The Phoenix Jewish News

A Jewish Bloc?

Although it should be reasonably evident by now that Jews do not vote as a bloc, the myth persists. It is a favorite delusion of political organizations looking for votes. They think that by dangling a Jewish candidate underneath our noses or fishing for our favor with a "pro-Jewish" platform plank, they'll have our votes in the bag.

Well, they get some of our votes and some of our votes they don't get. Occasionally (and this is something they don't bargain for) we vote the other way just to be contrary, to demonstrate that we won't be counted in on a so-called Jewish bloc. But since there is no way of knowing at election time exactly who voted for whom (thank goodness!), the delusion continues to prevail.

All of which is by way of leading up to the municipal campaign now under a full head of steam in Phoenix: There are Jewish candidates in the race. We're neither "fer" 'em nor "ag'in" 'em. We're pleased that they are sufficiently interested in public affairs to run for office, but then we feel that way about the others, too. We hope the Jewish candidates and their supporters are not counting on the votes of the "Jewish bloc," because they won't get them. They'll get some, of course, and they'll lose others. Maybe they'll win more Jewish votes than they lose—and maybe they won't. And if you hear a Jewish politician proclaim that he speaks for the Jewish voters, write it off as a lot of balderdash. He speaks for himself, and that's just about all.

Fact of the matter is that we Jews vote as we please, like everybody else. We vote as our consciences tell us to vote, in accord with our own individual preferences and our own individual self-interests. We vote, in other words, not as Jews, but as Americans. And we do it proudly.

Oh, yes, one more thing: The municipal primary is NOV. 8. GET OUT AND VOTE!