Helpfully listed on the flipside of "Famous Jewish Sports Legends."
Posted on 05/10/2011 9:10:15 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Republican Jews to Donald Trump: You’re not hired. That is, not until you at least turn up to an interview with a resume.
And the same goes for Sarah Palin, another media favorite who keeps flirting with a bid for the Republican presidential nomination but never commits.
Leading Jewish Republicans, many speaking off the record, confirm what the rank and file is happy to say on the record: These two GOP “likelys” consuming so much publicity are not likely to last.
“All politicians enjoy the title ‘likely’ -- it gives them relevance on the national scene,” said Jay Zeidman, a former White House Jewish liaison and now a Houston businessman who heads the Republican Jewish Coalition’s local chapter. “It allows them to have a pulpit to speak from. But when you look at who's putting the infrastructure together, who has the money to sustain themselves through the primaries, I don’t see Sarah Palin and Donald Trump putting it together.”
Trump, who has generated much buzz with his personal attacks on President Obama -- questioning where he was born, and whether he has the smarts or the integrity to do the job -- does not resonate as serious, said Alan Joel Steinberg, a conservative New Jersey political analyst.
“A serious candidate does not use the kind of language he used,” he said.
Republican Jews, with a substantial base among the Orthodox, are turned off by the a real estate magnate’s grandstanding, Steinberg said -- for instance, in attacking the president’s China policy in a recent speech in Las Vegas laced with profanity.
“That's bathroom language,” he said.
Trump, of course, has a familial tie to the Jewish community: His daughter, Ivanka, converted to Judaism before marrying fellow real estate empire heir Jared Kushner.
Yet Trump has said little thus far in his presidential flirtation about Israel policy, a key component of any candidate’s appeal to Jewish Republicans, Zeidman said. That’s especially a concern now that the party is dedicated to slashing budgets and with Jewish Republicans wanting assurances from candidates that aid to Israel is sacrosanct, he said.
“We have to call our community and members and say, ‘It’s important we make tough cuts, but not to Israel,’ ” Zeidman said. “That's the issue that resonates most with us.”
Off the record, a number of Jewish Republican leaders who have had dealings with Trump say they don’t think his colorful financial history -- peppered with triumphs and bankruptcies -- befits the intense scrutiny that all modern candidates must bear.
Fred Taub, a Jewish radio host in Cleveland who has been active on a number of campaigns, said Trump is never going to want to open up his books to the press.
“He has a lot of issues,” said Taub, who recently authored “Boycotting Peace,” a book about the Israel divestment movement. “Is he a serious campaigner? Not really. Is he going to disclose his entire finances? I don’t think so.”
Palin, at least, is adding substance to her thin governmental resume, most recently in a speech on foreign policy, Steinberg said. But she has yet to demonstrate that she is willing to make the commitment to a run, although Steinberg said he has heard from those around her that she is seriously looking at a presidential bid.
“I think if she ran, she would get substantial Orthodox Jewish support and among right-wing Zionists,” he said. “The problem is it's not clear whether she's running or not. Her followers tell me she is, but she's not raising money or having events in Iowa,” the first caucus state. “She has to make a decision.”
The former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate recently stopped in Israel on her way back from giving a speech in India, and met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
But she has also confused Jewish neoconservatives who admired her outspoken embrace of American exceptionalism and a strong U.S. role overseas with her May 2 speech in Colorado advocating a lower international profile for the United States.
“We can’t fight every war, we can’t undo every injustice in the world,” she said in that speech, which was first reported by Politico.
That incensed Jennifer Rubin, a Washington Post columnist who had been one of Palin’s earliest champions among Jews. Rubin wrote that Palin’s fecklessness suggested superficiality.
“Her views then and perhaps now don’t spring from a well-grounded understanding of foreign policy but from briefing cards,” Rubin wrote. “Change the cards, and presto, a new foreign policy! To the dismay of many who saw great potential in her, she chose not to immerse herself in issues and put meat on the bones of her intuitive policy positions.”
Her speech also drew expressions of concern from Bill Kristol, the editor of the Weekly Standard, previously a strong backer of Palin.
But policy positions aside, Jewish Republicans question Palin’s seriousness in part because she has not vigorously reached out to Jewish Republican activists and donors. When visiting Israel, Palin snubbed the Republican Jewish Coalition’s well-oiled Israel program for candidates thinking of a run for office.
George W. Bush's 1998 trip, before running for president, was considered critical to formulating his adamant pro-Israel views while he was in office. In more recent years, the RJC has hosted former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour.
Steinberg said that assessing the seriousness of Republican candidates when it comes to Jews comes down to “Show me the donors.”
By that measure, he said, count Romney as a contender. He has at his side Lewis Eisenberg, a former chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and a close ally of Netanyahu, and Mel Sembler, a leader in the RJC and a major donor to the Bush campaigns.
“The real Jewish impact on the Republican Party is on the fundraising side,” said Steinberg, who noted also that Romney has become deeply conversant with Middle East policy. “And now Romney has recruited the best fund-raisers in the Republican Party.”
How about left handed stay at home Christian moms with three children of school age who live in the Southwest?
I am sure there are MORE OF THEM than there are Jewish Republicans!!!!
Idiocy.
“Palin’s a media darling...”
Now I’ve heard everything. The media finds her useful as a sort of permanent tease toggle; but a darling? What is this guy smoking? The lamestreams have been doing their utmost to destroy her.
How many are there? Like three?
“..but they don’t excite Jewish Republicans”
Ok, so that is what, 13 people total?
Didn’t know Jewish Republicans even existed.
Jews voted for zero, I couldn’t care less what they think about conservtive candidates.
I have little respect for Americanized Jews. They are just out to pad their wealth on the backs of anyone the dems choose to misuse. To these “intellectuals” I say go the he!! back to Israel and leave us patriots to clean up the mess ya’ll have created.
Helpfully listed on the flipside of "Famous Jewish Sports Legends."
Looks like the main problem the conservative Jewish community has with Palin is the uncertainty of her running. This is a concern for a lot of us. I don't know if Palin has decided that the price her family and children would have to pay for her run and America's future is worth it. I hope she decides it is.
The Jewish neo-conservatives are confused enough without Palin's help.
Wow..... goose step much?
Exactly. I guess we also need to know how they appeal to Black Republicans. Maybe we can hold a meeting of Jewish and Black Repbulcians in a phone booth and try to convince them to support Palin and Trump.
............THIS!!!!
Yes, Please Ubama 2012! (Do I need a SARC?)
Sarah Palin ping
Sarah has been known at least by me as the most pro-Israel (possible) candidate for the nomination. Other than converting, I don’t see what she could do more for these people.
“The problem is it’s not clear whether she’s running or not. Her followers tell me she is, but she’s not raising money or having events in Iowa,” the first caucus state.”
Why I keep saying; “until she is in, she ain’t in.”
Jewish WHATs?
Jewish people are about 2% of Americans or two out of every hundred Americans. So about 20% of 2% -or- four people out of a thousand are Jewish Americans who vote Republican.
So a lot more than just 13 in all of the USA, but really, only 16 out of four thousand people.
Polling 16 people out of four thousand and claiming that their opinion is somehow relevant when compared to the 3,984 other people is just silly.
On the other hand - so is the usual ‘blame’ assigned to Jewish people for voting Democrat. Great - 80% of 2% of the population is really swaying things towards the Democrats! Not even close to being decisive.
“Wow..... goose step much?”
Ah geez, ntsa! Don’t give me your cockamamie bs about this german guy hating jews, etc! I consider them part and parcel of the liberal socialist movement in our country and it has nothing to do with their ethnicity. Next!
OK so in the bottom pic, that’s the Palins and Netenyahu but who’s the blond chick?
Which 'famed' preacher has Sarah been spending a whole lot of time with recently? She is going to need that limb of Christians to get the born and bred democrat (Christian) vote. That is IF she is really looking at running. Now of course there is an other limb that believe women should be 'seen' and never heard from except to keep the church cleaned.
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