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GOP Jewish Group Calling Jewish Voters with Questions Some Find Meshugah

September 16, 2008 9:36 PM

A Jewish Republican organization has polled 750 Jewish voters in five key battleground states -- Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania -- to test messages that would cause them not to vote for Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

Matthew Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, told ABC News Tuesday evening that despite complaints by some liberal Jewish organizations that the calls were part of a "push poll" -- that is, designed to spread salacious information as opposed to collect views of voters -- this was a "traditional poll of issues," with 82 questions using "standard polling methodology."

The point of the calls were to explore "why Obama continues to have significant problems with Jewish voters," Brooks said.

The calls have caused some outrage among members of the Jewish community and have been reported as far away as Israel.  The fact that the RJC is behind the calls was first reported this evening by Ben Smith of the Politico.

Ben Cohen, a 37-year-old lawyer in Ohio received one of the calls last night and he was clearly offended.

"It was evocative of a time and a kind of politics that I would never want to see rise in America," Cohen told ABC News. "You shouldn't scare people to get elected  -- Jewish people have experienced that before really horrifically."

Cohen received the call at his Cleveland Heights home Monday night. The third question, he recalled, was what religion he is. After telling the woman polling him he's Jewish, Cohen was asked how often he attends synagogue -- daily, frequently, or only on the High Holidays.

"That was a little odd," Cohen said. But then the poll turned into more standard questions such as which issue was most important to him.

After Cohen said he was leaning towards voting for Obama -- he was undecided until McCain picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential nominee, Cohen said -- the questions took what he called an "inflammatory" turn.

"Would you still vote for Barack Obama if you knew he'd been endorsed by Hamas?" Cohen said the questioner asked.

"Would you still vote for Barack Obama if you knew he had given money to the PLO?" Cohen said the question asked.

"Would you still vote for Barack Obama if you knew he supported a divided Jerusalem?" the questioner asked, Cohen recalled.

Recalled Cohen, "as the questions became a little more untoward," he reminded the pollster that she'd said the call would be brief.

"She said she was half done," Cohen said. "And I waited because I wanted to see if she would ask the same questions about McCain that they did with Obama."

She didn't.

"Then someone else gets on the phone," Cohen said. "And he said, 'I just wanted to check: Are you Jewish?'  That was one of first questions the poll asked but at that point I felt uncomfortable answering it. it was odd. I felt like I was being targeted in the poll."

Brooks would not share the list of 82 questions from the RJC poll, but he said the three questions as Cohen recalled them were not precisely the ones asked.

Instead, Brooks said, those being polled were asked how their support for Obama would be affected if they knew that a leader of Hamas, Ahmed Yousef, had expressed support for Obama. 

Yousef, a political adviser to Hamas in Gaza, said in April, "We like Mr. Obama, and we hope that he will win the election," but after Obama delivered a pro-Israel speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said the group had changed its mind: "Hamas does not differentiate between the two presidential candidates, Obama and McCain, because their policies regarding the Arab-Israel conflict are the same and are hostile to us, therefore we do have no preference and are not wishing for either of them to win."

Brooks said the poll "absolutely did not" say Obama gave money to the PLO, but he said a question may have addressed that when Obama was on the board of the Woods Fund, the philanthropic group gave a grant to an Arab-American community organization in Chicago that Brooks characterized as anti-Israel.

After initially declaring before the AIPAC audience that Israel's capital must remained an undivided Jerusalem, Obama backed off that pronouncement, saying it's a matter to be decided by the Israelis and Palestinians in the final stages of a peace process. Brooks insisted his poll stated merely that Obama had flip flopped on the issue.

Obama supporter Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Florida, in a statement, said that "the fact that the Republican Jewish Coalition is targeting Jewish Americans with these disgraceful and deceitful tactics fits in perfectly with the dishonorable campaign that John McCain has chosen to run. Peddling lies and hateful distortions to scare Jewish voters is reprehensible and deeply disrespectful to Jewish Americans."

Said Brooks, "What's really interesting is the reaction from Jews who are supporting Obama. The questions we asked are all legitimate. Why don’t they like us asking these questions? Because they don't like the answers."

Brooks acknowledged that much of the leadership of the RJC has ties to the McCain campaign, but he said his organization does not coordinate in any way with the McCain campaign and anyone who "has a title" in the McCain campaign who is also active with his organization "has taken a leave of absence from the RJC so there's no question whatsoever of any integration or any overlap."

