Republican Outreach to Jews Is Working Almost as Well as the Outreach to African Americans

And some Republicans wonder why most Jews don't vote Republican. Well, conservative talk radio is one answer. Here's what conservative talk radio host Mike Rosen has to say:

Sure. [Caller], you have exceptions like Milton Friedman, for example, a brilliant free-market economist who was more libertarian than conservative and one of my all-time heroes. Milton Friedman certainly understood the big picture, but so many Jews who are regarded by people as instinctively good merchants are just that. They're merchants at the retail level and don't have, I don't think, a good grasp of the big economic picture like the people like Milton Friedman did.

Now, this is a truly novel take: rarely have I witnessed Jews being called money grubbing and stupid at the same time. But maybe I'm being unfair. After all, most talk radio hosts are professional assholes. Well, then there's Republican Governor Tommy Thompson:

"I'm in the private sector and for the first time in my life I'm earning money. You know that's sort of part of the Jewish tradition and I do not find anything wrong with that."

Thompson later apologized for the comments that had caused a stir in the audience, saying that he had meant it as a compliment, and had only wanted to highlight the "accomplishments" of the Jewish religion.

...."I just want to clarify something because I didn't [by] any means want to infer or imply anything about Jews and finances and things," he said.

"What I was referring to, ladies and gentlemen, is the accomplishments of the Jewish religion. You've been outstanding business people and I compliment you for that."

And, finally, Republican Senator John McCain who thinks that the Constitution established a Christian nation:


A recent poll found that 55 percent of Americans believe the U.S. Constitution establishes a Christian nation. What do you think?

I would probably have to say yes, that the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation.

There's no mention of Christianity in the Constitution, but McCain hasn't exactly been a profile in courage recently, so this isn't surprising. Oh well, the Republicans can always count on their superb outreach to black voters...

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"rarely have I witnessed Jews being called money grubbing and stupid at the same time."

It's our own fault: all the smart Jews were too busy being scientists, doctors, lawyers, writers, artists, etc., to have a chance at grasping "the big picture"; and what picture could possibly be bigger than free-market economics?

KUHN: Yeah, it's complicated, because, I mean, they're also the only American demographic group who votes against their economic interests.

Sounds like a couple of real geniuses there. Obviously anybody who would not vote Republican are voting against their economic interests. And, as we all know, there is only one American demographic group who would do such a crazy thing like that.

/sarcasm

Well, there is one important difference between Jews and Christians in this country. With the exception of the haredim, who are no better than any other fundamentalists, and the parents of the Jewish neocons, who (those who are still alive anyway) must wonder where they went wrong, Jewish people have been fairly successful at raising their kids to be non-moronic. For some Christians, conversely, moronhood seems to be a point of pride.

I was going to post, but I need to get back to counting my money and cackling deviously.

So what do we native american's get? Ah yes, I remember: forgotten.
And as for the Irish, well, they're too drunk to notice being ignored.

And what did everybody wind up calling the nerdy Jewish kid from High School? Boss.

I try to avoid listening to people who try to pigeon-hole people into monolithic groups. Jews are this. Mexican are that. Blacks do this. Swedes are that. All it means is that the one who is doing the pigeon-holing has a bigoted, lazy brain. A tiny, atrophied one at that.

By Ken Mareld (not verified) on 30 Sep 2007 #permalink

This reminds me a little of a crazy German who used to hang out on sco.culture.british and eventually got busted for stalking Princess Di. His beef was that he didn't mind the fact that Jews ran the world but he was really pissed off that we were doing such a bad job of it.