Our Readers Speak: Political Attitudes
OUR READERS SPEAK: POLITICAL ATTITUDES Last month, Newsweek ran a cover story on the rightward movement of Americans. Among other things, the story mentioned the conservative trend in the Jewish...
...In the last election, 70 percent of this group voted for Carter...
...Our "conservatives" favor liberalized abortion laws by a vote of 83 percent to 13 percent...
...21204, Irene Slater, 2 Hammond Pond Parkway, Chestnut Hill, MA 02167, Nathan Mil-ikowsky, 2150 Chapel St., New Haven, Conn 06515, Daniel Mihkowsky, 2150 Chapel St , New Haven, Conn...
...2) Returns from News Agents...
...10023, Dorot, Inc., 55 Chapel St , Newton, Mass...
...A modern-day Moses would have thrown stone tablets of the Constitution directly at them...
...F Copies Not Distributed' (1) Office Use, Left-Over, Unaccounted, Spoiled After Printing, Average No...
...Average No...
...Managing Editor: Carol Kur, 55 Chapel Street, Newton, Mass 02160...
...02160...
...Similarly—albeit on a very different issue—the recent episode of the Nazi marching permit in Skokie has evidently caused a shift in traditional liberal support for unfettered free speech...
...yes-86.5% no-11% other-2.5% 7. Do you favor significant reductions in American military expenditures...
...As the world has proven and proves today—we can only expect real help from "our own kind...
...Cedar Rapids, la...
...And, in fact, we can measure the matter by examining the relationship between reported personal change and political self-description...
...How did you vote in the following elections: 1976: Carter-73.7% 1972: Nixon-28.1% 1968: Nixon-12.4% Ford-19.9% McGovern-61.3% Humphrey-69.6% didn't vote-4.3% didn't vote-7.1% didn't vote-7.4% too young-2.1% too young-3.5% too young-10.6% 11...
...But four out of five report communal change, and, of these, eight out of nine see the change as conservative...
...Conservative...
...Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date, 16,104...
...There are many Jews who, when they attain higher economic levels, tend to want to conserve it by switching political parties...
...We should take stock of this and learn to "do for Jews"—the old and the sick and the poor and not to worry about other minority groups who can't wait to stab us in the back...
...of these, three out of four report change in a more conservative direction...
...yes-41.8% no-41.1% other-17% 8. Should Nazi groups in this country be granted permits to parade in Jewish neighborhoods...
...Ten years ago, it was commonplace for liberals to support a reduction in military expenditures...
...Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date, 2,000...
...Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date, 22,440 B. Paid Circulation (I) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors and Counter Sales: Average No Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months: 2,100...
...06515, Richard Harman, 146 Central Park West, New York...
...4. Location of Known Office of Publication...
...So it would appear that if there is a trend towards conservatism in the Jewish community, that trend might more accurately be identified as one towards a more moderate liberalism...
...Newton, Massachusetts 02160...
...Extent and Nature of Circulation A. Total No...
...What is bad for America can never ultimately be good for Israel...
...Herewith, a sample: I believe the general tenor of the country, as of Jews, is not more conservative but more thoughtful, less apt to be carried away by slogans, more critical of so-called liberalism, less apt to trade intrinsic American 1. In your opinion, has the Jewish community become more liberal, or more conservative, or stayed about the same over the past ten years or so...
...02160...
...the government is doing too much-27% the government is doing too little-36.5% the government is doing just enough-30.5% other-6% 4. How do you feel about the Carter human rights initiative...
...Leonard Fein, 55 Chapel Street, Newton, Mass...
...Average No...
...It is tragic that Jewish values have been almost exclusively self-centered in their programmatic expression...
...The American political system expects and depends on this in order to strike equitable compromises...
...Fifty-eight percent of our "new" conservatives regard themselves as Democrats...
...Among other things, the story mentioned the conservative trend in the Jewish community...
...Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date: 1,800...
...It is common knowledge that the organized Jewish community has little interest or patience in urban issues that do not directly impact on the welfare of Jews...
...Do you regard yourself as a: Democrat-58.9% Republican-9.6% Independent-30.1 % other-1.4% values for other isms...
...Minneapolis, Minn...
...If we add the very liberal to the liberal, and the very conservative to the conservative, the liberals outnumber the conservatives 55 percent to 15 percent...
...7 Owner...
...I feel that to some extent, success is spoiling American Jewry...
...Lehigh Valley, Pa...
...Almost all humane programs have merit—but why can they not be engineered better...
...But seriously, in this time of resurgent anti-Jewish sentiment, it frightens me to hear of liberal groups, often led by Jewish people, "doing good" yet stepping on so many people's toes...
...very liberal-10.3% liberal-44.7% conservative-12.8% very conservative-2.5% middle of the road-27% other-2.8% 10...
...As always, it is the comments rather than the statistics that offer the most illumination...
