Bush Courts Jewish Voters and Fails

According to this piece in The Washington Post, Republican strategists identified Jewish voters as their next target after 9/11 calling them "September 12 Republicans". Did you need any more proof that Bush has used and continues to use one of the great tragedies of our nation for his benefit? Leave it to Republicans to use 9/11 to identify new voting blocks instead of concentrating on healing, rebuilding and protecting our country.

The good news in this is that this attempt to convince Jewish voters that they are Republicans has pretty much failed.

It is such people that Vice President Cheney will be courting tomorrow, when he speaks to the closing plenary session of the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee's policy conference. But the much-trumpeted effort by the Bush White House to make deep inroads on the Democrats' historic claims on Jewish voters -- and, even more important politically, the campaign contributions of Jewish donors -- has not materialized in any convincing fashion, according to poll data, fundraisers and campaign finance reports.

In his article, Edsall identifies the DeLay and Abramoff scandals as obstacles for the Republicans in courting Jewish voters.

Recently, two new obstacles are hurting GOP efforts at cultivating Jews: the corruption scandals involving former House majority leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.)and his onetime friend and benefactor, Jack Abramoff.

Abramoff, an orthodox Jew, had asserted he was playing a key role in the drive to recruit Jewish donors to the Republican cause. But some Republicans now consider the disgraced lobbyist an albatross shadowing this effort.

So, to date, the Republicans have tried to highjack the women's vote, the black vote and now the Jewish vote. The one vote I don't see them coming after is the eyes-wide-open-brain-engaged vote. Well, they may come after us, but since we see them as the small-minded, opportunist, biggots that they are....let's just say, they won't get our votes.