James Taranto in the Wall Street Journal addresses the very delicate subject of what the Republican Jewish Coalition is targeting on the Democratic side.
Slate's Dave Weigel reports that the Republican Jewish Coalition held a debate yesterday where six Republican candidates had the opportunity to "fight it out over who's good for the Jews."
[Weigel wrote,] "So on the surface, Republican presidential candidates were celebrating and predicting a breakthrough year with Jewish voters. One inch below the surface, they were making pitches to the voters and donors they could actually win."
That makes sense. We have heard--and please don't take this the wrong way--that there are some wealthy Jews. If Republicans can persuade them to open their wallets--or even to stop doing so for President Obama--a pro-Israel pitch may pay dividends.
This is what I've said again and again. There is a primary right now for big Jewish donors, who are seen as a swing vote. And it's no coincidence that Taranto begins his column on the subject of Center for American Progress's critics of Israel; Josh Block's failed assault on the Center for American Progress was at one level a Republican raid on Obama donors.
Once the Republicans anoint their candidate, circle the wagons and begin campaigning, Obama is going to be faced with accusations of being insufficiently pro-Israel, even anti-Jew. Will he try to outdo the opposition in Israel-love? Is that even possible? I shudder to think what THAT would look like. Or will he grow a spine and cut the “Jewish” state loose?
Thanks kapok. I hope Obama would grow a spine (using stem cell technology perhaps). Seriously he could do it, and do it successfully, by just inviting Jeremy Ben-Ami onto the public stage with him, throw his arm around Mr. Ben-Ami, and basically endorse J Street’s position for a 2SS. The 2SS is now way to the left of both Romney and Gingrich. The American Jewish rank-and-file would side with Ben-Ami and Obama over Gingrich and Netanyahu I strongly believe. Adopting the J Street position would immunize Obama from the wrath of the Lobby, because J Street/ Ruth Marcus/ Michelle Goldberg etc. are now part of the Establishment. The Israel Lobby cannot afford to further alienate young influential American Jewish opinion makers because Brand Israel is selling so poorly already.
RE: “We have heard–and please don’t take this the wrong way–that there are some wealthy Jews.” ~ James Taranto at the WSJ
MY COMMEMT: How dare James Taranto and the Wall Street Journal “count the (wealthy) Jews”!
How dare they!
How dare they!
How dare they!
P.S. FOR CONTEXT SEE: My response to ‘DailyKos’ smear, by Phil Weiss – link to mondoweiss.net
Abe Foxman’s antisemitism meter is off the charts, probably has a light like an NHL goal post and a siren. The Jewish Vote /= Jewish Voters. It’s all about the money. Why are there a lot of wealthy Jews? Because in antiquity they were usually the bankers. Sometimes they were restricted to being bankers. Bankers, above any other career, are the closest to the money supply. This is a good thing if you want to become wealthy. Once you amass wealth and live a long life, you pass it on to your kin and create a hereditary dynasty. This is why Jewish people dominate the banking industry and make up a sizable chunk of the elite. Hereditary dynasty is also the reason the rich stay rich generation after generation. If you aren’t born into the elite, you don’t stand much of a chance joining their ranks. A modern day caste system.
When you have all the money, you can call a lot of shots. You can call all the shots in a lot of cases. There are a lot of wealthy Jews partial to Israel and they carry a lot of power in their pocketbooks. There are also a lot of wealthy non-Jews partial to Israel who the lobby goes after. It’s not just AIPAC, but all the various neocon think tanks and the MSM which bows to the well of wall street too.
That’s why we don’t live in a real democracy. A financial democracy is a plutocracy. Americans are conditioned by banksters money into believing they have free will when in fact they are voting for the candidates pre-selected by the banksters. The banksters are not elected by the people. Therefore it is the illusion of democracy.
What makes it even more dangerous is the career-ending smear of antisemitism and the ADL rubbing it in. That and the rest of the Jews and Christians duped into supporting Israel.
Charon, that’s why the mainstream media and both major political parties follow a script that Ron Paul is of no consequences, even after OWS, and his persistent 3rd place showing–he would attack the banker dynasty system as well as its foreign policy in the core ME. We are almost a plutocracy but for a few here and there like Ron Paul. De facto, of course, yes we are a plutocracy. In the 19th Century Rothschild said, paraphrasing, “Give me control of your money and I will control your country like no mere standing army.”
