An encouraging turnaround

One of the persistent questions of our time has been why American Jews have tended to identify as Freedom-Haters.   Norman Podhoretz even wrote a book about it.

The trend appears to be reversing:

The exodus of Jewish Americans from the Democratic Party continued in 2014, with only 61 percent of Jews identifying with the party last year, according to a new poll released Tuesday by Gallup.

Sixty-one percent may seem high, compared to 31 percent of the general public who identify as Democrats, but that’s a 3 percent dip from 2013, and a huge drop from 2008, when 71 percent of Jews said they were Democrats.

The Democrats’ loss is the GOP’s gain. In 2014, 29 percent of Jews said they were Republicans, up 1 percent from 2013 and a 7 percent rise from 2008.

The changing attitudes of Jews don’t simply reflect shifts in the American electorate since 2008, as their shift towards Republicans and away from Democrats substantially outpaces any movements by America at large.

The shift of American Jews away from Democrats has continued steadily throughout President Obama’s presidency, with a brief interruption during his successful 2012 reelection campaign. Many attribute this shift to the president’s relationship with Israel, which has often been more contentious than that of his predecessors.

The degree of spiritual seriousness appears to be a factor:

Unsurprisingly, male Jews and those who identify as highly religious are more likely to support Republicans. In fact, highly religious Jews are on the verge of becoming a Republican demographic, with 42 percent of them favoring the GOP while only 46 percent identify as Democrats.

After six years of overt contempt from the Most Equal Comrade, this isn't the biggest of surprises.