A Letter to Jewish Republicans
My good friend, Bobbi Leigh Zito, wrote this letter to Jewish Republicans. I am republishing it here.
Fellow Jewish Republicans:
Why in this day and age do 75% of Jews consistently vote the Democrat ticket? Here is what we have to tell them: President George W. Bush is the best friend Israel has ever had.
According to a recent Gallup Poll, most Republicans strongly support Israel, while only a minority of Democrats do. Democrats believe we should be more “balanced” in our approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Should we have been more “balanced” in our relations with Germany during WWII? Should we look for the kinder, gentler, less anti-Semitic side of Iran as well?
Almost all the anti-Israel, anti-Semitic rhetoric is from the Left: Cindy Sheehan, A.N.S.W.E.R.[A project of the World Workers Party (Communist)], leftist students and professors at most universities, Dick Durbin, Jesse Jackson, Howard Dean, Jimmy Carter, The LA Times, Spike Lee, etc., etc. etc. The list is endless.
Jews and Jewish interests are the main target of the Islamofascists. The largest Jewish population lives in New York, the bulls eye for terrorism in this country. Democrats are weak on defense and weak on the War on Terror. They voted against the Patriot Act, are against NSA terrorist wiretapping, against terrorist profiling, against looking at the bank records of terrorists, in favor of giving terrorists “constitutional rights,” even when they are not citizens of this country. They are weak on the security of our nation. Democrats see the War on Terror as John Kerry so eloquently put it, as “a nuisance” or more of a police action than an actual war. They want to cut and run in Iraq. When you have a bulls eye on your back, and on the backs of your children, how can you support a political party that is soft on defense and weak on the War on Terror?
With tax cuts and a pro-business philosophy, the economy is booming under George W. Bush. An increase in taxes and an increase in the minimum wage, which is what would happen if the Dems get in power, would disproportionately hurt Jews who are often the owners of small businesses and/or professionals, and as employers of other people. That in turn would of course hurt the poor as well. When was the last time you heard of a poor person giving another poor person a job? So, if you want to help the poor, don’t try and destroy the “rich.” Not to mention Social Security. Do you think young Jewish professionals might benefit from the privatization of Social Security? How about those who are on the lower income scale? Do you think they might benefit from privatization Social Security? [If your answer to any of those questions is no, you are not informed. To get informed go here, here, and here.]
Affirmative action (where you pass over more qualified white people so that you can hire unqualified black people), supported by the Democrats, hurts Jews and Asians–the two highest functioning and most educated ethnic groups, more than anyone else. Education is a major concern of Jews. How many Jews are sending their children to public schools these days? Of course, Democrats are against school vouchers and totally control the teacher’s unions. As for higher education, Ann Coulter coined the term “American Madrassas” to describe college campuses.
Then there’s the holy sacrament of the Democrat Party: abortion. Well, to be totally craven in my answer, I would say this: in the unlikely event that the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, it would become a state issue. Most Jews live in very blue states like New York and California (those in Florida are a bit too old to be worried about abortion) and so, your reproductive “rights” would remain unchanged. And what about those cranky old Jews living in Florida? Despite what the Dems and the drive-by media will tell you, the Medicare prescription drug program has been a huge success.
And, finally, the anti-religious, secular fascism of the Left is truly frightening. First they came for the Evangelicals and we didn’t do anything, then they came for the Catholics and we didn’t do anything…who will be left when they come for the Jews?
Folks, it’s time to wake up and smell the matzoh. We must, must spread the word to our misguided Democrat Jewish friends and relatives—yes even the brother-in-law you can’t stand to be in the room with—no matter how painful, we have to start talking to our Democrat “landsmen” and convince them to vote Republican in November and beyond. The future of America depends upon it.
You know, when I was a kid my parents used to say, “Jewish at home, goyish outside.” So, let them call themselves Democrats if they insist, but the ballot is secret—just get them to vote Republican.
— Bobbi Leigh Zito
As a Jewish Republican I can’t understand why Jews would still be in the Democratic Party today. Today’s Democratic Party is far to the left of the Democratic Party of F.D.R., Harry Truman and J.F.K. By and large the Democratic Party of today is anti-Israel, anti-religion, and I believe they would sell Israel out in five minutes to the Arabs if they had the opportunity. As that becomes more evident to Jews, who are still in denial about what the Democratic Party is today, we will see a major move of Jews to the Republican Party.
