Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders cannot capture a TV audience without being identified as Jewish, or as some tweeps see him as the “Jewish uncle from Brooklyn.” But it seems that despite the chatter, few Americans can identify the insurgent Democratic-Socialist candidate by his religion.
According to a poll conducted by Emerson College Polling Society over the weekend, only 23% of registered voters identify Sanders as Jewish, while 48% were not sure. 1.5 percent identify Sanders as a Muslim.
If elected, Sanders would be the first Jewish president. A Gallup poll released earlier this year showed that 91% of Americans would vote for a qualified presidential candidate who is Jewish.
In several appearances over the past few months, Sanders claimed that his Judaism in the post-Holocaust era has shaped his policial philosophy in a “very deep way.”
“A guy named Adolf Hitler won an election in 1932. He won an election, and 50 million people died as a result of that election in World War II, including 6 million Jews. So what I learned as a little kid is that politics is, in fact, very important,” he said. Adding, “Historically, the Jewish people have been strong advocates fighting discrimination and fighting for social and economic justice.”
The Emerson College poll also shows that if Biden chooses not to jump into the 2016 race, Hillary Clinton’s lead over Sanders extends to 48 percent – 68% to 20%.