...02160...
...We regard ourselves as consistent liberals precisely because, among other reasons, we oppose government and university policies which either sanction or require racial discrimination...
...We hold no special brief for the specific questions we included in our poll, but at least some of them seem to us reasonable measures of what generally passes for the liberal-conservative dichotomy...
...2) Mail Subscriptions-Average No Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 16,631...
...It amazes me to see the Jewish people, who should be the first to support any oppressed people and to oppose any oppressor, rushing to support Nixon and justify his repressions...
...Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date, 4,136...
...When I can no longer walk to shul on a Shabbat eve through our mixed neighborhood and I see the decline of our school system I feel myself saying and thinking ideas that 10 years ago I would have considered bigoted...
...21204...
...Miami, Fla...
...At best, they provide interesting and suggestive hypotheses regarding the nature of Jewish political perspectives...
...of Copies Printed: Average No...
...Two of every three respondents report personal change...
...Our own poll of moment's readers suggests that the story of changing political attitudes among Jews is rather more complex...
...more liberal-8.5% more conservative-73.8% about the same-16.7% other-1.1% 2. How about you personally...
...I used to be a "knee-jerk" liberal...
...Flint, Mich...
...Others would no doubt label this a "conservative" or "reactionary" position...
...But so, also, do 55 percent of those who say they have become more conservative...
...Copies During Preceding 12 Months, 23,370...
...More conservative, perhaps, but not conservative, neither in self-perception nor in specific position...
...yes-78.4% no-25.2% other-6.4% 6. Do you favor liberalized abortion laws...
...It is this which makes me increasingly conservative...
...1,500...
...The subject becomes substantially more interesting when we examine answers to specific questions designed to test the alleged conservati-zation of the community...
...Politically, American Jews are far too self-sacrificing...
...Among those who say they have become more liberal, 81 percent call themselves liberals...
...People see more change than they report, and see that change as more conservative than their own experience attests...
...Copies During Preceding 12 Months, 1,000, Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date, 200 G Total...
...It seems to me that the loopholes in legislation do more harm than the benefits do good...
...Elizabeth, N.J...
...Take, for example, the issue of governmental efforts to promote equality for black Americans...
...D. Free Distribution by Mail, Carrier, or other Means: Average No...
...Predictably, 88 percent of the "more liberal" category say "aye," as do 78 percent of those who say they haven't changed...
...San Jose, Cal...
...Seventy-seven percent of our respondents felt that Nazis should not be granted parade permits to march in Jewish neighborhoods, and the proportion stays virtually the same—75 percent—among self-described liberals...
...Thank you for letting me say this awful thing...
...E. Total Distribution: Average No Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 20,231...
...Overall, 78 percent of our respondents answer in the affirmative...
...More conservative" is clearly not "conservative," a point which becomes even more clear in examining answers to the question, "Do you favor comprehensive national health insurance...
...The sub-answers here, broken down according to whether respondents reported that they themselves had become more conservative, more liberal or had stayed the same, are even more illuminating...
...Louis) Less government means less taxes means more incentive for investment means more jobs means less unemployment means less ghettoes and more opportunity for all disadvantaged...
...We asked respondents whether they would characterize themselves as very liberal, liberal, middle-of-the-road, conservative, or very conservative...
...Copies During Preceding 12 Months...
...There is a general unconcern and disinterest in the needs of others...
...Atlanta, Ga...
...But 45 percent of our respondents call themselves liberals, and only 13 percent call themselves conservatives...
...Leonard Winglass, 1220 E. Joppa Road, Towson, MD...
...Minimally, these answers suggest that when Jews become more conservative, the word must be understood in a relative manner...
...and they confuse the victim with his circumstances, somehow projecting upon him the cause of his problems...
...more liberal-17% more conservative-50.7% about the same-31.2% 3. How do you feel about government efforts to promote equality for Black Americans...
...As an active member of the organized Jewish community, I'm saddened by the apathy extant in this community...
...approve-78.4% approve but not if it threatens detente-8.5% disapprove-6.7% other-6.4% 5. Do you favor comprehensive national health insurance...
...By the same token, we feel that the government should do more to promote equality for black Americans—by promoting equality in general...
...8. Known Bondholders, Mortgages, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 % or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: Continuity, Inc., 55 Chapel St., Newton, Mass...
...As might be expected, 60 percent of those who felt that they themselves had become more liberal felt that the government was doing too little, and only 13 percent felt that the government was doing too much...
...The one group that is an exception to the above is the American Jews who worry about, vote and support the goals of other groups to too great a degree and concentrate on our own goals to too small a degree...
...Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date, 14,304...
...6. Publisher...
...Englewood, N.J...
...This item is allegedly one where there has been marked falloff among Jews in recent years...
...Toms River, N.J...
...But considerably less of our respondents felt that they themselves had become more conservative...
...Leonard Fein, Publisher...
