As the race for the Democratic presidential nomination heats up, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is currently duking it out with Mayor Pete Buttigieg in the polls. But former Vice President Joe Biden is still in the mix, and he enjoys support from key voting groups that have so far eluded everyone’s favorite socialist uncle. 

Earlier this year, it was revealed that 48% of black Democrats favor Biden while only 20% support Sanders. But the socialist candidate is doing even worse with Jewish voters. A recent Pew Research poll revealed that Biden received the highest percentage of support among Jewish voters at 47%. Sen. Elizabeth Warren garners 20% of Jewish support. But Sanders only received a paltry 11% among Jewish voters. 

The irony of the candidate attempting to become the nation’s first Jewish president can’t be lost on anyone. But why aren’t more Jewish voters rooting for a Sanders nomination? There are likely several obvious reasons. 

Jewish Americans vote overwhelmingly for Democratic politicians; the party typically receives 71% of their votes. But, similar to black Americans, their voting patterns do not show that they support far-left socialistic policies. Put simply, Sanders’ “free everything” platform does not seem to resonate with the Jewish community. 

But there is also the Senator’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian to take into account. He has consistently excoriated Israel for its role in the conflict while giving a free pass to Islamic terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. He has even proposed cutting off aid to the Jewish state. 

Even worse, Sanders is friendly with Palestinian-rights activist Linda Sarsour, who has a history of making anti-Semitic remarks. He has gone so far as to enlist the activist as one of his campaign surrogates. Jack Rosen, president of the American Jewish Congress told The New York Post: “He has worked hard to brand himself as being anti-Israel and his willingness to cut security assistance to Israel, and using an anti-Semite, pro-BDS figure like Linda Sarsour as an official campaign surrogate are a reflection of this.”

It’s worth noting that Jewish Americans comprise only 2% of the nation’s population. This means their influence over elections isn’t as large as other groups, but when it comes to swing states, they are an important constituency. Right now, Sanders is ahead in the polls — but with his inability to win over certain voting groups, will he stay there? More importantly, if he were to secure the nomination, will these groups be enthused enough to come out to support him in November?

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

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