Jewish voters in New York State — including Democrats — could support Republican John McCain in the November election if Barack Obama wins his party’s nomination, according to Fredric U. Dicker’s “Inside Albany” column in the New York Post.
Dov Hikind, a Democrat who backed Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984, is an assemblyman whose Brooklyn district includes the largest concentration of Hasidic Jews in the U.S.
He said many of his constituents oppose Obama for his “half-hearted” support of Israel and his membership in the church of Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., who has repeatedly praised anti-Semitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
“There are a lot of Jews who are concerned about these issues, and they go way beyond Hasidic and Orthodox Jews, people I describe as conservative Reagan/Giuliani Democrats,” said Hikind, who has not yet endorsed a presidential candidate.
Jewish concerns about Obama have been widely reported among top New York Democrats, according to Dicker.
“There is anxiety, there is concern, on the part of a lot of important Jewish Democrats in New York,” one prominent Democratic activist told the Post.
But Hikind said last week’s controversy over Obama’s visit to Kenya, where he was photographed in Somali garb, would have no impact on Jewish voters.
Jews Cold on Obama
Jewish voters in New York State — including Democrats — could support Republican John McCain in the November election if Barack Obama wins his party’s nomination, according to Fredric U. Dicker’s “Inside Albany” column in the New York Post.
Dov Hikind, a Democrat who backed Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984, is an assemblyman whose Brooklyn district includes the largest concentration of Hasidic Jews in the U.S.
He said many of his constituents oppose Obama for his “half-hearted” support of Israel and his membership in the church of Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., who has repeatedly praised anti-Semitic Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
“There are a lot of Jews who are concerned about these issues, and they go way beyond Hasidic and Orthodox Jews, people I describe as conservative Reagan/Giuliani Democrats,” said Hikind, who has not yet endorsed a presidential candidate.
Jewish concerns about Obama have been widely reported among top New York Democrats, according to Dicker.
“There is anxiety, there is concern, on the part of a lot of important Jewish Democrats in New York,” one prominent Democratic activist told the Post.
But Hikind said last week’s controversy over Obama’s visit to Kenya, where he was photographed in Somali garb, would have no impact on Jewish voters.