Byline: Tokyo
Which group responds better to subtlety in ethnic politics: Jewish or Black voters?
There is a long history in America, of ethnic voting. Big city machines were based on ethnic voting for 100 years, particularly Irish voters. The Democratic Party has a 100 year history of appealing to and rewarding ethnic Southern anti-black voters.
This election will show how two ethnic voting groups respond to a deliberate and subtle political strategy. I say political strategy, but it may simply have been personal moral actions by President Bush.
For the Jewish voter, President Bush became the best friend the Jews have had in over 2,500 years. He banned the Palestinians from the international stage, he denied them any of their claims (right of return, land for peace, funding for development, the right to enter Israel or control of their airspace). Bush denounced blatant and growing anti-Semitism in Europe. None of Bush's actions had negative political repercussions for him among traditional anti-Semitic voters.
How will American Jewish voters respond? In 2000, 20% of Jews voted for Bush. Polls show that 40% are preparing to vote for Bush. Israelis would vote 3 to 1 for Bush.
For the Black voter, Bush has done three things. He appointed blacks to his closest and most powerful administrative positions. He supported the only issue that matters to life in the Black community -- education -- fighting the national teachers union by creating national educational testing standards. He invented and implemented the most powerful political tool ever devised for direct support of blacks, the Faith Based Initiative. President Bush did all three without antagonizing the traditional anti-Black voters. A brilliant political achievement.
Since 9/11 Rev. Louis Farrakhan has disappeared from the black scene and so has Mumia Abu Jamal. Black terrorist rhetoric is subdued for the time being. The exceptions to this change are Kwasi Mfune and Julian Bond who use the NAACP as their anti-American hate platform.
How will Black voters respond? In 2000, 10% of Blacks voted for Bush. There are no recent polls on Black votes.
Which group will respond to ethnic benefits from this president? Does either group understand rewarding their benefactors?