Not just another Jewish vote: What politicians need to learn

Jewish World Review June 13, 2000 / 10 Sivan, 5760

New York senate hopeful Rick Lazio,
at Orthodox grassroots group Agudath Israel's
annual dinner

Not just another Jewish vote: What politicians need to learn

By Abba Cohen

http://www.jewishworldreview.com -- IN WASHINGTON, the election season has begun in earnest. Here, one can sense it far in advance. Not much legislative business gets transacted. Members of Congress are apprehensive about going home with a "record" that can be used against them by their November opponents. It is funny - and telling - that no one considers the possibility that the record might actually be one of achievement.

This does not mean that Congress is not busy. Indeed, its legislative plate is full. But which bills merit consideration during this short legislative calendar depends little on substance or need. Nor does it deter anyone if the legislation has no chance of passage or even if it faces certain veto. Rather, bills that have the distinction of reaching the House or Senate floor for a vote do so because of their "election value." The fundamental question for both Democratic and Republican leadership is: how can this legislation be used as a tool in the election?

What to some might seem an exercise in legislative futility, to others is actually an exercise in election utility. It is a sad irony.

In presidential election years one also encounters the sudden and desperate need to "connect." Candidate reaches out to community; community reaches out to candidate. We in Orthodox circles have seen our share and done our share. And that is fine. It is a mark of our "coming of age" politically and demonstrates recognition on the candidate's part that we have something to offer.

But what do we have to offer a candidate who comes courting? Like the larger Jewish community, we are highly politicized, aware of the issues, and prepared to express our support in tangible ways. And these assets are important to any candidate.

Candidates have come to realize that the Orthodox vote offers something unique. For decades, the Jewish vote has been one of the most predictable phenomena in American politics. Voting patterns have remained constant, showing little variance. It is this predictability that often causes the Jewish vote to either be taken for granted or dismissed entirely (though Jewish interest and involvement in a campaign are always welcome).

The wild card is the Orthodox vote. Its significance lies in the fact that, unlike other segments of the Jewish population, it is a "swing" vote. Traditional party allegiances and voting patterns are not as consistently detected in the Orthodox community. We tend to concentrate more on the candidate, not on the party. We also bring greater diversity to the scope of views Jewish groups have on the issues of the day.

All this results in a greater possibility for variation in our voting patterns and often puts our vote "up for grabs." It is not unusual for us to cross and recross party lines or split tickets. Nor have we hesitated to join nontraditional allies to advance positions popular in our community.

It is this lack of predictability -- better, this independence -- that makes the Orthodox vote valuable to -- and sought out by -- a presidential candidate and makes him or her realize that the few extra votes -- together with the other traditional blocs -- might indeed make some difference.

And there is something else about the Orthodox vote.

Each year, as our political culture deepens, our Washington work grows. With a legislative agenda spanning an extraordinarily wide range of domestic and international issues, it is no wonder that our political activism is seen and felt on many fronts. One of the greatest challenges we face as an organization and as a community is how we, under the leadership of the Council of Torah Sages, weigh the complex pros and cons of each issue, and weigh one issue against the other, through the prism of Torah values.

This process -- indeed, the way we think as Orthodox Jews -- is reflected in how we vote as well. Issues in which we are interested abound. Democrats and Republicans have worked with us cooperatively and in friendship. They come now "bearing gifts" and with support for legislation vital to us.

But, despite it all, the fundamental truth is this: the safety of world Jewry overrides everything.

Where Jewish souls are at stake; where there is danger; where security and wellbeing are threatened, no issue otherwise important to our community's interests is strong enough to outweigh our concern for those in danger --- whether they live in the Holy Land, Iran, the former Soviet Union or elsewhere. To us, it is a matter of life and death, striking at the very heart of our people and peoplehood. It is not "just another" issue to be thrown into the electoral mix. It is not "politics as usual." It stands alone.

I do not know if the same is true of the non-Orthodox vote --- though I would rather think it is. And I have never seen any statistics as to whether Americans of Irish, Italian, Serb or any other ancestry evaluate candidates in the same manner. But I do know it is true of the Orthodox Jewish community.

Presidential candidates who seek us out would be wise to learn this lesson.