Post-9/11 Drive by Republicans To Attract Jewish Voters Stalls

[sabra]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/05/AR2006030500898.html

Post-9/11 Drive by Republicans To Attract Jewish Voters Stalls

By Thomas B. Edsall
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, March 6, 2006; Page A05

Nearly five years ago, immediately after the Sept.11, 2001, attacks, Republican strategists identified what they hoped would be a powerful new engine of support. "September 12 Republicans" were Jewish Democrats and independents who would switch their allegiance because of their concern over national security and their appreciation of President Bush's stalwart support of Israel.

It is such people that Vice President Cheney will be courting tomorrow, when he speaks to the closing plenary session of the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee's policy conference. But the much-trumpeted effort by the Bush White House to make deep inroads on the Democrats' historic claims on Jewish voters -- and, even more important politically, the campaign contributions of Jewish donors -- has not materialized in any convincing fashion, according to poll data, fundraisers and campaign finance reports.

In 2004, Bush improved his 2000 performance among Jewish voters, jumping from 19 percent to 25 percent, according to exit polls. But this gain was disappointing to many Bush supporters -- and was substantially below the 35 percent level Republican presidential candidates averaged through the five elections of the 1970s and 1980s.

Recently, two new obstacles are hurting GOP efforts at cultivating Jews: the corruption scandals involving former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and his onetime friend and benefactor, Jack Abramoff.

[ugarte]

1. Jewish people I know don't want a state religion

The Christianity litmus test on social issues makes it impossible for them to be Republicans.

[Hekate]

3. Bingo. There are red flags all over Bush's erasure of church-state line

I think just about anyone has to be deluded to think Bush's pandering to the ultra-fundies is going to benefit anyone else in the country.

But the longer this goes on, I think Jews in particular have to see the establishment of state-sponsored religion as particularly dangerous for them.

So join me as I :toast: this news.

Hekate

[regnaD kciN]

2. File this under...

..."Jews Have Brains - Example 162,948,237"

:spank:

[fujiyama]

4. WashingtonPost

unable to post Baker's REAL comments:

"Fuck the Jews. They won't vote for us anyways".

Grow a fuckin spine WaPo.

[Behind the Aegis]

5. Real? Not sure. But it was "reported" here...

...

<snip> And then there was Secretary of State James Baker's infamous "fuck the Jews" remark. In a private conversation with a colleague about Israel, Baker reportedly uttered the vulgarity, noting that Jews "didn't vote for us anyway." This was more or less true—Bush got 27 percent of the Jewish vote, compared with 73 percent for Dukakis, in 1988. And thanks in part to Baker, it was even truer in 1992, when Bill Clinton got 78 percent of the Jewish vote and Bush got only 15 percent—the poorest showing by a Republican candidate since Barry Goldwater in 1964. <snip>

Salon.com

On edit: To any Jew reading this... If you think Bush cares about Israel, you are WRONG! Israel is his "patsy!" It plays to the ultra-right wing and it plays to those 'progressives' who see any US action in the ME as a result of US support of Israel! Make no mistake, brothers and sisters, we are getting IT from both extremes!!!!!

[fujiyama]

6. I thought

the quote was pretty widely reported.

Either way, Baker was and still is an ass hole.

[Behind the Aegis]

7. I don't disagree with your opinion on Baker.

I was simply saying it was "reported." It was second-hand info, not from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

[mom cat]

8. And now add the Dubai ports deal.