Cross-posted at Bear to the Right
September 6th, 2006 at 4:45 pm
There are two factors that may explain the 75% . One is the very simple fact that there are plenty of secular Jews who don’t support Israel. Even within Israel itself while this most recent conflict in Lebanon was going on there were college students protesting the war in the midst of the falling Iranian rockets. Another factor is that there are many older Jews who still think the democratic party is still run by FDR.
September 6th, 2006 at 6:39 pm
I like your second point.
September 6th, 2006 at 9:02 pm
Tel Aviv is mainly liberals; however the katusha rockets didn’t land there. I guess when Hezbollah-puke begins the second round and hits targets killing hundreds in the main city the polls will change – hopefully.
September 6th, 2006 at 9:25 pm
At first I thought this was a joke, but apparently not. This post is the epitome of what’s wrong with America at this point in time, exemplified by misleading statements, twisting of facts, outright lies, and general misrpresentations. If you think for a minute that republiCONs are the friends of Jews, you are sadly mistaken.
Taking the results of the Gallup poll and representing that republiCONs support Israel and democrats don’t is the equivalent of saying “the real thing” is cola and “the un-cola” is not. Gobbledegook, folks. Here’s the facts:
That there is a high correlation between Evangelicals and republiCONs explains Zito’s misleading statement; but what’s BS is the statement that democrats somehow support Palestinians, and that democrats would take a more “balanced” view towards Germany during WWII and Iran presently. Hardly.
Let’s dissect some of the more outrageous remarks.
Broad and sweeping generalizations add little to an intelligent debate. Assuming that Islamofacists is code for terrorists who are Muslim, and discounting the fact that the preponderance of 9/11 victoms were not Jewish, the same for victims in the Madrid train bombings and the London subway attacks, I guess we can all agree.
If New York is the bullseye, why did the Department of Homeland Security reduce antiterrorism funding? Oh, I know: DHS is anti-semetic. And it’s being run by a self-hating Jew, to boot.
Then why is it that all the wars we’ve won in the past 100 years were waged by Democrats, and all the wars we’ve lost were waged by republiCONs?
Wrong. The PATRIOT Act passed in the Senate by a vote of 98 to 1, and in the House by a vote of 357 to 66. Or did the sloppy author mean the renewal? Oops, wrong there, too: It was renewed on March 2, 2006 with a vote of 89 to 11 in the Senate and on March 7 280 to 138 in the House.
Of course, if Zito had bothered to look at legitimate research, he/she would have noticed that the American people are, at present, pretty evenly split on the PATRIOT Act, with 45% saying the Act goes “too far” and 49% saying it doesn’t “go far enough.” But here’s an interesting statistic: 52% of Americans are concerned that the Act infringes on their civil liberties. What do we make of that?
Wrong and wrong. If the NSA can identify a target as a terrorist, I doubt you’d find a democrat who’d say their phonecalls should be tapped and their bank records examined. The problem is that when the government goes fishing, it always takes it too far, and we wind up with Watergate. I think we all learned a lesson there, and as a result, we now have FISA courts and laws that establish the use of surveilance and spying. Democrats think the Administration should simply obey the law.
Where did Zito find this gem? Firstly, observing the Geneva Convention has nothing to do with Constitutional rights and everything to do with supporting our troops. Or, in words that Zito can understand, we want to hold ourselves to a higher standard than the terrorists. When we sink to their level, we are no better than they are. We get upset when they dismember, burn and then display Americans on TV; how do you think the average Mohammed felt when they hear of Marines raping a girl and killing her family?
Yeah, all those democrats who refuse to take of their shoes at the airport and want to carry liquid explosives in their luggage…
Sen. Kerry was speaking rhetorically (that means he was saying something to make a point and not speaking literally, Zito), and frankly, he was right. We would be lucky as a Nation and a people if terrorism were just a nuisance. But it is not, as he pointed out, and we need to be one step ahead of the terrorists if we are going to win; not fanning the flames of hatred and violence, and making another breeding ground for terrorism.
You see, the War on Terrorism is being fought through policing. It was policing by British intelligence that brought down the airplane bomb plot; note that no one (not even mAnn Coulter!) suggested that the domestic spying and SWIFT surveilance program had anything to do with the discovery of the plot; it was solid, feet-on-the-street policing that revealed the sinister plot. Thank God for the Brits. They saved us on this one.
