I was going to call one of the smartest people I know, thewell-known Jewish Democratic Sen. Benjamin Cardin, of Maryland, to find out whythe Democrats suddenly hate the Jews.
But then I realized the question was too flippant to ask,even if President Donald Trump claims it’s true. In the wake of thispresident’s latest contribution to the American melting pot, he gives us wordsthat are not only historically ignorant but divisive and stupid as well.
“The Democrats have become an anti-Israel party and ananti-Jewish Party,” said this president.
This is the same president who found “good people” on bothsides of the battle in Charlottesville. He’s the same one who tweeted acampaign image of Hillary Clinton with the words, “Most Corrupt Candidate Ever”next to a Star of David. He’s the same one who … ah, you know the litany by now.
But it’s the Democrats who hate the Jews, huh?
So then I thought maybe I’d call some other Jewish Democratson Capitol Hill. There are plenty of them. There are 26 Jewish Democrats in theHouse of Representatives. There are two Jewish Republicans.
In the U.S. Senate, there are eight Jewish Democrats. Well,nine, if you count the nominally Independent Bernie Sanders. And no JewishRepublican senators, no matter how you count it.
Trump’s comments were prompted by the painful remarks ofRep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who, in the course of criticizing Israelipolicies pulled out some old, fraudulent stereotypes about Jews and money. Omaris a Democrat. In Trump’s telling, this makes her the new symbol of the entireDemocratic Party.
But Trump had one more crutch to lean on – the response toOmar’s remarks, which became a broad anti-hate resolution instead of a pointedcondemnation of Omar and anti-Semitism specifically. Every Democrat voted for theresolution. But 23 Republicans voted against this condemnation of bigotry, forreasons they will have to explain.
As for Jews and Democrats generally, let the record show thefollowing: You can go back to 1920 before you find a Republican candidatewinning the Jewish vote. In modern times, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Al Goreand John Kerry all won at least 69 percent of the Jewish vote. Hillary Clintonwon 71 percent, against Trump’s 24 percent.
And in the last mid-term election, just months ago, exit polls indicate Democratic candidates took 79 percent of the Jewish vote.
If the Democratic Party hates the Jews so much, why do the Jews keep voting for them? Is Donald Trump saying the Jews are stupid? Self-hating? Or is he just echoing his remarks on Charlottesville, that there are good people on both sides of the aisle – except for the Democrats?
A former Baltimore Sun columnist and WJZ-TV commentator, Michael Olesker is the author of six books. His most recent, “Front Stoops in the Fifties: Baltimore Legends Come of Age,” was reissued in paperback by the Johns Hopkins University Press.
At its annual meeting this year, the Baltimore Jewish Council will honor the late Harford County educator and longtime Holocaust education champion.
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