Sarah and the Jewish Voting Bloc

This is an interesting letter written in response to a Glenn Greenwald piece called “Another Myth Fallen: Obama’s “Jewish Problem”. Seems Palin’s negatives are not just skin deep. She has cost him an entire constituency.

My Jewish Spouse…

…had been worried about the elderly Jews in Florida. A lot of them were looking to support McCain in this election due to the fact that Obama has a Muslim middle name, Obama is black and McCain is believed to be more pro-Israel.

But a few weeks after Palin, that worry was gone. “There’s no way they’ll vote for McCain now. They realize who Palin is. Their kids and grandkids won’t let them vote for McCain. Their kids will make them watch youtube” (This was said before Sarah Silverman’s “Great Schlepp”).

The youtube videos of Palin in her church were all over the net. Palin talking about “how great it was gettin’ saved,” Palin getting a blessing from one of her pastors who asked God to watch over Palin as she is the governor of Alaska, a “refuge state” for the “lower 48” in the End Days. There was no mistaking his message – End Days are near and Alaska will be a “refuge” state not just because of its geographic location, but because of all the evangelicals who live there and who have prepped for the Rapture. And let’s not forget Palin’s evangelical witch doctor.

Then there’s Palin saying that creationism should be taught along with Darwin’s Theory of Evolution in science classes. Yeah, that’s what retired Jews in Miami want their grandchildren learning in public school, right? That creationism is valid scientific theory?

Palin constantly extols the unsullied virtues of smalltown America while insulting community activists and slick urban types. Smalltown America, says Palin, is the “real” America. Yeah, and how many older Jews come from small American towns? Very few. Most of those who retired to Florida are either urbanites who helped found the suburbs after WWII, or they are the first generation who grew up in postwar suburbs. They know what Palin means when she talks of “smalltown values” in the “real America.” She means white Christians. Not blacks. Not Latinos. Not recent immigrants. And not Jews. Especially those lib’rul Jews who run Hollywood and the banks and who were born and raised in Brooklyn and made sure their kids went to college – especially those “elite” colleges where the lib’rul Jews seem to make up the entire faculty!

So how does McCain look to them after the selection of Palin? Like a loser. An asinine, pandering loser whose ambition to be president overrides any sense of decency. Sure, there are diehard McCain fans among the retired Jewish folks in Florida who will vote for him. There has always been a high regard for McCain (especially among WWII and Korean War veterans, a surprising number of whom are still alive and voting) because of his POW history and because he seemed like someone who was not as partisan as his fellow partymates. But respecting McCain’s service to his country does not outweigh all of McCain’s negatives now. Especially his biggest negative — his smalltown, evangelical, xenophobic, intellectually lazy, uninformed, anti-science running mate who came out swinging at the GOP convention, snidely insulting anyone who doesn’t share her background and beliefs.

Good work, McCain. Nice way to alienate the older Jewish vote. I thank you for that.