Gingrich’s former strategist from the 1980s has recently stated Gingrich is definitely pandering to the rich Jews as primary heats up with Israel First mentality: link to networkedblogs.com
RE: “Gingrich’s former strategist…recently stated Gingrich is definitely pandering to the rich Jews” ~ Citizen
TRASCRIPT:
• [PAUL:] Here with me, Matt Towery, syndicated columnist and former campaign adviser to Newt Gingrich and Lee May, Democratic County commissioner in suburban Atlanta, DeKalb County there. Gingrich’s comments on the Palestinians, you’ve got to wonder now that you’ve heard it for yourself.
• LEE MAY (D), COUNTY COMMISSIONER, DEKALB COUNTY: Yes.
• PAUL: I want to ask you, Matt, since you’ve worked with him this has to give pause to people when they consider what they would vote for and how he would handle foreign policy, would it not?
• MATT TOWERY, POLITICAL COLUMNIST: I had a chance to see the entire thing. And the part that I think is sort of being left out in — in the — in the overall headline of this is that Gingrich is giving a very accurate, historical review. He used some bad phraseology in my opinion and saying that in essence this is a — people that don’t exist or who were invented — that wasn’t a good phrase.
But what he was explaining is historically very accurate and it’s probably why we still have the problem going on that we have. That doesn’t mean that I necessarily agree or disagree with him. But I think in terms of the Republican primary, it’s not going to be a big problem for him.
The Republican primary is one in which primarily you have money coming from pro-Israelis and in Jewish organizations and that a play for that money. And you’re really are not going to have a whole lot of folks involved from either the Arab world or from any area that might be affected by these comments that are going to be voting in any of these primaries any time soon.
• PAUL: OK, so for them it’s not a problem necessarily. But for the American people, is this even a blip on our radar when it comes down to it, so to speak? I mean, aren’t people watching right now in this preliminary months wondering who’s going to fix our economy?
• MAY: Well, yes. I think you’re right. I think for the grand scheme of things, America is really concerned about that unemployment number. They are concerned about jobs. They are concerned about the cost of goods, of gas, of prices to eat. But in reality, what Newt is doing is he’s trying to shore up his support in the Jewish community. He’s trying to show them that he is a strong advocate for Israel and for a strong America — American- Israel relationship. But in doing that, his words, he — and Newt has always emerged —
• PAUL: So it’s a verbiage choice isn’t it?
• MAY: Well yes, but his words and he has a way of doing this many times that he’ll make certain statements that are very volatile and will cause this kind of conversation. Look I — you know I — went to travel to Israel a couple of months ago and I had a chance to meet with many of the Israeli leaders and with the Palestinian Authority leaders as well.
And there is such a — there is such a volatile issue the peace talks and everything…
SOURCE – link to transcripts.cnn.com
* Who paid for Commissioner May’s trip to Israel? ~ J.L.D.
RE: “Who paid for Commissioner May’s trip to Israel?” ~ me, above
FROM THE AIPAC WEBSITE (undated):
African American Political Leaders and Activists Visit Israel
A group of African American politicians, consultants and activists arrived in Israel this week to participate in an American Israel Education Foundation (AIEF) Seminar. The group of 18 includes eight state and local elected officials and three appointed government officials, including the presidents of the city councils of Atlanta and Detroit. The other participants are all deeply involved in political and civic life in their communities, including five who are co-chairs for the DNC’s Generation44 fundraising initiative in their cities. A number of the seminar participants have already attended pro-Israel events in their communities and have shown interest in strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship. Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell and DeKalb County Commissioner Lee May passed Iranian divestment resolutions in their jurisdictions in 2009.
SOURCE – link to aipac.org
P.S. TWITTER:
SOURCE – link to scribe.twitter.com
Smart donors, no matter what their background, will be fools to donate to any of these GOP presidential aspirant clowns, past an amount that gets the candidate off the donor’s back, or somehow obliged in the future.
Phil, I don’t think your logic has held truth since Truman capitulated to the Zionist back in 1948 when he was told if he didn’t do what they say, key votes, media, and tons of hard Zionist cash would instantly fill Dewey’s coffers. This has been the pattern ever since, and we have the world we have now because of it–next stop, Iran.