But even though Brooks stands by his poll and says it's no different from any other poll of the Jewish community, it has rubbed many voters the wrong way.

"I lived in New Orleans for nine or ten years," Cohen said, "and I would often get polls with salacious or inflammatory information. This one made the hair on the back of my neck stand up."

- jpt

September 16, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (132)

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There must be a valid reason for Senator LIeberman not to vote for Obama.
He was the Vice President candidate not long ago, he is a bright, wonderful Jewish stateman, a Democrat at heart but he cannot find it possible to vote for OBAMA

Posted by: Grace | Oct 20, 2008 4:32:23 PM

I am surprised that the Jewish community which is composed of bright people can be so blind.
Have you not notice the way Obama says one thing and then changes his mind and is always saying what people wished to hear.
He stated that Jerusalem should be undivided only to change his position shortly afterward and he has been like this in many issues.
How often he goes I did not say that....what I said was...
My question is if Senator Lieberman which was the Democratic candidate for Vice President, only two elections ago, cannot find it possible to vote for Obama don't everybody think there must be a reason why?
Senator Lieberman is Democrat , he has been a Democrat all his life and he cannot do it, it must mean something.

Posted by: Grace | Oct 20, 2008 4:30:26 PM

i think its funny how all you obama supporters are supporting someone who is friends with unrepentant terrorist who did bomb this country. even if obama was 7 years old. when did BO find out about ayers and when he found out about him why did he stay friends with him. Remember McCain was fighting for this country when obama friends were bombing it. oh wait ayers is Rehabilitated so that makes it ok. if bin laden was to be Rehabilitated would BO be friends with him too. one more thing i posted this earlier and they cencored me. guess its not nice to talk bad about "the One".

Posted by: keith | Oct 20, 2008 4:29:06 PM

I am professional Jewish woman and a registered Democrat. That being said, any Jew who votes for Obama is misinformed and myopic. Jews seem to have this snobbish distain for evangelical Christians and their "backwards" social values which blinds us from looking at more important issues. Evangelical Christians, for whatever their reasons, love and support Israel. Obama will throw Israel to the dogs. Did any of you read what Jesse Jackson said today? The "Zionist control" of congress will be gone under Obama and the US will end "decades of putting Israel first." I don't agree with the Republicans on all issues, especially social issues, but all of that pales in comparison with I fear will happen with a weak and inexperienced commander in chief such as Senator Obama. McCain Palin all the way!

Posted by: Deborah | Oct 14, 2008 6:11:08 PM

Michelle is in hiding. With her mouth! Her disrespect for America they can't let her out too often. I only hope any of you voting for Obama can give a good reason for that vote! This man could be dangerous, he scares me. How after 9/11 could anyone consider a man with a muslim background be president??!! this is absurd. I would vote for Alred E. Newman before Obama. His nose in the air that elitist, snobby attitude. His camp hired a professional to teach him how to be accepted by White people. They send Michelle to some charm school. These people shouldn't represent our nation!! This just isn't right.

Posted by: nacny | Sep 26, 2008 1:37:24 AM

It amazes me, as a Jew, how the RJC continues to push for McCain-Palin just because she said she is against Iran. Palin stands for everything the Jewish people stand for, yet some Jews just drool over her. I guess the RJC are like the German Jews. They did not realize their mistake until they were in the concentration camps. Shame on any Jew who votes McCain-Palin. Remember, according to Palin Assemblies of God church anyone who does not believe in Jesus will be sent to hell! Wake up Jews of America before it's too late!

Posted by: Susan Gold | Sep 19, 2008 10:26:06 PM

All those wanting to know where Obama's wife is ...For ur information she has a job unlike someone i know and she has kids who are very young and she therefore cannot leave them seeing as school is reopened. She is a mother first and she knows it.

Posted by: angie | Sep 17, 2008 2:04:24 PM

We Jews are our own worst enemy. Yes, most Jews will vote for Obama, but as the ABC News article confirms, most can't tell you, in unemotional, specific terms, why. For those with even a passing knowledge of history, particularly of Weimar Germany, the idealization of Obama will be a familiar and frightening phenomenon. Yet, we seem incapable of realizing it.