And now for the biggie:
Wrong. Democrats want this illegal war that is costing us our blood and treasure, was conceived by idiots and justified through lies, deceipt and corruption, to be brought to an end. If we don’t tell the Iraqis that they have to fend for themselves, they’ll never do it. It was only through pressure and setting a time-line that they formed a government, held elections, and began the process of establishing a democracy… why is it so hard to see that if we don’t apply the same pressure to get out of Iraq, we never will?
Bobbi Leigh, you have it all wrong. You see, it was through George Bush’s failed leadership that Israel lost the recent 34-day war to Hezbollah (and if you don’t think it was a loss, just wait).
And if you don’t think this fiasco hasn’t emboldened the “Islamofacists”, just take a look at how quickly Iran is stopping its nuclear program and backing down in its fanatical statements to the world press.
As a thinking, intelligent and observant individual, I can’t see why anyone has faith in this president, let alone would think he’s the best friend of any Jew.
September 7th, 2006 at 11:18 am
At first I thought this was a joke…
You could’ve stopped at that. StopBush!, you’re the only joke here.
Your comments deserve no further commentary.
Maybe when you change your name to StopIran! we’ll take you a little more seriously.
September 7th, 2006 at 4:19 pm
Maybe when you change your name to StopIran! we’ll take you a little more seriously.
Spot on. How dare you speak your mind where do you think you are America?
Look Jonah. Gary made a point stop bush countered it. It is called debate. You can point out the holes in stopbush’s arguement and people who might be going stop bush is right might read you counter arguement and change their mind. Alas they read your comment and think you are scared.
Why do people think that Israel is the biggests issue for jews. Do people think Northern Ireland is the biggest issue for irish Americans?
September 7th, 2006 at 5:06 pm
I think StopBush! has the right to say whatever he thinks. We don’t want to quell any expression of thought or opinion. But, of course, we are at liberty to challenge and refute what he has to say, which I will do in my next post.
September 7th, 2006 at 5:14 pm
StopBush!, There is so much to say, I don’t quite know where to begin. First of all, let me say that I didn’t write the letter, Bobbi Leigh Zito did, and I have a feeling she will be on here soon to respond to some comments.
But I will say that I totally agree with her comments that Jews do not belong in the Democratic Party of today.
First of all, here is some information that was sent out in the past couple of days by the Republican Jewish Coalition:
“Democrats Increasingly Turn Their Backs on Israel”
A disturbing and dangerous trend is emerging
September 6, 2006, Washington, D.C.
“We are seeing a disturbing trend in the Democratic Party today, one that the American Jewish community needs to take note of,” said Republican Jewish Coalition Executive Director Matt Brooks. “Democrats are increasingly turning their backs on Israel, and have done so even in the midst of Israel’s efforts to stop Hezbollah from bombing Israeli cities.”
Brooks pointed to increasing evidence of a deep shift in the Democratic Party’s relationship with Israel and the Jewish community:
In an August 15th interview with Der Spiegel magazine, Democratic Party elder statesman and former President Jimmy Carter called Israel’s actions against the Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon “unjustified”:
“I don’t think that Israel has any legal or moral justification for their massive bombing of the entire nation of Lebanon. What happened is that Israel is holding almost 10,000 prisoners, so when the militants in Lebanon or in Gaza take one or two soldiers, Israel looks upon this as a justification for an attack on the civilian population of Lebanon and Gaza. I do not think that’s justified, no.”
In the same interview, Carter said, “I think I represent the vast majority of Democrats in this country. I think there is a substantial portion of American people that completely agree with me.”
Recent polling has shown a sharp disparity between Republicans’ and Democrats’ support for Israel. The Democrats have become the party of neutrality:
A NBC/Wall Street Journal poll in late July showed that there is a strong gap between Republicans and Democrats when it comes to support for Israel. The poll showed that among Republicans, an overwhelming 84% say they sympathize more with Israel (1% sympathize more with Arab states); by comparison, just 43% of Democrats do so (12% sympathize more with Arab states).
This is not an isolated instance.
In a poll by the Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg at the very end of July, when asked whether the US should be more neutral in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah or whether the US should align itself with Israel, Democrats supported neutrality over alignment, 54% to 39%. However, by comparison, Republicans strongly supported alignment with the Jewish state 64% to 29%.
