Obama's Support Lags With Jewish Voters

[דוד בן זאב אריה]

http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=16&artnum=1&issue=20080522

Obama's Support Lags With Jewish Voters
 BY SEAN HIGGINS

INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY

Posted 5/22/2008

Barack Obama took an unusual detour in his victory lap after winning a majority of pledged Democratic delegates this week.

He spoke Thursday at B'nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton, Fla.

Why there? He wanted to soothe concerns that Jewish voters have about him and what his presidency might mean for American foreign policy.

 
He had his work cut out for him. An ad by the Republican Jewish Coalition that ran in the Boca Raton News and other Florida newspapers that day said Obama's record "raised important questions (for) the American Jewish Community." It implied he was weak in his support for Israel.

While Jews have been one of Democratic Party's most reliable constituencies, Republicans believe Obama's support among them is soft. They hope to win enough disaffected Jews to give them an edge in key swing states.

Obama's campaign called the ad a "desperate partisan attack."

"Senator Obama is a strong friend of the American Jewish Community and Israel, and will make ensuring Israel's security a high priority of his presidency," spokesman Tommy Vietor said.

Jews account for about 2% of the population, but they turn out in high numbers, are big contributors and are concentrated in some major battleground states, especially Florida and Pennsylvania.

A Gallup poll released earlier this month found that Obama would beat Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., 61%-32% among Jewish voters. That's a solid majority but down from the 74%-25% edge Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., had over President Bush in 2004.

Michael Barone, co-author of the Almanac of American Politics, thinks McCain can get 35%-40% of the Jewish vote, matching Ronald Reagan's numbers in 1980.

Barone cites Obama's 20-year association with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who has praised Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

"That's a hard sell in Broward and Palm Beach County," Barone said, referring to two of Florida's most heavily populated and heavily Jewish areas.

Obama has repeatedly denounced Farrakhan. Yet such matters have his campaign staff concerned. He has appeared before several Jewish groups to strengthen ties in recent weeks. Jewish House Democrats have been making appeals on his behalf.

"There are questions, no doubt, but I think we are answering them," Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., told the Chicago Tribune.

The GOP campaign hopes to raise enough doubts by questioning Obama's willingness to get tough with terrorists.

Tucker Bounds, a McCain campaign spokesman, said Republicans will argue that "Obama has weak judgment and weak leadership," citing in particular "his willingness to meet unconditionally with leaders of rogue nations."

Helping to make this case for McCain is Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. As Gore's running mate in 2000, he was the first Jew to run on a major party ticket. Today he campaigns for McCain, citing his steadfastness on the war on terror.

Another problem for Obama is that some of his comments and stances have drawn tough scrutiny.

He was quoted during the Iowa caucuses last year as saying that "nobody has suffered more than the Palestinian people," a statement critics said downplayed Israeli victims of terror attacks.

McCain, GOP Target Obama

While McCain blasted former President Jimmy Carter's recent meeting with Hamas leaders as a "serious and dangerous mistake," Obama's camp merely said it "does not agree" with Carter's decision.

The Republican Jewish Coalition ad asks Obama why he called for a summit of Muslim nations but excluded Israel; why Obama was once on the board of an organization that funds a pro-Palestinian group; and why he has former Air Force Chief of Staff Merrill "Tony" McPeak as an adviser.

McPeak gave an interview to the Oregonian in 2003 in which he appeared to blame American Jews for the lack of progress on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

Matt Brooks, executive director of the coalition, says Obama's record should give Jews pause.

"There are a lot of big question marks surrounding Barack Obama and where he stands (and) a lot of nervousness in the Jewish community," Brooks said, adding that his coalition did not coordinate its ads with the McCain campaign.

Obama has also taken criticism for his willingness to talk with Iranian leaders without preconditions. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has a long history of virulently anti-Israel comments.

In response to questions on this, Obama has often quoted JFK: "We should never negotiate out of fear, but we should never fear to negotiate."

In an appearance before the Israeli Knesset earlier this month, President Bush called negotiating with "terrorists and radicals" a "foolish delusion" and compared it to appeasement of the Nazis.

Bush received a standing ovation in Israel, but Democrats cried foul. Though Bush never mentioned his name, Obama called it a "false political attack."

McCain, however, echoed Bush's original criticism, saying he was "exactly right."

More recently, McCain slammed Obama for telling a Pendleton, Ore., crowd that the threat presented by Iran was "tiny" compared with the threat once posed by the Soviet Union.

