August 3, 2004
ALL THE BATTLEGROUNDS ARE BLUE
I recieved the following email from the Bush campaign today:
Posted by David Cohen at August 3, 2004 8:57 PMSenator Kerry has a troubling record on issues important to the Jewish community, while President George W. Bush stands strong on those same issues. A number of articles surrounding the Democrat National Convention report that Jewish Americans are appearing anxious about John Kerry's foreign policy plans, especially for Israel.
Below are a few of the articles that highlight these concerns.
As Kerry formulates foreign policy, some wonder about effect on Israel
By Ron Kampeas
JTA
"...In numerous behind-the-scenes meetings with senior Kerry officials, Jewish Democrats have posed hard questions: Would Kerry's overall plan to consult more with other nations, raise the profile of international bodies and restore Clinton-era cooperation with Europe pull the United States away from the extraordinary closeness Bush has forged with Israel?
"The anxieties have hardly been quieted by speeches at the convention, where speaker after speaker has emphasized the kind of global cooperation that Israel's current Likud-led government reviles because of the perceived pro-Arab tilt of the European Union and other international bodies."
"It didn't help that figures who have been on the wrong end of Jewish community anger eagerly reinforced that message in forums large and small."
Click here for the full article.
Carter: Kerry would be hands on in Mideast
by Nathan Guttman
Ha'aretz
"While he promises that he will search for new ways to cooperate with other governments in constructive efforts around the globe, Kerry's foreign policy plank does not really portend major changes compared to policy lines followed in past years by the Bush administration."
Click here for the full article.
If elected, Kerry may return Indyk, Ross to Mideast
By Natan Guttman and Yuval Ben-Ari
Ha'aretz
"With speculation swirling around convention over possible candidates for the Secretary of State slot and other top foreign policy posts in a John Kerry administration, party veterans are speculating about the character of global policies which would be implemented should the Democrats regain control of the White House."
One thing Kerry has been consistent about, from post-Vietnam to today, is siding with the enemies of the US. From Vietnam to Nicaragua to Cuba, Kerry has shown a remarkable consistency of supporting our enemies. If that does not qualify for treason, I don't know what does.
Posted by: sam at August 3, 2004 10:06 PMNot completely on-topic, but:
Time magazine, in the 9 Aug '04 edition, reports that some Palestinian Authority officials, including Civil Affairs Minister Jamil Tarifi, may have profited from importing approximately 385,000 tons of Egyptian cement, which they sold to an Israeli contractor working on the West Bank security wall.
There is a good amount of anecdotal evidence like this showing the GOP might do much better with the Jewish vote (and the African American vote) in this election. But we'll have to see if this really pans out.
Posted by: AWW at August 3, 2004 10:46 PMSince there are at least two states, Florida and New Jersey, where recent polls show a close race between Bush and Kerry and which have a significant Jewish population, and one state, Michigan, with a significant Arab popluation, it ought to be interesting watching the Kerry camp try to triangulate their Middle East policy message between those three states from now until election (ideally for Kerry, of course, would be a campaign that doesn't have to say a word about the Mideast in any of those states and still gets the Arabic and Jewish votes, but I don't think he can push that strategy all the way to Nov. 2).
Posted by: John at August 4, 2004 1:50 AMNot a single speaker uttered the words "Israel" or Jew" at the convention. They seem to believe that they can just keep quiet, and garner over half of the Jewish vote by habit and inertia. Unluckily for the democrats, but very fortunately for the rest of the American people, the republicans will insist that JFK expound on the issue of Israel and the failure, nay refusal, of the UN to repudiate hatred of Jews. JFK's "secret plan" bullshit will carry him only so far. The 45% of voters he already has seem to be holding on. The other few points he needs need to hear some of the "secret plan", and anything they like will have to cost JFK some of his base.
This election will be won by the party with the best turnout, and leftists and liberals may be turned off enough to stay home, if JFK promises to advance the causes near and dear to the hearts of American Jews. It is up to the Bush campaign to force JFK to take a stand as to where he is on the issues that are important to Jews, a group that JFK and his wife are as familiar with as they are with Blacks, another group within which the Kerrys can count at least a few friends, as well as a few employees.
Posted by: Michael Gersh at August 4, 2004 3:10 AMMichael - "Bush campaign must force Kerry to take a stand". Exactly. Interesting thing happened recently - got into a political conversation with a few friends/work people. Two of the people lean Democrat, are knowledgable about politics, and plan to vote for Kerry. What was interesting was that they disagreed on where Kerry stood on issues (gay marriage, Iraq, taxes, etc). They were both going to vote for Kerry even though they thought he stood for different things. Bush must force Kerry to take stands so this does not occur.
Posted by: AWW at August 4, 2004 8:06 AMAWW - I bet that right now your friends think Kerry agrees with them; they are projecting what they want to see onto him. Kerry's technique has been long-honed in Massachusetts, a one-party state with a compliant media in which Democrats can get away with this unchallenged. I can't see it working nationally, with Bush having plenty of money to hammer home Kerry's positions (or lack of them).
Posted by: pj at August 4, 2004 9:16 AM