How much you wanta bet they vote Democrat next year?
Sure, but how many will just skip voting for a presidential candidate? President Obama's approval rating among Jewish voters dropped to around 60% before the latest declamations on the Middle East, a significant change. |
B.O.Obama's term, centered on a perception that Obama has been too tough on Israel.
Some Jewish donors say Obama has pushed Israeli leaders too hard to halt construction of housing settlements in disputed territory, a longstanding element of U.S. policy. Some also worry that Obama is putting more pressure on the Israelis than the Paleostinians to enter negotiations, and say they are disappointed Obama has not visited Israel yet.
One top Democratic fund-raiser, Miami developer Michael Adler, said he urged Obama campaign manager Jim Messina to be "extremely proactive" in countering the perception in the Jewish community that Obama is too critical of Israel.
Betcha Mikey kicks in next time the White House calls for a contribution...
| If everyone gives less, and doesn't try as hard to get others to give, it adds up. Especially when the unions are considering getting out of the fundraising biz altogether. |
"I believed that then-Senator Obama would be as good as
John MaverickMcCain
... the Senator-for-Life from Arizona, former presidential candidate and even more former
foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution...
(in the 2008 election) based on his statements at the time, and based on his support of Israel," Koch told Rooters in an interview following Obama's Middle East policy speech Thursday. "It turns out I was wrong."
That's alright, Ed. There'll be another election next year. He'll say what he said last time and you'll buy it again this time.
The billionaire real estate developer and publisher said bluntly that Obama will get "less political support, fewer activists for his campaign, and I am sure that will extend to financial support as well."
"Fewer" isn't the same thing as "none." It doesn't even exclude "lots."
The Obama campaign has asked Penny Pritzker, Obama's 2008 national finance chairwoman, to talk with Jewish leaders about their concerns, Ms. Pritzker said.
"Yeah, Penny. Get 'em back on board the old Ironclad."
Obama ignited a firestorm on Thursday when he called on Israel to use its 1967 boundaries as the launching point for peace negotiations with Paleostinian leaders.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had bluntly criticized Obama's call earlier this week to base future negotiations on Paleostinian statehood on Israel's boundaries before it captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gazoo Strip in the 1967 Mideast war.
However,
The didactic
However...
in his Sunday address to the influential pro-Israeli lobby in the U.S., AIPAC, President Barack Obama backtracked from earlier remarks regarding an Israeli-Paleostinian agreement based on their pre-1967 borders, suggesting Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu had misrepresented him.
"Even while we may at times disagree, as friends sometimes will, the bonds between the United States and Israel are unbreakable, and the commitment of the United States to the security of Israel is ironclad," Obama said to loud applause.