In 2000, Al Gore made history for bitterly clinging to his longshot bid to wrest the presidency from George W. Bush with legal shenanigans. But a few months before that, he made history for choosing Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, an observant Jew, as his running mate.
It marked the first time a Jewish American had ever been on the presidential ticket of a major political party.
The media took instant note of Lieberman’s Jewishness, of course. The media loves stories about personal identity and breaking traditional norms. So this was like a moth to a flame—or a pyro to a Zippo.
But the tone, news angles, and stories they did with Senator Lieberman were strikingly different than how they covered Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s chances in 2024—and for good reason: Today’s Democratic Party is home to unapologetic, outspoken antisemites.
Not all, of course, but enough to matter.
When Lieberman was tapped, antisemites weren’t yet a key Democratic voting bloc. Now they are.
If you seek Israel’s destruction, believe Jews have too much influence in American foreign policy, and view the Palestinians as the moral heirs to Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr., then you’re not welcome in the GOP—but you’ll have a front row seat in the Democratic Party.
AOC might even dance for you.
There were some pro-Palestinian voices in the Democratic Party of 2000, but they were the minority. Back then, the Party of Donkeys was still majority Zionist. Other than a few unpleasant exceptions, blatant antisemitism was a turnoff (and, unless you’re an Al Sharpton or a Jesse Jackson, a career-killer).
Today’s a much different day.
If you want to be a grassroots hero to the liberal community, you’re not going to say Israel has a right to exist. That’s blasphemy! Instead, you’d say the opposite—and blame those pesky, meddlesome Jews for imposing an apartheid regime against the heroic, peace-loving natives of the Middle East. At an absolute minimum, you’d support the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement to isolate and discredit the Jewish state, but let’s be honest: If you’re a liberal activist in 2024, then you’ll probably be waiving Palestinian flags, parroting Hamas talking points, and seeking Israel’s total annihilation.
This viewpoint is (thank God) very much in the minority in the rest of America, but it’s not in the grassroots liberal movement. The same people whom Harris needs to work the phones, staple signs on telephone poles at 4 a.m., knock on doors, and activate the Get Out the Vote army HATES Israel.
And if you’re a Jew?
Then you’re suspicious from birth.
When Joe Lieberman was selected in 2000, the media not only applauded it as a historical milestone but considered his piety a political plus: Lieberman was well-known for his devout faith, which, the Democrats/media hoped, would contrast nicely with President Clinton’s cigar-tinged indiscretions.
The possibility of liberal blowback wasn’t even considered. But now, the truth is just too big to ignore:
USA Today: Josh Shapiro’s vice presidential prospects spark debate over Israel policy, antisemitism.
The Hill: Shapiro is a dream Democratic vice presidential nominee, but he’s Jewish
New York Times: Pro-Palestinian Groups Seek to Thwart Josh Shapiro’s Chances for Harris’s V.P.
NBC News: Josh Shapiro’s VP bid ignites debate over Israel and antisemitism
New Republic: The One Vice Presidential Pick Who Could Ruin Democratic Unity
Star Tribune: St. Paul council president calls Pa. governor a ‘hardcore Zionist,’ says Kamala Harris shouldn’t pick him
Newsweek: ‘No Genocide Josh’ Campaign Doubles Down as Shapiro VP Speculation Grows
The Nation: Josh Shapiro Is a Bad VP Pick Any Way You Look at It
Salon: Picking Josh Shapiro could be dangerous for Harris
Two different Jews. Two very different reactions.
The good news is, if you bypass the media and focus instead on the American people, our country has unquestionably moved forward: Overall, America has never been less bigoted, more tolerant, and more accepting of different religions and/or ethnicities. But there are exceptions.
When Jewish kids applied to college in the 1990s, they never worried about being harassed by angry, violent mobs who'd blame them for Israel’s existence. But today, antisemitism and the lack of response from campus security is a very real issue for Jewish students. Now, they must worry about their personal safety.
And they’re not worried about Republicans.
A lot has changed in 25 years.
And yet again, the Jews are history’s canary in the coal mine.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member