I live in a small conservative town and I am often asked why most Jews vote for the Democrats in nearly all elections. In the last presidential election, an exit poll indicated that over 75% of the Jewish vote was given to Obama. The reasons are complicated, but I will nevertheless give my opinion sprinkled with the facts.
Jewish presence in America can be traced to the Dutch settlement of New York, but a large migration of about 200,000 came from Germany in 1860. Then between 1882 and 1914 approximately 2 million Jewish immigrants, mostly destitute, came from eastern and central Europe and Russia. They were escaping vigorous religious persecution that began before the Crusades, lasted through the Inquisition and continued through 20th century pogroms. Their common goal was to escape tyranny and oppression and find better social conditions."
