Nov 1, 2012
I read with interest your articles about the vote in Cuyahoga County, Ohio and the Jewish vote. Not only have I read these in their original formats in the New York Times and the other publications mentioned, but I also heard Roger Cohen speak at Park Synagogue in Cleveland this past Saturday. He was much more circumspect in person than in his article. You are correct in suggesting the Jewish vote is fluid. The majority of Jews in Ohio will support Obama but there are also Independents (neither Democrats nor Republicans), with strong connections to Israel, who won’t support him.
We don’t outwardly identify ourselves with the conservative side for fear that our friends would act like we’ve taken leave of our senses. However, we know we are not alone and can honestly state that there are more of us than Roger Cohen and the Democrats want to acknowledge.
I asked a friend who is a life-long Democrat: "If the Democrats ran a yellow dog for president, would you vote for him?" The answer is he most certainly would. Many Jews have strong feelings for Israel but they are able to rationalize their non-support for Romney by citing social values as their primary allegiance.
Carole Faiman