Jewish political activists are divided over who will be hurt more by Ross Perot’s re-entry into the U.S. presidential race — President Bush or his Democratic challenger, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton.
But activists for both parties appear to agree that the Texas billionaire is unlikely to pick up a large segment of the Jewish vote.
Republican strategists believe Perot’s return to the race, announced Oct. 1, is positive for Bush because it might capture Jewish protest votes that would have otherwise gone to Clinton, thereby diluting support for the Democratic ticket.
But Democratic political activists say Perot’s candidacy is not going to affect Jewish voters because 85 percent of them have already made up their mind to back Clinton.
“Clinton has a decent approval rating, and it won’t be touched in the Jewish vote,” said Steve Gutow, executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council. “In a worst-case scenario, the Jewish vote will be split 80 percent Clinton, 15 percent Bush and 5 percent Perot.”
WON’T GIVE PEROT ‘A SECOND LOOK’
Gutow said Perot would have fared better among Jewish voters if he had remained in the race throughout, rather than withdrawing from the race in July and then re-entering last week.
“I don’t think the Jewish community is going to give (Perot) a second look, because they didn’t look hard at him the first time,” said Lewis Roth, a spokesman for the Jewish Democratic group.
“By and large, the Jewish community is settled as to where it’s going to be Nov. 3,” he said.
Mark Ginsberg, deputy press secretary for the Clinton campaign in Little Rock, Ark., said Perot’s presence will have much more of an impact on Bush, particularly in key states that the president needs to win, such as Florida, which has a large Jewish electorate.
But Matt Brooks, executive director of the National Jewish Coalition, the Jewish arm of the Republican Party, said he thought Perot would ultimately hurt Clinton much more. He also believes Bush is making a comeback in the Jewish community.
“George Bush has won back a portion of the Jewish community, so we’re going in the right direction,” Brooks said. “We will continue to regain support eroded earlier in the year.”
Brooks did not seem to be concerned that Perot would soak up the votes of Jewish Republicans who are disaffected with Bush.
“The voters have enough questions and doubts about Perot through some of the comments he’s made and some of the things he’s done,” he said.
Brooks criticized Perot’s alleged investigations of opponents, staff members and family friends. He also disapproved of Perot’s attempt to manipulate the media by ducking pointed questions about his personal life.
“You can run, but you can’t hide,” Brooks said. “The American electorate is going to call him to task.”
RECORD ON MIDDLE EAST UNCLEAR
Howard Mortman, a spokesman for the Bush campaign’s coalition office here, agreed. “Our view is the same as the broader campaign,” he said. “Jews voting for us will still vote for Bush.”
Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said the Jewish community is concerned because there is “very little record” of where Perot stands on issues of concern to the Jewish community, particularly Israel and the Middle East.
“There is still a big question mark because he was opposed to the (Persian) Gulf War — not in retrospect, but at that time,” he said. “We don’t know why he opposed the Gulf War, but our position is that we felt the war was important for American interest and the safety of Israel.”
Foxman said the American Jewish community is troubled by Perot’s attacks on special-interest groups, adding that they are part of the American system.
“In the nature of democracy, our forefathers worried about the tyranny of the majority,” Foxman said. “Any minority has to be concerned by someone who says ‘I will rule by consensus.’ It’s disconcerting to minority groups such as the Jewish community.”
Another Jewish organizational leader, who asked not to be identified, said there is concern Perot could turn out to be a “little demagogue.”
“Remember in the past when voters have elected men who haven’t been specific on issues,” the official warned, recalling Adolph Hitler’s election in Germany.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