...But we feel that this should be done through economic reform and wealth redistribution, rather than through the violation of the individual's right to equal treatment (i.e., equality cannot be promoted through the imposition of inequalities, e.g., quotas and preferential treatment of favored groups...
...Despite the fact that socialism and government control of economic activities have proved to be disasters, our "radical-chic" intellectuals persist in seeing them as panaceas...
...Los Angeles) We do not see the meaningfulness of questions posed in terms of "Liberal/ Conservative" terminology...
...At the extremes, we find 10 percent who say they are very liberal, and 3 percent who say they are very conservative...
...C Total Paid Circulation: Average No Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 months, 18,731...
...In other words, there is a considerable discrepancy between perception of communal change and experience of personal change...
...Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 months, 2,139...
...The Republicans could run Moses on their ticket—and Jews would still vote Democratic...
...As a liberal, I feel out of step and out of style in the Jewish community...
...where only 9 percent felt that Jews had become more liberal in the last ten years, 17 percent felt they themselves had...
...The specific comparisons here are quite interesting: where 76 percent felt that Jews in general had become more conservative, 50 percent felt they themselves had...
...Many people commented on the Nazi-Continued on page 8 STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION (Act of August 12, 1970: Section 3685, Title 39, United States Code) 1. Date of Filing: September 30, 1977 2. Title of Publication...
...I certify that the statements made by me are correct and complete...
...But I worry about Israel's isolation, and see a militarily strong US as a definite asset...
...In the middle of the road, we find another 27 percent...
...It grieves me that social action is a dead issue in most synagogues and for our young people...
...of Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months, 23,370...
...At the same time, there is some evidence of the difficulties liberals now face on traditional liberal questions...
...I don't feel the Republican leadership will seriously concern itself with Jewish support after seeing how the Jewish vote deserted Ford for Carter, after all that had been done for Israel by Nixon and Ford...
...yes-16% no-77.3% other-6.7% 9. Which best describes your general political outlook...
...Atlanta, Ga...
...Similarly, I was always "pro-peace," and against the "military-industrial complex...
...But the really interesting answer is from the large number of respondents who felt that they themselves had become more conservative: here, 39 percent felt the government was doing too much . . . but 21 percent felt the government was doing too little, and 34 percent felt it was doing just enough...
...55 Chapel Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02160...
...I find to my great regret that my liberal point of view toward blacks has been sadly tarnished...
...Only 27 percent believe that the government is doing too much...
...Their responses, therefore, cannot be taken as a representation of the Jewish community at large...
...My heightened Jewish awareness is altering some of my previous political views...
...In our poll, respondents split right down the middle on the issue of such reduction, and when we examine the responses more closely, we find that even among the most liberal, the majority in favor of reduced military spending is 58 percent...
...Yet I now find that I have real reservations about affirmative action...
...Nashville, Tenn...
...MOMENT 3. Frequency of Issue: Monthly except January-February and July-August, when bi-monthly...
...Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date, 18,104...
...Editor: Leonard Fein, 55 Chapel Street, Newton, Mass 02160...
...NYC) I think the term "liberal" is a euphemism for a person with a big mouth and too much time on her (his) hands...
...5. Location of the Headquarters or General Business Offices of the Publisher 55 Chapel Street...
...We asked our readers to say whether they felt that there had been a change in the political attitudes of the Jewish community over the past ten years, and 74 percent of them responded that in their opinion, Jews had in fact become more conservative in that time period...
...The only Jewish presence in the struggle for equality, justice and humanistic social policy is from Jewish members acting through secular organizations...
...38 percent prefer to think of themselves as middle-of-the-road, and 36 percent persist in calling themselves liberals...
...It is scarcely what the essayists usually intend when they talk about a rightward turn in America...
...MOMENT Magazine Associates (a partnership), 55 Chapel Street, Newton, Mass 02160, Harold Goldsmith, 1220 E Joppa Road, Towson, MD...
...As always, it must be iemembered that our respondents are a very select group: they are moment readers, and they are people who chose to take the time and trouble to fill out and return our questionnaire...
...Yet 37 percent of our respondents hold that the government is doing too little, and another 31 percent believe the government is doing just enough...
...Among respondents who felt that they themselves had not changed in the last decade, only 17 percent felt that the government was doing too much...
...BUT: The desire to support Israel blinded some Jews into supporting Nixon...
...In fact, among respondents who claim that they have become more conservative in the last decade, only 23 percent are prepared to describe themselves as conservatives...
...I think that in American politics each group properly worries about its own interests and votes and exerts pressure in furtherance of its own interests...
...Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date, 22,440...
...I always thought the Jews were "chosen" to lead the way in the struggle, but in our rush to preserve Jewish continuity and enhance Jewish consciousness, we've all but seceded from the broader community of mankind...
Vol. 3 • December 1977 • No. 2
