Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 35, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 29, 1996 Page: 2 of 24
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Features
2
TEXAS JEWISH POST, THURSDAY, AUGUST29, 1996 ■ IN OUR BOTH YEARI
On
The Campaign Convention Trail
Jewish Democrats Employ Anti-Dole Strategy in Chicago
By Matthew Dorf
CHICAGO — Jewish
Democrats believe that they
have a winning strategy to
re-elect President Clinton:
Tell voters to just imagine
what Bob Dole would do as
president
Jewish delegates, activists
and Vice President Al Gore
himself repeated the mantra
Ume and time again at the
Democratic National Con-
vention here this week in an
effort to energize the Demo-
cratic faithful as the sprint to
Election Day begins in ear-
nest.
Dole would bring prayer
back to America’s schools,
outlaw abortion, explode the
deficit, eviscerate social ser-
vice programs and cut edu-
cation spending, the argu-
ment goes.
Add Newt Gingnch (R-
Ga.) as speaker of the House
and there's a real danger to
American Jewry, Democrats
say.
Borrowing a line from the
Dole campaign, Jewish Dem-
ocrats are asking: Who do
you trust more to appoint two
Supreme Court justices to fill
vacancies expected in the
next four years?
Without any ambitious
new proposals from the pres-
ident to sink their political
teeth into, Jewish Democrats
and Clinton administration
officials are, for the time be-
ing. focusing their energies
on painting the Republican
presidential ticket asextreme
"Bill Clinton and his veto
pen were the last line of de-
fense against the Republican
agenda.*' said Monte Fned-
kin, national chairman of the
National Jewish Democratic
Council.
“If Bob Dole was in the
White House, there would
have been no one to say no to
school prayer, reject harsh
budget cuts, ban assault
weapons or rescue the U.S.-
Isracl relationship"
Using similar language.
Gore told cheering Jewish
activists, delegates and elect-
ed officials at a reception this
week:
“Ask yourselves what it
would feel like if the same
coalition that pulls the strings
forGingnch and Dole’ ’ could
not “be stopped by a presi-
dent with a veto pen," Gore
said at the gathering, which
was co-sponsored by the
NJDC and the American Is-
rael Public Affairs Commit-
tee.
In the historically uncom-
mon, yet enviable, position
of mobilizing a campaign for
a sitting president’s second
term. Democrats and their
Jewish supporters continue
to ponder what they would
like to see from Clinton if
voters give him four more
years.
On the wish list is reform-
ing welfare reform, balanc-
ing the budget while protect-
ing Medicaid, Medicare, So-
cial Security and social ser-
vice programs, and protect-
ing the environment
But short on specifics for
the future. Jewish Democrats
in the meantime are sound-
ing a united voice to praise
the president’s record on is-
sues closely watched by
many American Jews.
"The Clinton-Gore team
shares our values,” said May-
or Jerry Abramson of Louis-
ville. Ky
In an address to the Clin-
ton-Gore Jewish Leadership
Council, Abramson licked off
his view of these common
ideals: strong families, re-
sponsibility for education, a
strong U.S.-Israel relation-
ship, an appreciation for eth-
nic and racial diversity and a
healthy economy.
While Abramson ac-
knowledged that domestic
issues are likely to dominate
the election season, he —
like most who spoke to Jew-
ish audiences here — praised
Clinton's record on Israel.
“We have a chaver,” said
Abramson, referring to Clin-
ton’s "Shalom, chaver" fare-
well at the funeral of slain
Israeli Prime Minister
Yitzhak Rabin
For many assembled here,
it is still the economy that
they believe will thrust Clin-
ton to victory.
“Clinlon-Gorc brought us
out of the recession and have
created mi 11 ions of jobs, "said
Sheldon Silver, speaker of
the New York state Assem-
bly and chairman of the Em-
pire State’s delegation to the
convention.
"B i 11 Cl i nton passes the test
when people are asked if they
are better off now than four
years ago.” said Silver, tout-
ed by campaign officials as
one of the highest-ranking
Orthodox Jews al the con-
vention.
As Clinton’s Jewish foot
soldiers lake their message
to Jewish voters in key states
across the country, they will
argue that Clinton deserves
re-election because his work
is not yet done.
“When things come up,
you want someone who is a
proven ally,” said Steve
Rothman, a candidate for
Congress from New Jersey.
Rothman, who would be
the first Jewish member of
Congress from his northern
New Jersey district, predict-
ed that Jewish Democrats
would rally around the pres-
ident for his new efforts at
gun control and for "fixing"
the recently enacted welfare
bill.
The welfare legislation,
signed by Clinton last week,
pitted many of the president’s
traditional allies in the Jew-
ish community against him.
Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-
Conn ), general chairman of
the Democratic National
Committee, had some advice
for those voters who were
upset by the welfare reform
bill. Dodd, who voted against
the reforms that Clinton was
supporting, made peace with
the president about his deci-
sion.
“This president cares about
the issue,” said Dodd in a
brief interview at the Jewish-
sponsored reception Sunday
night “He’s committed to try
to fix the problems in the bill,
especially for legal immi-
grants."
