Do you think there is too much anti-semitism in this country for Bernie to be elected President?

[jillan]

I have seen it on DU - not going to call out posters, but it's there and this is a "liberal" forum.

I also read something once from a young rabbi saying he thought this.

I have watched the other campaign make subtle hints that he is an "other".... not as bad as they did to Barack tho.

What are your thoughts?
Could this be part of the problem Bernie has in certain areas of the country?

[artislife]

9. Spot on. nt

[TDale313]

2. I think it has an effect, yes. n/t

[LiberalElite]

3. I don't think DU is representative

of the country. Gore had Lieberman as v.p. and Lieberman was an observant orthodox Jew. Was there a lot of anti-semitism towards them? If there was I wasn't aware of it. I'm not saying it doesn't exist. It does. However, I do think the other campaign is repeating 2008 in numerous ways. How'd that work out for them?

[Fawke Em]

29. It was one reason why Gore lost his home state.

I should know. I'm a Tennessean.

Gore lost here as a result of the "he'll take your guns" bullshit and a heaping helping of anti-Semitic bigotry.

[LiberalElite]

35. ok I'm in NY and

maybe we're too close to Connecticut which was Lieberman's state.

[angstlessk]

4. Hell, I was for him before I found out he was Jewish

Hell, I don't care one way or another.

I recall when Kennedy was a candidate and it was all about how he would take advise from the Vatican..he didn't

[Jenny_92808]

20. I feel the way you do.

Well said!

[Gwhittey]

5. There was that one question in

Debate about "People say you are trying to hide your Jewish heritage" First I hate that Fucking People say shit. IMO it is a cop out question. But who are these people who are saying that? I never saw anything about that.

[dchill]

6. I just wish more people were prejudiced...

against habitual liars.

[angstlessk]

22. Okay, that was a trick

LOL

[dchill]

23. A trick...

and a treat!

[angstlessk]

25. Touche

Cannot figure how to put the tilde over the e?

[dchill]

28. Too shay!

[Fawke Em]

31. I don't think you'd use a tilde.

I think it's called an acute accent. A tilde is this: ~, right? (I took years of French, so we didn't use that one as much).

Anyway, to make the accent for é, use Alt + 0233

Touché

[angstlessk]

34. Thanks

for your advisé...must be on numeric keypad

[Scootaloo]

7. I think it's a factor

Jast night, Anderson Cooper tried to frame Bernie as both being "too Jewish' and "not Jewish enough."

The prevailing "Not Good Enough, Bernie!" meme isn't specifically antisemitic, but does have a basis of bigotry - Jews are among many ethnic groups who have a history of being treated as though they must work twice as hard to be considered half as good as a white person.

Even on some Democratic communities, people seem comfortable posting openly antisemitic propaganda and conspiracy theory agaisnt him.

Then of course the whole "Dual citizen with Israel" stuff that some still peddle...

and the dog-whistling of socialism - this one is harder to parse 'cause Sanders does lean Socialist. But omitting the "Democratic Socialism" and going straight for "socialism" (or calling him a Communist) definitely prick ears sensitive to dog whistles, as the idea oif Jews being a "fifth column" for communism is a overwhelmingly common trope among antisemites.

We can't blithely swan around pretending like it's not an issue, like our fellow democrats wouldn't ever "be like that." It's definitely there.

[jillan]

8. That question from AC is what made me think about this today. Esp when Hillary said she had

attended the same church as the woman asking the question.

I found the whole thing to be rather odd.

[Mbrow]

10. Oh hell no!

We elected BHO on the off chance that he would bring that hope and change thing, now we have the real deal. Yes we will have to fight to get him in office but it won't end there, we will need to elect help for him as well, make it plain the people of this country are tired of the bought and paid for politicians.......

[TIME TO PANIC]

11. It could be a factor in the bible belt.

[potone]

12. It is possible.

I find it hard to read. It seems that outright racists are more comfortable showing their bigotry than anti-Semites are. Perhaps that is because the evangelicals support Israel so strongly. But I bet it is a factor, I just don't have any idea how much of one. Have there been any polls asking people about their willingness to vote for a Jewish candidate? God, it make me feel dirty just to post that question.

[angstlessk]

24. The bible belt has already voted...trump for the repubs and hillary for the dems

What else is there?

