RJC

"Buyer's Remorse" Message Launched in FL, OH, NV, and PA

Washington, D.C. (September 19, 2012) -- The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) today announced the release of the first in a series of television ads in targeted swing states. The ads will appear on broadcast and cable television in South Florida (Miami, Broward, and Palm Beach County markets), Ohio (Cleveland), Nevada (Las Vegas), and Pennsylvania (Philadelphia). The $5 million ad buy begins on September 19 and will continue through November 5.

Entitled "Michael," the ad is a shortened version of a previously-released web ad that the Washington Post called "very effective."

The RJC ads will showcase the real stories of real people such as Michael Goldstein, a life-long Jewish Democrat from New Jersey who supported Barack Obama in 2008 but won't vote for him in 2012 because of his disappointment in the President's handling of relations with Israel and his failed economic policies.

RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said, "This ad highlights the 'buyer's remorse' felt by many in the Jewish community, who voted for Obama four years ago, but are now disillusioned with his economic policies and his policies toward Israel. These ads, and the stories of the people in them, give voice to the nagging doubts that many Jewish voters feel about President Obama. To underscore that point, numerous polls have shown an erosion in Jewish support for the President."

The ads will appear on broadcast and cable television in South Florida (Miami, Broward, and Palm Beach County markets), Ohio (Cleveland), Nevada (Las Vegas), and Pennsylvania (Philadelphia). The $5 million ad buy begins on September 19 and will continue through November 5.

See the new ad here.

High Traffic, Heavily Jewish Areas Targeted

Washington, D.C. (September 11, 2012) -- The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) announced the latest element in its Jewish outreach effort. The RJC recently launched a billboard ad campaign in South Florida. The campaign includes billboards in high traffic areas in the Jewish communities of Broward and Palm Beach counties. The ad campaign is part of the RJC's $6.5 million outreach to Jewish communities in the key swing states of Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Nevada.

The billboards feature a top RJC slogan, "Obama... Oy Vey!!" with the message underneath, "Had enough? MyBuyersRemorse.com."

MyBuyersRemorse.com (http://www.MyBuyersRemorse.com) is the online platform for the RJC's outreach effort to the Jewish community this year. The site displays a series of ads in which real people tell their stories of why they supported Barack Obama in 2008, and why they are not supporting him now. The site also allows visitors to upload their own videos and tell their personal stories of Obama buyer's remorse.

RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said, "There is a strong sense of buyer's remorse among Jewish voters, who are disappointed and disillusioned with President Obama and the job he has done in the last 3 ½ years. We're helping those people give voice to their feelings."

Click the image below for a large PDF version of the billboard art:

Sample of billboard art


RJC billboard in South Florida


RJC billboard in South Florida

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Washington, D.C. (September 7, 2012) -- The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) today announced the release of a new print ad, entitled "Rift," which points to the deep split among rank and file Democrats when it comes to supporting Israel. This rift is a sad example of how much the party has changed over the years.

The ad reads, in part: "At the Democratic Party convention in Charlotte, NC, it's become painfully clear that this Party is no longer the Democratic Party of our parents' generation. This week has witnessed a shocking series of events. These regrettable incidents reveal a Party that has wandered far from its origins."

The ad will run next week in 11 Jewish newspapers as full-page ads in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Nevada.

RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said, "Important pro-Israel language was stripped from the Democrats' platform this year, including lines recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and calling Israel America's 'strongest ally'. When they tried to reinstate the language on Jerusalem, the convention chairman couldn't get a clear two-thirds vote and just declared the language added – receiving loud boos from the convention floor.

He continued, "This is a sad display by the Democratic Party and is an indication of how much the Democratic Party has changed in recent years. It was chilling to watch; who could have imagined the day when supporting Jerusalem would be resoundingly booed at a Democratic convention?"

Jerusalem Fight Underscores the "Israel Gap" in this Election

(September 5, 2012) The Republican Jewish Coalition notes with grave concern that delegates to the Democratic Convention voiced significant opposition to efforts to amend the party platform so as to reinstate pro-Israel language from previous years.

