Bush Campaign Courts Jewish Vote

The Washington Times ^ | 6/2/04 | Joseph Curl

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

The Bush-Cheney ticket is making an all-out effort this election to increase its take of the Jewish vote, a powerful voting bloc that could turn the tide in several battleground states.

President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, who each addressed enthusiastic Jewish groups last month, have overseen one of the most aggressive pro-Israel agendas of any recent administration, which Republican campaign strategists and Jewish leaders say has loosened the Democrats' stranglehold on the Jewish vote.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Ping

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

Nine states with large Jewish populations account for 212 of the 270 electoral votes a candidate will need to win the White House, according to an analysis by Steven Windmueller, director of the Jewish Institute of Religion at Hebrew Union College.     

While the two states with the largest Jewish populations — New York and California — will almost surely vote for the Democratic candidate, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio, which hold 68 electoral votes, are up for grabs.     

In addition, the Jewish vote in Michigan, Nevada, Missouri and Arizona could swing the election in November.     

In 2000, Mr. Bush won Florida by less than 1 percent, lost Pennsylvania by 4.2 percent and was hammered in New Jersey by 16 percentage points. A new poll this month shows Mr. Bush and the presumptive Democratic nominee, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, running neck and neck in New Jersey.

This election has the potential to effect a genuine and lasting sea change in American electoral politics, insofar as Jewish voting allegiance is concerned.

[California Patriot]

This article is an example of Washington Times journalism
at its worst. It is essentially a rewrite of RNC talking points. There is absolutely no new information in the story, which could have been -- and was -- written at various times in the last year or two.

While Bush will probably do better among Jewish voters than he did in 2000, that's not saying much. Jews essentially vote on ideology and cultural identity. They will do so again.

Team Bush is wise to court Jewish voters and donors because they are disproportionately articulate, involved in politics, and well-placed in society. But it would be unwise to spend too much time on any Democratic constituency at the expense of shoring up, and firing up,
the Republican base.

[Bonaparte]

Do you dispute the accuracy or relevance of any of the points made in the article?

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

But it would be unwise to spend too much time on any Democratic constituency at the expense of shoring up, and firing up, the Republican base

It is p!sspoor logic, at best, to work from the unproven (and unprovable) assumption that American Jews are inherently a "Democratic constituency"; or, for that matter, that they cannot reliably be included within "the Republican base."

It also presumes (again, sans even so much as a scintilla of supporting evidence) that any given political party's "base" is, de facto, something remaining static over the span of decades, or centuries. Both parties -- Republican and 'Rat -- have seen radical alterations in what were once considered core, unalterable "base" constituencies, preferences and priorities, over the years.

(e.g.: President Kennedy successfully ran for President on the then-traditional Dem "base" platforms of a strong national defense, and deep tax cuts. Clearly, neither of these is a 'Rat "base" party platform now. And so it goes, and so it goes.)

[JLAGRAYFOX]

The Jewish vote needs to be cultivated because they no longer have a "comfortable" home in the Democrat Party. There are a ton of Jew haters in the left wing of the Democrat Party as recently evidenced by the remarks of Senator Ernest Hollings (D-SC)! Add to that, any American Jew that does vote Democrat this November is voting for their own death and doom. They better clearly realize that the paramount objective of Arab terrorists is to kill every Jew in this world. Electing John Kerry will give carte blanche to the killers of Jews across the world, and here in the United States. If Harvey Weinstein and Al Franken, Barbra Streisand, etc. think they are going to be protected by the likes of Democrat John Kerry and the "traitor" Democrat Party, they are in for a fatal surprise! They will join Daniel Pearl and Nick Berg as headless Jews hanging out forever in the hereafter! American Jews better wise up! The handwriting os clearly on the wall for all to see!!!

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[SJackson]

Harvey Weinstein and Al Franken, Barbra Streisand, etc. think they are going to be protected by the likes of Democrat John Kerry...

You won't be bringing the Barbara's of the world around.

[Coop]

Welcome to the forum. I would hope you are equally critical of the Times' counterpart across town. While both have their agendas, you're IMHO much more likely to get both sides of a story from the Times.

[JLAGRAYFOX]

You are 100% right! American Jews have a death wish! Thank God the people of Israel have a different slant! History is about to repeat itself, sadly for the American Jews! Slaughter of Jews will be the order of the day! They only will have themselves to blame!!!!