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NY Times: Fewer Young Voters See Themselves as Democrats

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:29:06 GMT

Remember the ubiquitous claims after the 2008 election that most of the young voters who voted for Obama would be lost to the GOP for a lifetime?

Well, a new New York Times article calls into question whether Obama's 2008 "youth vote" will even be there for Democrats in 2010.

The college vote is up for grabs this year — to an extent that would have seemed unlikely two years ago, when a generation of young people seemed to swoon over Barack Obama.
Though many students are liberals on social issues, the economic reality of a weak job market has taken a toll on their loyalties: far fewer 18- to 29-year-olds now identify themselves as Democrats compared with 2008.
“Is the recession, which is hitting young people very hard, doing lasting or permanent damage to what looked like a good Democratic advantage with this age group?” asked Scott Keeter, the director of survey research at the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan group. “The jury is still out.”
How and whether millions of college students vote will help determine if Republicans win enough seats to retake the House or Senate, overturning the balance of power on Capitol Hill, and with it, Mr. Obama’s agenda. If students tune out and stay home it will also carry a profound message for American society about a generation that seemed so ready, so recently, to grab national politics by the lapels and shake.
...Many students here, especially seniors nearing graduation, said that worries about the economy, and about getting a job after graduation, had filtered through the campus, dampening enthusiasm for Democrats in Congress and Mr. Obama.
Philip Stricker, 21, a biology major who voted for Mr. Obama but says he has not been paying much attention to politics lately, uses a nontechnical term to describe the phenomenon.
“There’s a vibe,” he said on a recent afternoon, while pumping weights at the gym. “Right now it seems like Republicans just care a lot more than Democrats.”
A spokeswoman for the university’s chapter of College Democrats, Mandi Asay, 22, said her group battled apathy on one hand and anger on the other.
“People are angry — about the budget deficit, health care plan, angry about this and that,” she said. “I feel like Republicans definitely, definitely have a chance of getting back on their feet.”

On the dole

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:14:53 GMT

For your consideration over the long Labor Day weekend -

USA Today reported this week that a record number of Americans participate in government anti-poverty programs:

Government anti-poverty programs that have grown to meet the needs of recession victims now serve a record one in six Americans and are continuing to expand.
More than 50 million Americans are on Medicaid, the federal-state program aimed principally at the poor, a survey of state data by USA TODAY shows. That's up at least 17% since the recession began in December 2007.
...More than 40 million people get food stamps, an increase of nearly 50% during the economic downturn, according to government data through May. The program has grown steadily for three years.
...Close to 10 million receive unemployment insurance, nearly four times the number from 2007. Benefits have been extended by Congress eight times beyond the basic 26-week program, enabling the long-term unemployed to get up to 99 weeks of benefits. Caseloads peaked at nearly 12 million in January — "the highest numbers on record," says Christine Riordan of the National Employment Law Project, which advocates for low-wage workers.
More than 4.4 million people are on welfare, an 18% increase during the recession. The program has grown slower than others, causing Brookings Institution expert Ron Haskins to question its effectiveness in the recession.
As caseloads for all the programs have soared, so have costs. The federal price tag for Medicaid has jumped 36% in two years, to $273 billion. Jobless benefits have soared from $43 billion to $160 billion. The food stamps program has risen 80%, to $70 billion. Welfare is up 24%, to $22 billion. Taken together, they cost more than Medicare.

The quote often (but inaccurately) attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville goes like this: “The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.” We're headed in the wrong direction.

F-35s and Israel

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:55:09 GMT

After months of rumors, it's now possible to understand, from public and confirmed sources, what happened to Israel's purchase of F-35 fighter jets from the U.S.

We had heard that the U.S. was holding back the deal. Then last week, Israel's Defense Ministry announced its decision to buy 20 of the jets.

Evelyn Gordon, at the Commentary blog, explains what really happened:

Washington has attached unprecedented restrictions to the F-35 sale — restrictions so severe that Israel’s defense establishment agonized for months over whether to sign the deal, and ultimately opted to buy only 20 planes instead of the 75 the Israel Air Force originally sought.
First, as Haaretz reported last month, the U.S. refused to supply a test aircraft as part of the deal for the first time in 40 years. From the Phantom in 1969 through the F-16I six years ago, every previous American sale of fighters to Israel has included an experimental aircraft that Israel can use to test new systems or weapons it is considering installing in order to upgrade the planes or adapt them to particular missions. Effectively, the paper said, this refusal means “upgrades will not be implemented during the plane’s service in the IAF.”
Second, Washington initially refused to let any Israeli systems be installed in the plane, and finally reluctantly agreed to what various Israeli reports described as “minor changes” or “a few” systems (though holding out the carrot that more might be allowed if Israel ultimately commissions more planes). This, too, is unprecedented. Previous deals have given Israel great latitude to have its own systems installed on American-made aircraft, and have also allowed other countries to install Israeli systems — with the result that “between 10 percent and 15 percent of every new F-16 made in America, for instance, consists of Israeli systems.”

These unprecedented conditions on the sale argue that President Obama's late warmth toward Israel had much to do with public opinion and nothing to do with a real commitment to Israel's security. This is one of those stories that will get buried by the mainstream media, so please share this around.

Victory is the Only Option

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:43:00 GMT

House Minority Leader John Boehner has posted a video that's worth your time - a tribute to our men and women serving in the U.S. armed forces in Iraq.

"While President Obama and Vice President Biden continue to seek credit for "ending the combat mission" in Iraq, this video praises the contributions of our troops for helping bring greater stability and security there..."

The Elephant in the Big City

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:31:55 GMT

The reactions I get when I tell people that I’m interning at the RJC this summer are priceless. As if being a Republican in New York isn’t shocking enough; a young, seemingly sane, Jewish Republican living in New York City is more than most can handle. Well, there are a lot more of us than one might think. On July 27, the RJC held its annual picnic in the heart of the most liberal neighborhood in all of America. Some 60 people came together in Central Park to eat burgers and discuss the many issues that face the Republican Party and the Jewish community.

As we brace ourselves for the sweltering August weather, we also prepare ourselves for the heat of the upcoming November elections. Ryan Brumberg, John Gomez and Frank Scaturro, three congressional candidates, joined the crowd in Central Park. They spoke to us about how important it is that we reach out to our communities in this critical election year.

On July 29, the RJC hosted a young professionals event with former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer. Mr. Fleischer spoke to a group of 70 people about his liberal upbringing and his decision to support the Republican Party. He expressed his disapproval of the Obama administration with regard to their inexcusable treatment of Israel, as well as their destructive policies in Washington.

What does this all mean for us? With Obama receiving 77% of the Jewish vote in 2008, we need to get out there and start spreading the message of the Republican Party to our respective communities. The RJC has paved the way for Jews to feel comfortable with the idea of supporting the Republican Party, but it will only be through our hard work on the ground that we can continue to build the bridge. Take advantage of the slowdown in the business cycle and get involved! Attend some of the RJC’s “meet the candidate” events. Volunteer for your local campaign, sign petitions, put up posters, call people and ask them for money. This November, we elephants are going on a stampede!