Rank and file Democrats expressed strong opposition to a resolution to reinstate pro-Israel language that had been removed from the 2012 platform, forcing convention chairman Antonio Villaraigosa to call the voice vote three times. Each time the "No's" were noticeably stronger; in fact, CNN reporter Dana Bush was quoted as saying, "It seemed pretty to clear to me that the 'No's' had it." (1)

See video of the vote and response here.

RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said, "This is a very sad day. To hear delegates on the floor of the Democratic convention strongly voice their opposition to recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, then boo when the chairman passes the resolution to adopt that language, is a shock.

Brooks continued, "This unfortunate incident highlights the split among rank and file Democrats when it comes to the critical issue of Israel, something we've seen for some time. Gallup polling has shown that Republicans have been consistently more likely to support Israel than Democrats for over a decade.(2) It is painful to see that demonstrated so clearly in this national forum."

Notes:

(1)  https://twitter.com/RalstonFlash/status/243459182169309184

(2) According to a Gallup poll released on March 2, 2012, "Republicans continue to be far more likely than independents or Democrats to sympathize with the Israelis."  In that poll, Republican support for Israel was 78 percent while Democrat support was at 53 percent, a 25-point difference. The graph at the link shows the deep split in Republican/Democrat support for Israel over time. http://www.gallup.com/poll/153092/americans-continue-tilt-pro-israel.aspx

Going back to 1972*, Democratic Platform Affirmed Jerusalem as Capital of Israel

Washington, D.C. (September 5, 2012) -- The Republican Jewish Coalition announced today the release of a print ad asking, "What is Missing from Obama's 2012 Democratic Platform?" The ad shows that several pro-Israel provisions in the 2008 Democratic platform are missing from the 2012 document.

The ad will run as a full page in Thursday's Charlotte Observer and then in Jewish papers next week in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Nevada.

This year, Democrats stripped out language that appeared in their 2008 platform saying that Jerusalem "is and will remain the capital of Israel" and language saying the issue of Palestinian refugees should be resolved by their settlement in a Palestinian state, not in Israel. The Democrats also removed language from 2008 calling for the isolation of Hamas and weakened the provision about ensuring that Israel retains a qualitative edge for self defense. The platform also stripped out language, which had previously been included, calling Israel "our strongest ally in the region."

RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said:

This will run as a full-page ad in the Charlotte Observer on Thursday, so that we can send a special message to Pres. Obama and the Democratic Party during the Democratic National Convention. Then it will run in Jewish newspapers in Florida, Ohio, Nevada, and Pennsylvania next week.

The changes to the Democrat Party platform raise serious questions about Pres. Obama's and the party's commitment to Israel. It is clear from the platform that the Democrats are backing way from Israel at a critical time. This is yet another reason why Jewish support for Democrats continues to erode.

Click the image below to see a full-size pdf of the ad.



 

* With the exception of 1988. (Details here).

RJC Calls on Top Democrats to Reinstate Pro-Israel Language

Tuesday, September 3, 2012 
By: Matt Brooks, Executive Director, Republican Jewish Coalition

The Republican National Convention this year was more than a ceremony to nominate Mitt Romney for President of the United States. It was a great opportunity for the GOP to showcase the tremendous talent and passion of its leaders and the deep bench the party has developed. The nation heard from rising stars like Mayor Mia Love, from great governors like Brian Sandoval, Nikki Haley, Chris Christie, and Susana Martinez, as well as a host of House and Senate members who are committed to turning this country around.

The core principles of the Republican Party were also on display. The ideals of individual freedom, economic liberty, our shared responsibility for our neighbors who are poor, elderly, or suffering, the vital importance of strong families and strong communities – all of these resonate deeply with Jewish voters and were prominent elements of the convention.

For Jewish Republicans, it was a wonderful time to gather with like-minded members of the tribe from all over the country and talk politics. The RJC has had a presence at every GOP national convention since 1988 and this year was the best. Large, enthusiastic crowds came to our events to hear from top GOP officials.

The caliber of speakers and the size of our events say a great deal about the place of Jewish Republicans in the GOP and how welcome our community is in the party of Lincoln.