"The threat the government of Iran poses is anything but tiny," McCain said.

Also in the mix are e-mails that have been circulated by various groups, including some far-right ones, claiming that Obama may be a closeted Muslim. (This reporter has received one.) In fact, while Obama's father was a nonpracticing Muslim, he was raised by his secular white mother and now attends a Christian church.

Liberals Hopeful

Liberal activists concede they are worried, but dispute that the evidence presented by Republicans shows any anti-Israel bias. Besides, says Robert Borosage, co-director of the liberal Campaign for America's Future, most Jews are liberals and not single-issue voters.

He said the Jewish vote would be difficult for Obama, "although historically we go through this (discussion) every election year and then the election comes out and two-thirds of Jewish-Americans vote for Democrats, as they always do."

[Ultra Requete]

That's improvement but 62% of Jewish American voters are still nuts. Did you saw this:

I don't know if this lady is Jewish or not but kudos to her, there might be more dissident democrats who'll vote Mc Cain instead! 

[דוד בן זאב אריה]

That's improvement but 62% of Jewish American voters are still nuts. Did you saw this:

I don't know if this lady is Jewish or not but kudos to her, there might be more dissident democrats who'll vote Mc Cain instead! 

But 80 were nuts in 2004 we are getting better. Besides the real religous Jews vote 80% or more Republican

[underthesun]

Obama understands those left Jews better than we do.
Some hands shaken. A little attention paid.

This counts more than those handpicked anti-israelic advisers.

[flaguypl]

What i don't understand is why Jews are democrates by tradition. one of the polls i saw was that 72% of jews are voting for Yomama. WHY?, i believe that most post are done here by a minority of people but don't represent the jewish voters. Isn't it about time for a switch of teams especially when you see what your getting. Granted, McCain isn't perfect but the USA & State of Israel have a better shot with him. but this is my opinion,

[Katie]

well of course it does.. i mean jewish people tend to vote democratically but obama has a history of supporting arabs so jews arnt gonna line up behind him

[Eliza]

What i don't understand is why Jews are democrates by tradition.

This article is nearly 2 years old, but I believe it explains a lot:

The Democratic Party has been a congenial political home for many American Jews since the era of FDR. The party welcomed them into its ranks (along with many blacks and urban dwellers) and its programs comported well with many values Jews cherish. The Party was also seen as one that had offered help to the doomed Jews of Europe, opposed prejudice, and supported the fledgling state of Israel from enemies that boasted of its plans to destroy the state.

Conversely, the Republican Party was perceived to be a WASP enclave, isolationist in its outlook, and weak on support for Israel (though George C. Marshall under the Truman Administration advocated abandoning Israel to the tender mercies of its Arab neighbors).

However, these views are now anachronistic and need to be revisited.

Developments in the Democratic Party bode ill for the Jewish people and for the state of Israel — home of up to 40% of the world's remaining Jewish population. The rank and file of the Party has become increasingly anti—Semitic and support for Israel has noticeably fallen. Democratic Congressmen have reflected this trend in very visible ways: their votes and actions in Congress reveal that support for Israel has eroded in alarming ways. Furthermore, more than a few Democratic Congressman have openly made statements that are either clearly anti—Semitic or can be fairly construed to be at least, 'anti—Semitic in effect, if not intent'.

These disconcerting trends can be observed by a bottom—up approach: looking at the grassroots base of the Democratic Party, how these views are expressed in Congress, and how the Democratic leadership has responded to these developments.�Since the House of Representatives appears to be headed toward a Democratic majority and certain key Chairmanships will fall into the hands of Democrats with anti—Israel histories, these trends will have very serious implications for Jews and for the state of Israel.

Please read the rest @ http://www.americanthinker.com/2006/09/the_democratic_party_and_the_j.html

[Eliza]

Katie, your signature line:  "Over the last 15 months, we've traveled to every corner of the United States. I've now been in 57 states? I think one left to go." - Barack Obama

B. Hussein O. was referring to the 57 Islamic states ... oops, he's a perpetual gaffe machine!   

[דוד בן זאב אריה]

well of course it does.. i mean jewish people tend to vote democratically but obama has a history of supporting arabs so jews arnt gonna line up behind him

It's not just Obama Hillary is a clear cut Jew hater. Democrats are in general out of touch with Jewish Values