Ping
Great to hear.
But, what's really going to matter for the future is the Hispanic vote.
I established my own Republican organization reaching out to minority groups [religious as well as ethnic], but getting support from the party in the south was like pulling teeth.
Precisely why we're likely to face rough times ahead unless we radically reform our agenda for pulling these votes within our party.
Had it from a Jewish friend in CO--War on Terrorism is #1--Bush MUST win. She and her husband are doing all they can to convert their Jewish friends, though they do not agree with W on many things.
vaudine
Her is my take, publlished twice before:
The explanation for the apparent contradiction within the American Jewish community to more vigorously support the Republican Party when that party and not the Democtat party is clearly the more reliable friend of Israel has many threads.
First, there is a venerable cultural and scriptural tradition in Judaism which enjoins the adherent to social activism which when manifested in the individual is commendable but which is liable to degenerate into collectivism. When this occurs, the adherent is liable to see the solutions of the democrats to be ideal.
Second, there is a tradition of socialism imported with waves of Jewish immigration from Eastern Europe. This phenomenon was manifested in Israel, for example, by the Kibbutzim. This hold is weakening with every generation.
Third, there is an understandable defensive posture against pogroms which have been unfortunately identified with Christianity. The reaction to Gibson s film, The Passion, can be understood in part as a manifestation of this heritage. To the degree that the Republican Party is seen by Jews to be dominated by evangelicals, their reaction tends to be negative. The fact that Bush has defined himself as a believing Christian has generated a similar reaction to him, especially among secular Jews who see a double threat.
Fourth, historically the Democrat party has claimed credit as the original friend of Israel going back to Truman s recognition of the State and the Republicans bona fides are more recent.
Fifth, immigration politics have always worked for the Democrats and older Jews remember the depression and the Nazis were fought by Roosevelt. The depression was fought with collectivist and activist ideas with many Jews prominently identified with this administration. The civil rights advances with Truman and Johnson confirmed all this very much in the minds of Jews who saw them as a proxy struggle.
I hope we see all this break down along generational lines. But to the degree that Jews involve themselves with academia, media, arts, etc., one would expect them to reflect the group think of their milieu. If they live in cities and not on wheat farms in Kansas, they might be expected to vote the way other Manhattenites do.
In my view it is folly to pander the Jewish vote by supporting Israel as it is to pander to Cuban or Irish votes by pandering to their respective international claims. Either it is in American interest to support Israel or it is not. Either it is in our national interest to actually enforce immigration laws along the Mexican border or it is not. Neither issue should be calculated on the basis of what is good for the party but on what is good for the nation.
Personally, I see very little return for our support of Israel. I have long ago posted that our support should be withdrawn. To deflect the inevitable attacks shouting anti Semitism, I think America should simultaneously offer Israelis American citizenship.