The legislation, in addi-
tion toending guaranteed fed-
eral assistance for the poor,
would end benefits for legal
immigrants who have not
become citizens.
Echoing the anti-Dole
strategy that the Democrats
hope to convey, Dodd added
that on the welfare issue,
“Bob Dole and Newt Ging-
rich would do no better.”
This is the message that
the Clinton-Gore re-election
campaign and the NJDC plan
to bring to Jewish voters this
fall.
In countless sessions held
throughout the week in the
Windy City, Jewish Demo-
crats slrategized about how
to mobilize support for the
party, particularly in at least
eight target states with sig-
nificant Jewish populations.
For its part, the NJDC plans
to target its efforts exclusive-
ly in California, Florida, Illi-
nois, Michigan, New York,
New Jersey. Ohio and Penn-
sylvania.
These are the same states
that the NJDC’s Republican
counterpart, the National
Jewish Coalition, intends to
focus its attention on.
As the NJDC targets those
states, the group is especially
looking for new activists, said
Amy Simon, political direc-
tor of the NJDC.
The grass-roots Democrat-
ic group has employed at least
eight field workers to mobi-
lize Jewish support for Dem-
ocratic candidates —espe-
cially the Clinton-Gore team.
Unlike the Jewish outreach
department at the presiden-
tial campaign, which closes
up shop after the election, the
NJDC hopes to gain a foot-
hold for years to come.
"We’re not just living
from election to election,”
Simon said.
Clinton-Gore officials met
with state delegations at the
convention to mobilize Jew-
ish delegates and activists to
support the tickeL
In a “Getting Out the Jew-
ish Vote for Clinton/Gore
“96" manual, the campaign
urges activists to reach the
Jewish voters “en masse”
through state steering com-
mittees and district captains.
"This election campaign
will hit full steam around the
High Holy Days,” said Sara
Ehrman, senior political ad-
viser and former head of Jew-
ish outreach. “It’s an oppor-
tunity to reach large groups
of Jewish voters.”
When asked whether Jews
are likely to support the pres-
ident at the approximately 80
percent level they did in 1992,
the answer across Chicago
this week was “of course.”
"Bill Clinton is once again
going to get the support of
American Jews,” said Lynn
Lyss, co-chair of the Clin-
ton-Gore Jewish Leadership
Council, a national effort to
reach out to Jews.
His re-election, she said,
“is critical for the future.”
Matthew Dorf is a TJP/
JTA correspondent.
At the Democratic Convention: Davening, Gore and Hillary, too!
By Matthew Dorf
CHICAGO — Until
Sunday night, the Chicago
Jewish community was
competing with John F.
Kennedy Jr. for the desig-
nation of the “hottest ticket
in town” at this week’s
Democratic National Con-
vention.
Hillary Rodham Clinton
was scheduled to speak at a
reception Thursday morn-
ing hosted by the local Jew-
ish community. Space was
so limited that only a pool
of national television re-
porters were on the guest
list and Jewish delegates
from across the country
were being turned away.
In the end, Kennedy's
George magazine won the
hot ticket award for its gath-
ering, when the local Jews
moved the Clinton recep-
tion to a 2,500-seat auditori-
um, allowing them to almost
double the guest list.
Praying for Victory
New York state Assem-
bly Speaker Sheldon Silver
davened the first-known for-
mal daily minyan held at a
convention’s headquarters
About 15 people joined in
the Minchah services in the
Clinton-Gore campaign
Jewish hospitality suite
After services, worship-
ers, onlookers and anyone
who wandered in snacked
on refreshments, which the
Orthodox Union had gotten
its customers to donate.
And in a Jewish prayer
before the whole convention.
Rabbi Moshc Faskowitz of
Queens, N.Y., president of
the Council of Young Israel
Rabbis, was scheduled to of-
fer the invocation at Tues-
day evening’s convention
gathering.
Christian Coalition Goes
Home Empty-Handed
In case there were any lin-
gering doubts that the Chris-
tian Coalition has more in-
fluence in the Republican
Party than in the Democrat-
ic Party, a reception here
drew a couple of hundred
pro-life activists and no par-
ty leaders. Unlike San Di-
ego, where Pat Robertson’s
group had to turn away
speakers from its outdoor,
thousands-strong rally, the
gathering here came and
went with little attention or
coverage.
Kosher Catering for Gore
Not to be outdone by their
Republican colleagues, Jew-
ish Democrats staged an
all out kickoff with Vice
President Al Gore at a ren-
ovated dance club in the
Windy City’s heart.
Kosher caters fed the
flock of more than 1,200
Jewish delegates, elected
officials and guests as they
anxiously awaited the vice
president's am val. Anoth-
er 300 or so guests who
crowded the street outside
the Park West were treated
to an impromptu rally with
Gore and Democratic Na-
tional Committee Chair-
man Don Fowler.
Amid chants of “four
more years,” Gore called
the Democratic foot sol-
diers into action.
Those gathered split on
the highlight of the
evening, according to an
CONVENTION p. 22
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Wisch, J. A. & Wisch, Rene. Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 35, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 29, 1996, newspaper, August 29, 1996; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth755275/m1/2/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .