“What is the future for Republican Jews?”

Aaron Keyak — November 26, 2008 – 1:50 pm | Barack Obama | McCain Comments (0) Add a comment

This week JTA asks the question, "What is the future for Republican Jews?"

Republican Jews must broaden their message, reach out to younger voters and work to make sure the party doesn't turn too conservative.

That's what some GOP Jewish officeholders and activists say they need to do after a fifth consecutive election in which the Republican presidential candidate has failed to win more than a quarter of the Jewish vote.

Many political observers thought the Republicans had a chance to take upwards of 30 percent of the Jewish vote in 2008 because the GOP nominee had a strong pro-Israel record (and a relatively moderate domestic one) and was facing a Democratic candidate with a thin foreign policy background. Republican outreach to Jews -- whether it was the messaging from the McCain campaign or the multimillion-dollar print and broadcast advertising effort launched by the Republican Jewish Coalition -- focused almost exclusively on the two candidates' records and promised policies regarding Israel and Iran.

Leading Republicans find RJC's focus in this year's election was a "mistake."

“The lesson to be learned is we have to communicate with Jewish voters” about other things besides “who's more pro-Israel,” said Adam Hasner, the majority leader of the Florida House of Representatives and the state's steering committee co-chair for McCain. “We did a poor job talking about anything other than Israel.”

Hasner says he thinks “we have the right policies” on issues such as the economy, health care and education to appeal to Jewish voters, but “we need to figure out a way to get Jewish voters to listen.”

As an example, he says Republicans could attract Jews by doing “a better job of talking about our comprehensive plan” for energy independence, noting that the simplistic “drill, baby, drill” mantra repeated by Republicans during the final weeks of the campaign did not appeal to many in the Jewish community.

“Jewish voters are very demanding,” Hasner said.

Former Bush Jewish liaison Jeff Berkowitz agrees with Hasner that a “big opening” exists for Jewish Republicans on “energy security,” arguing that Democrats are “torn between fighting climate change and ending dependence on foreign oil,” while the GOP has “smart” and comprehensive solutions.

Remember these are Republicans. It seems like the only people defending RJC is, well, RJC.

After 1132 words, comment from two former Republican Jewish liaisons, RJC's Matt Brooks, a few Republican Jewish Elected officials, a consultant, and Fred Zeidman, who has co-chaired Jewish outreach for the last three Republican presidential campaigns, Ira Forman answers the question in about 30 words.

"The party itself has to change its message" to attract Jewish voters, Forman said. "Its dominant ideology of the past 30 years is not going to make serious inroads in the Jewish community."

Well said.

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