March 29, 2004
COURTING THE COMMUNITY:
Jewish defections irk Dems (Alexander Bolton, 3/30/04, The Hill)
“On the GOP side they’ve been very aggressive in courting the community,” said Nathan Diament, director of public policy at the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations. “The point person on the Senate side is Rick Santorum. Over the past two or three years they’ve been working the community and having a lot of meetings.”Diament said Barbara Ledeen, the director of coalitions for the Senate Republican Conference, initiated the efforts.
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), who is Jewish, has also been active. He has traveled around the country “stumping in Jewish venues trying to convey a sense of why Republicans are more deserving of support,” said Diament.
On the House side, Cantor, the only Jewish Republican in the House, has led the GOP outreach effort.
“Democrats do not speak with a unified voice on Israel anymore,” said Cantor. “The Democrats want to re-inject the United States into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a neutral arbiter and neutral voice.”
If only they still believed in Judaism and Zionism they'd all be Republicans. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 29, 2004 9:07 PM
The ones that never venture west beyond the Atlantic Seaboard enclaves except to fly 3,000 miles to California will be the toughest to convince, since they've accepted the Democrats' portrayal of the rest of the country for the past 70 years and are fearful of what will happen if the party isn't there to protect them.
Posted by: John at March 29, 2004 10:54 PMColeman is impressive and I think he has a future at the national level.
Posted by: Gideon at March 30, 2004 4:30 AMCantor is only Jewish republican in House?!!
I guess Republicans do have their work cut out for them.
John's comment explains, and I would suggest, answers h-man's. Jewish political power has been as gerrymandered as that of Blacks. There is life outside the House of Clinton, but you have to leave it first.
Posted by: MG at March 30, 2004 9:17 AMI love Coleman just for what he did to Keillor.
Posted by: Chris at March 30, 2004 10:35 AM"If only they believed in Judaism and Zionism they'd all be Republicans."
Instead, all they believe in is "REMEMBER THE HOLOCAUST!"
Posted by: Ken at March 30, 2004 12:09 PMIf they believed in "Remember the Holocaust" they'd all be Republicans.
Posted by: David Cohen at March 30, 2004 4:31 PMOJ: They do. But American politics. particularly for ethnic minorities is not about issues. It is about ethnic solidarity. Issues have to be overwhelming, before they move people politicallyUnfortunately, these aren't yet.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at March 31, 2004 12:32 AMIf the issues facing wordwide Jewry outside of the USA aren't overwhelming, then they have forgotten the Holocaust indeed.
Posted by: genecis at March 31, 2004 8:35 PM