Posted on 08/06/2008 1:11:12 PM PDT by Ziva
The news that Rep Eric Cantor (R-VA), the House chief deputy minority whip, has been asked for his family, health, and financial documents by the presumptive Republican Presidential candidate, John McCain, with an eye towards vetting him as a possible running mate, has excited not only some in the Jewish community. Many right-wing Evangelicals, sometimes referred to as the Republican core or base, say the Jewish Mr. Cantor may be the only possible running mate Mr. McCain can choose that will get them to the polling stations in November rather than spend Election Day fishing.
"He would energize the Republican base," said another member of the Virginia Congressional delegation, Rep Virgil Goode (R-VA). Like many Republicans, Mr. Goode has advised Mr. McCain to "look right and not left" when he picks a running mate.
Mr. Goode said that by choosing Mr. Cantor, Mr. McCain could staunch the flow of conservatives deciding either to support Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr, or not to vote at all.
"We need some enthusiasm with the conservative base," said Mr. Goode.
Hawkish on Israel
A stalwart conservative who happens to be the only Jewish Republican in the House of Representatives, Mr. Cantor, a fourth-term Congressman, represents Virginia’s seventh district, a mixture of state capital and western Virginia conservatism.
Reputed on Capitol Hill to be "squeaky clean," he has a nearly 100 percent rating by the National Conservative Union, but is still reported to do well with the more moderate wing of the Republican party as well with Democrats.
His views on Israel and its struggle against Palestinian terror are among the most hawkish in Congress. He has sponsored legislation that would cut off all US taxpayer aid to the PA until they put a halt to unauthorized excavations on the Temple Mount.
Sole Undivided Jerusalem
He also supports keeping Jerusalem as the sole, undivided capital of Israel. In a recent talk for a program called "One Jerusalem," called as a protest against the Annapolis summit last fall at which the Olmert government indicated its willingness to divide the city, Mr. Cantor characterized Jerusalem as "not merely the capital of Israel, but the spiritual capital of Jews and Christians everywhere."
"It is the site of the First and Second Temples, which housed the Holy of Holies, and it’s the direction in which we Jews face when we pray. This glorious City of David is bound to the Jewish people by an undeniable 3,000-year historical link," he said, adding that Jerusalem "is Israel’s lifeblood."
"No one understands this better than Israel’s enemies. That is precisely why they still engage in a systematic campaign to erase the historical link of the Jews to this great city. For if Israel were severed from Jerusalem, the Jewish state would lose its sense of legitimacy and its will to fight. Only then could Israel be destroyed," he said.
Victim of Terror
When he discusses victims of terror, his sympathy is not just theoretical. In April 2006, his cousin, Daniel Cantor Wultz, a 16-year-old student at the David Posnack Hebrew Day School in Plantation, FL, was the victim of an Islamic Jihad suicide bombing in Tel Aviv.
Daniel was in Israel with his family for Passover. He was hospitalized for almost a month after the bombing, while thousands of Jews throughout the world prayed for him and 46 of his classmates traveled to be at his bedside. He died of his injuries on May 15.
Conservatives say there is no denying that Mr. Cantor’s faith and passionate defense of Israel have played a major role in winning their admiration.
Not McCain
In many ways, Mr. Cantor is everything Mr. McCain is not. Those who worry that Mr. McCain, at 72, seems old, especially when compared to 47-year-old Barack Obama, see the good looking Mr. Cantor, who is only 45, as a spark of fresh air.
Those who are concerned because Mr. McCain’s record on immigration and free speech during political campaigns (masquerading as campaign reform), have made conservatives wary, say Mr. Cantor’s record could make up for a multitude of Mr. McCain’s "maverick sins."
On a political website discussing possible Republican candidates for vice president, one blogger summer it up this way: "Cantor is a real conservative who is a star. He is amazing. He would fire me up to have him on the ticket." Continued...
ping
Beat me to it ping!
ping
LOL..GMTA!
What’s not to like, eh?
does anyone have a picture?
Hmmm ... AO ... Anti-Obama, Alpha-Omega ..... could be a sign?
Maybe .... but then you can read anything into anything if you look long enough.
Does this paint a picture for ya (Cantor's voting record from OnTheIssues.org)
Eric Cantor
ping
Why is it most of us have never heard of this guy till recently?
I can hear the rancor now. “Is America ready for a Jewish VP?”
Please sign Congressman Eric Cantor’s petition to demand the Democrats come back to the House
http://www.callbackcongress.com/
22,000 signatures so far
Hawkish on Israel
Nana, Thanks for your diligence on posting this link! You are doing a great service!!
:)
No executive experience, no accomplishments, nobody has ever heard of him. He may have a future, but is not ready now.
He may be a fine representative, but McCain needs a VP who has a substantial resume, someone who is/was governor of some state, at the very least and has other domestic/economy related accomplishments. (And no, I don’t think Huckabee qualifies)
Ping Nothing! I’ve warned you before. McCain stands a good chance of dying during his term. He’d better pick someone with HEAVY Gravitas. Merely picking some unknown because he super clean or may help swing his state is NUTS! He’d better be a statesman, smart as whip and have plenty of executive leadership on his resume. Let the dems pick some ahole.
I really like Cantor- I’ve heard him a couple of times on Cspan and his voting record is hard to beat.
This makes me wonder why McCain is considering him- he’s conservative. And how will this work? Remember- Lieberman had to choke on some of his more centrist ideas when he ran with Gore. I’d hate to see that happen with Cantor.
Meanwhile- I don’t really have a favorite for this- only ones I hope he doesn’t pick- Huckabee, Crist and Kaisich.
I like Mitt ok- but people have SUCH strong reactions to him and while I think they’re disgraceful -being based on his religion- it’s still an issue.
Jindal is not ready- Pawlenty...blah..Sanford...blah.
The problem with Cantor- we’d lose a really good man in the House.
Sounds like a winner!
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