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

13. We elected Barak Hussain Obama. Arabic organizations in Michigan

support the Brooklyn Jewish socialist guy from Vermont. Wonderful surprises do happen. They just require a lot of work.

[Impedimentus]

14. No

I think people who would vote for Bernie could care less about his being Jewish. Those who do wouldn't vote for him anyway because the don't like his policies.

[restorefreedom]

16. this exactly.

his supporters will not be swayed by that at all. Anyone who is would not likely be on board anyway

[Hydra]

15. It's hard to measure

Because racism and sexism are a bit easier to track than problems with creed.

I will tell you that atheists really take it on the chin, and someone here was trying to plaster Bernie with that the other day.

[farleftlib]

17. Not too much

but there is some. It's become obvious to me that more than a few of the people who call Bernie out for insignificant non-issues and make a huge deal out of them are the ones who are harboring the most virulent form of anti-Semitism. They're just too cowardly to admit it so they pretend he is the one with the problem.

[jillan]

18. That's what I think too. I think a lot of the stupid stuff has a little bit of this mixed in.

[Jenny_92808]

19. You know when someone is good by

the good work they do. Bernie has been doing good work for decades. Hillary on the other hand has not.

[merrily]

21. Please don't use DU as a measure of real life. He does better than Hillary in head to head polls wi

Republicans. That may not be a measure that can be taken to the bank, but it's all we have right now.

http://jackpineradicals.org/entry.php?209-Democratic-Primary-2016-Will-religious-bigotry-work-this-time

[Smarmie Doofus]

26. "Not necessarily." to the first question:

>>>Do you think there is too much anti-semitism in this country for Bernie to be elected President?>>>>

And...."Well, what do YOU think?" to the second:
>>>>Could this be part of the problem Bernie has in certain areas of the country?>>>

Of course it's "part of the problem" in certain areas of the county. Including.....but definitely not limited..... to my beloved "Hymietown".

[Fawke Em]

27. It might be why he's doing worse in the South.

Haven't given it much thought since I'm Southern, married to a secular Jew and know quite a few members of the Jewish community as a result, but it could be why he hasn't caught on down here like he has in the rest of the country.

As a white Christian (lapsed), I hear white Christians giving Judaism lip service, but its coupled with a bigoted view of actual Jews. The fundamentalists actually believe that the Jews will be slayed as non-believers after the Rapture, but, Heaven forbid (pun intended) that we dismiss Israel - the fundies NEED Israel to reach dominion so Christ will return.

Also, and I hate to point this out, but there has been an unfortunate history between Jewish people and the black community. I won't speak to it because I, honestly, don't know that much about it outside of some political anecdotes.

http://www.tikkun.org/nextgen/that-black-jewish-thing-whats-going-on

That said, I do find it encouraging that many in the Arab and Muslim communities (which includes many AAs) are endorsing Bernie (particularly in Michigan).

[jillan]

30. That really is inspiring that the Arab & Muslim communitties are supporting a Jewish man. :)

I hadn't thought of that before. It really is quite remarkable and something to be proud of.

That said I know one person that isn't voting for Bernie because he is Jewish - Mel Gibson

He was ranting about Jews controlling everything, he must be having nightmares about a Jew in the White house

[Fawke Em]

33. Yup - and Mel is a fundie nut.

My ex husband (my son's father) is a Jordanian-born Palestinian and he would vote for Bernie if he was a citizen (he's Green card), but his second wife is voting for him (and she's a converted Muslim). They live in the research triangle of North Carolina.

My husband, now, as I said, is a secular Jew. He voted for Bernie.

My Mom is a Catholic and she voted for Bernie.

If my Dad, a Southern Baptist, were still alive, I KNOW he'd be a Bernie fan. He was an engineer who lost jobs continuously after Reagan and then NAFTA kept sending his jobs overseas. I don't even question that even if he's no longer with us. Bernie would be right up his alley. He even voted for Ross Perot because he was a victim of the "giant sucking sound."

But, it is a testament that some of Bernie's biggest supporters are Keith Ellison and Tulsi Gabbard, a Muslim and a Hindu, respectively.

[Baobab]

32. Give me a break...

Is the Pope Jewish!