Dems Voice Real Fears Over Obama's Appeal

Ami Eden
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

It's become as much a campaign-season staple as Iowa and New Hampshire: Each election cycle, Republicans predict a major shift in the Jewish vote, and Democrats end up scoffing all the way to winning upwards of 75 percent at the ballot box.

This year, however, something is different. Many Jewish Democrats -- at least in the heart of Hillaryland -- are worried as it becomes increasingly likely that U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will be the party's presidential candidate in November.

The anxious mood was easy to detect May 18 at the annual dinner of the New York chapter of the National Jewish Democratic Council, especially during a speech by one of the night's five honorees, U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.).

"We need to convince Jewish voters that" Obama will "stand by Israel," said Engel, who, with four other pro-Clinton Jewish congressmen from New York -- Gary Ackerman, Steve Israel, Jerrold Nadler and Anthony Weiner -- was recognized for working to bolster the U.S.-Israel relationship.

After the speeches, Nadler said that he shared Engel's view that Obama faced some challenges.

"Barack Obama is not well-known in the Jewish community," said Nadler. "There is a lot of nervousness."

Even the NJDC's executive director, Ira Forman, who in past years was quick to dismiss any talk of a pending Jewish crossover to the GOP, raised the alarm. Borrowing from Charles Dickens, Forman told the crowd that it was the "best of times," with Democrats poised to make "huge gains" in Congress. But it is also the "worst of times," he added, citing a recent Gallup Poll showing Obama winning 61 percent of the Jewish vote in a match-up against U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) taking 67 percent against the presumptive Republican nominee.

Forman noted that while the poll gives both Democrats a solid majority, it also shows McCain faring much better among Jewish voters than his Republican predecessors from the past four presidential races.

"What does that drop of 15 to 20 percent mean?" he asked. "It means 180,000 votes in the state of Florida if we drop 20 percent. It means 35,000 votes in Ohio. God forbid New Jersey's in play, 130,000 votes [there]; 16,000 votes in the small state of Nevada; 25,000 votes in Colorado; 70,000 votes in Pennsylvania. I could go on and on."

Some of the lawmakers said that Obama would be wise to put Clinton on the ticket, which would send a reassuring message to Jewish voters, who view her as a proven supporter of Israel.

Experience a Factor
However, two NJDC activists at the event -- Trudy Mason, a state committeewoman, and Risa Levine, an attorney active in State of Israel Bonds and the Democratic National Committee -- rejected the idea. They said that forcing Clinton to serve a notch below a man with significantly less experience would alienate many women like them, who actively supported her.

Experience -- or Obama's lack of it -- is a factor, especially with pro-Israel activists who place a high premium on familiarity and reliability.

"I think the best friend Israel has is the U.S. Congress, and the longer someone is in Congress, the more they get it," said Levine, the New York chair of the DNC-aligned Women's Leadership Forum Network. "It's not just about the ability to spout back AIPAC talking points. He hasn't been there long enough."

Levine said the lack of experience was an issue even before Obama was rocked by controversies involving inflammatory comments, including harsh criticisms of Israel, made by his former pastor.

Now, she says, the fact that many American Jews don't have a good feel for Obama is an even bigger problem.

Unlike the congressmen, who all were emphatic about their support for Obama should he prevail in the Democratic primary fight, Levine sounded noncommittal. Asked if she would vote for Obama in November, Levine would only say, "It's a secret vote."