such as Tammy Baldwin and Elizabeth Warren have won their elections, and marriage equality triumphed in all four states where it was on the ballot. And while Congress remains divided much as it was in the previous term, important trend lines show the…
President Barack Obama inherited an economy from George W. Bush — he also inherited a re-election strategy. When running for re-election on a record where the successes and disappointments of the first term of office did not easily merit a second, the Bush strategy was to double-down on core supporters, fire a missile into the…
Perhaps the great national achievement was not electing the first African American president. Perhaps the great national achievement was electing him again. The next four years — even the next four months — will present monumental governing challenges, especially in a Washington that, on the surface at least, looks remarkably as it did before the…
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