Posted by: NMR | Sep 17, 2008 12:53:44 PM

I'm not Jewish but I live in a hugh Jewish community. They are all voting for Obama.

Posted by: star | Sep 17, 2008 11:25:04 AM

Why won't Hillary Clinton attend the anti-Iran event because of Sarah Palin's appearance there also? What's up with that? Our politics is now so partisan that we can't even unite as Americans against a dog like Ahmadinejad?

And why is Kathleen Sebelius playing the race card against the American voters who are choosing McCain over Obama?

What the h*ll has happened to the Democratic Party? The effects of The Uniter appear to be anything but that!

Posted by: marylou | Sep 17, 2008 9:32:03 AM

MM...who is your candidate and tell us about him or her....

Posted by: newvoter | Sep 17, 2008 8:52:59 AM

Doesn't it seem funny to anyone, with all this financial carp going down, that no one is mentioning the Keating Five, savings and loan disaster in which McCain was a MAIN player?

Posted by: formerhillary | Sep 17, 2008 8:51:41 AM

Marika,
You make it sound like democrats are innocent victims in the political process. The democrat party has a long tradition of scandals and class warfare rhetoric to rile up and scare the pulic. I assure you that the democrats are not saints. Do not kid yourself. That's why Americans should dump the two party system and support third party candidates.

Posted by: mm | Sep 17, 2008 8:50:09 AM

Jozy -
The persons targeting the Jewish voters in these battleground states were Jewish. In addition, Jew is not a race, it is an ethnic religion. Finally, I just read an article about Obama in New Mexico "targeting" hispanics for votes. Is that racist?

Posted by: mm | Sep 17, 2008 8:46:35 AM

Even if Obama wins, he's already lost. For a democrat candidate to be tied or even behind the republican candidate during an election cycle like this one, given the national enviornment, is truly a testament to how poor Obama and the democrat philosophy are. The democrat party has to change. We all keep saying this about the republicans, but democrats should be asking themselves serious questions.

Posted by: mm | Sep 17, 2008 8:44:39 AM

We seem to forget that Michele has 2 kids that are in school that she need to look after. Cindy reminds me of the mother in the Manchurian candidate..

Posted by: Lion | Sep 17, 2008 8:36:21 AM

nullan...I know, I wondered that myself.She creeps me out!!

If you watch any day times shows yo will see Michelle is hitting the daytime circuit. I have seen her in Ellen,Paula's Home Cooking and more

Posted by: cindyct | Sep 17, 2008 8:27:26 AM

Polderboy you have to be one of the few people in America who doesn't know that the Obama camp took a quote from Carly and seriously shortened it. If you took the time and had the knowledge, you should consider looking up the real quote.

Posted by: samhiguchi | Sep 17, 2008 8:16:38 AM

Emily Posted,

You worry about Mitchelle while you go to sleep on your Veepee pick who you don't know where she stands on issues and who the Campaign has not made available for scrutiny bearing in mind that at McCain age and his mortality, she may find herself running the Country in the next four years.

If you have not read about her leadership style as a Mayor and a Governor, I will like to summarize them in these few words:

Secretive, Vindictive, Oppressive.

If she is all these adjectives rolled into one as a Mayor and a Governor, you can then imagine what She will do in the W.H.

Because of her restricted World view, limited knowledge of the Economy which will lead to inferiority complex on her part, you can be sure that She will be at daggers drawn with the US Senate and Congress for the next four years if by good hands of fortune, she becomes POTUS.

The Same way she is said to be having a less than kosher relationship with the Alaskan's State Senate.

You can imagine how many books that will be banned from our Library Shelves, you can imagine how many good Justices of SCOTUS that would forced to retire because of their believe in the Judgement in Roe vs Wade.

You can imagine what will become of FOI Act since most states businessess will be done via yahoo! and hence, no trail left for scoops.

Posted by: Dare Nigeria | Sep 17, 2008 8:03:23 AM

I guess after having told us twenty two times since January that the "fundamentals of the economy are strong," Brook Dem

The economic fundamentals are strong, easy money, Government interference and crooks like Franklin Raines (98 million in 6 years as fannie Mae chief, now an Obama adviser) are perfect storms for any business.

Posted by: david | Sep 17, 2008 7:41:29 AM

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