Jewish Vote: Still Liberal After All These Years

[cbayer]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mj-rosenberg/jewish-vote-in-the-bag-fo_b_1671075.html


MJ Rosenberg
Political commentator
Posted: 07/13/2012 12:44 pm


The Romney campaign says that its candidate is traveling to Israel in late July for some campaign events and to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu. According to JTA, in anticipation of the visit, GOP operatives have decamped in Israel to organize. Ari Fleischer, former president George W. Bush's press secretary, spoke at a Romney rally in Tel Aviv and told the audience that, far-fetched as it sounds, expats in Israel can conceivably determine who will be the next president.

"Imagine it's Nov. 6, you wake up, you don't vote, you hear we have another razor-thin election," Fleischer told the crowd. He noted that Israel's 150,000 Jews are "the size of Dayton, Ohio. You're the size of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. You're a longer plane trip from New York from those places, but you're equally important."

Although campaigning among expatriates is odd, and perhaps even unseemly, it makes sense for the Republicans to try it. After all, ex-Americans voting in Israel in 2008 went for McCain over Obama 76 percent to 24 percent. On the other hand, Jewish Americans living in the United States voted for Obama over McCain by the same ratio. And there is little indication that will change this year. So why not go to Israel for a friendlier reception (albeit from a tiny group) than Romney will receive from Jewish communities here.

The big question about the Romney visit is whether he will attack the president while on foreign soil. Traditionally, American politicians avoid that, adhering to the customary view that "politics stop at the water's edge."

more at link

[dimbear]

1. Are we allowed to wish their big contributors were all as loyal? n/t

[cbayer]

2. Whose big contributors? I don't understand this post.

[dimbear]

3. I mean noted rightwing financial backer Sheldon Adelson et al.

Sorry if I've been obscure, trying not to offend our Jewish friends and allies.