These poll results follow several recent political developments:
Seven Democratic members of the US House of Representatives voted, in the heat of Israel’s battle against Hezbollah, against a resolution passed on July 18 which expressed support for Israel’s right of self defense, called for the return of the kidnapped Israeli soldiers, condemned Iran and Syria for their support of terrorism, and condemned Hamas and Hezbollah for using civilians as shields. Those seven House members (and the committees or subcommittees they would likely chair in a Democrat-controlled House are: Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii, (Armed Services Committee’s Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee), John Conyers of Michigan (Judiciary Committee), John Dingell of Michigan (Energy and Commerce Committee), Carolyn Kilpatrick of Michigan,Jim McDermott of Washington, Nick Rahall of West Virginia (Resources Committee), “Pete” Stark of California (Ways and Means Committee’s Health Subcommittee). In addition, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi removed her name as a co-sponsor of this important resolution.
Democratic voters in Connecticut threw Senator Joe Lieberman out of the Democratic Party, effectively silencing one of the leading voices for Israel in their party.
Instead, Democrats let stand remarks like those of Democratic Party activist Cindy Sheehan, who declared last year that America and Israel were to blame for terrorism, saying, “You get America out of Iraq and Israel out of Palestine and you’ll stop the terrorism.” (Dallas, 8/5/2005)
Congressman John Dingell from Detroit made a shocking statement in late July when he told a local television interviewer on WDIV on July 30th, “I don’t take sides for or against Hezbollah or for or against Israel.” While he condemned Hezbollah for its “violence”, he could draw no moral distinction between Hezbollah’s random attacks on Israeli civilians and Israel’s targeted self defense response.
Matt Brooks said, “Increasingly, the pro-Israel voices in the Democratic Party – Joe Lieberman, Harry Truman and Scoop Jackson – have been replaced by Michael Moore, Cindy Sheehan, Al Sharpton and Jimmy Carter. As President Carter’s remarks in Der Spiegel highlighted, what was once the left wing of the Democratic Party is becoming its mainstream. The anti-Israel sentiment which was once the mark of the leftist fringe now appears in major Democratic forums. American Jews, who for decades supported the Democratic Party, need to take a fresh, objective look at the Democratic Party today and decide if it’s the party for them.”
I will make further comments about your post in the next comment I post.
September 8th, 2006 at 5:03 pm
I am still wondering though why you are presumming Israel is a big issue for Jews perphaps they don’t like the republicans for different reasons.
September 8th, 2006 at 5:15 pm
Well, Simon, most of the Jewish Democrats I know feel that Israel is important. There may be some Jews who don’t feel that way, but most I know do. As to the possibility that there may be other issues, I think there are. I think a lot of Jews think of the old Republican Party of the 1930’s to 1950’s where there was some anti-Jewish feeling. Jews were not particularly welcome in the Republican Party back then, but we are now 50-70 years later. The Republican Party is now very welcoming of Jews.
September 8th, 2006 at 11:32 pm
Frankly, the biggest reason is just that the Republicans are the party of the religious right, and, for whatever reason, justified or not, they are seen as a threat by most jews.
I’d argue, that at least in the modern day, the religious right are the best friends jews ever had, and I think most jews that pay attention would agree, but unfortunately, that’s just not accepted well enough.
It can’t hurt having Ken Mehelman and Norm Coleman running around though.
September 8th, 2006 at 11:43 pm
That may be so, Cliff. However I can think of no reason that Jews in 2006 should be concerned about the religious right. They are great friends of the Jews.
Jews need to realize that this is not 1942 and the religious right of today is not anti-semitic - just the opposite. They also need to realize that there are no leaders in the Democratic Party who are F.D.R. That party doesn’t exist any more.
September 9th, 2006 at 5:21 pm
That may be so, Cliff. However I can think of no reason that Jews in 2006 should be concerned about the religious right.
Maybe they don’t like religon in schools. Does religon define a persons voting preferance. Maybe they agree with the republicans on Israel but not on intelligent design, abortion, taxes, enviroment, etc etc.
September 9th, 2006 at 5:34 pm
Interesting points, Simon. That may be so.
September 26th, 2006 at 10:20 am
Jewish Republicans? I thought Jews were considered smart. Are you saying there are Jews that support the Bush administration?
That seems a bit against the grain. What is it about the Republicans that they like?
November 28th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
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