Of course, now the Democrats are taking note of the warm relationship between Jewish Republicans and the party, and worrying that even more Jewish voters may make themselves at home in the GOP this year. They are worried about President Obama's loss of Jewish support and about the wedge of victory represented by Jewish voters in swing states. They are right to worry, because more than ever, Jewish voters are seeing the clear and significant differences between the two parties.

All in all, this convention was a great start for the big push to November – we were inspired and energized by the events in Tampa last week, and we are ready to go out and make a difference. The RJC will bring that energy to Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania on September 9 and 10, when hundreds of RJC volunteers will engage in a massive grassroots outreach effort including sign waving, literature drops, and phone banking. We are going all out to make sure that Jewish voters are educated, aware, and focused on the most important issues facing our country and our community. We'll make sure that our community "remembers in November!"

• • 
    "CA Dem chair John Burton compares GOP to Goebbels for 'telling the big lie' (VIDEO)"  http://blog.sfgate.com/nov05election/2012/09/03/ca-dem-chair-john-burton-compares-gop-to-nazi-goebbels-for-telling-the-big-lie-video

Washington, D.C. (August 29, 2012) -- The Republican Jewish Coalition today announced a print ad highlighting "Rabbis for Obama" member Lynn Gottlieb and her radical views. The ad will run nationally in Jewish newspapers next week, with a particular focus on Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Lynn Gottlieb, a rabbi in the Jewish Renewal movement, was among 600 people touted by the Obama campaign as "Rabbis for Obama." That list includes eight members of the left-wing fringe group Jewish Voice for Peace, which the Anti-Defamation League has named one of the "top ten anti-Israel groups." Lynn Gottlieb sits on the board of that group. She was also the first U.S. rabbi to travel to Tehran since the Iranian revolution and has dined with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Rabbi Sam Gordon, co-chair of "Rabbis for Obama," not only refused to remove Lynn Gottlieb from the list but, in fact, came to her defense and accused her critics of "demonizing" her.

RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said, "Anti-Israel activists like Lynn Gottlieb are far outside the mainstream of the Jewish community, yet the Obama campaign touts them as supporters of the President."

Brooks continued, "The Obama campaign remains tone-deaf about the issues that concern American Jewish voters and naming radical anti-Israel rabbis as 'Rabbis for Obama' is one example of this. This is one reason for the strong sense of 'buyer's remorse' we are seeing among Jewish voters who cast their ballots for Barack Obama in 2008. This is why the Republican Party is making inroads in the Jewish community in 2012."

This print ad is part of the RJC's $6.5 million issue advocacy and grassroots outreach effort in 2012, which includes the MyBuyersRemorse.com site, web ads, extensive TV ads, print ads, mail and phone efforts, and a massive two-day grassroots campaign with volunteers on the ground in key communities on September 9-10.

Washington, D.C. (August 28, 2012) —The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) today praised the 2012 Republican Party platform, entitled "We Believe in America."

RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said:

The 2012 Republican platform is a forward-looking document that celebrates American exceptionalism and focuses on the most pressing issues facing our nation: rebuilding our economic strength, providing for a strong national defense, and demonstrating leadership in the international community.

The Republican Party remains unwavering in its commitment to a strong U.S.-Israel alliance and its rejection of pressuring Israel to negotiate with those intent on her destruction.

This is the party of Lincoln and the party of Reagan, carrying their principled commitment to freedom and opportunity into the 21^st century.

In particular, the RJC notes the following provisions in the platform:

• • History proves that the best way to promote peace and prevent costly wars is to ensure that we constantly renew America’s economic strength. A healthy American economy is what underwrites and sustains American power. The current Administration is weakening America at home through anemic growth, high unemployment, and record-setting debt. We must therefore rebuild our economy and solve our fiscal crisis. In an American century, America will have the strongest economy and the strongest military in the world. (http://www.gop.com/2012-republican-platform_Exceptionalism)

• • We must deter any adversary who would attack us or use terror as a tool of government. Every potential enemy must have no doubt that our capabilities, our commitment, and our will to defeat them are clear, unwavering, and unequivocal. We must immediately employ a new blueprint for a National Military Strategy that is based on an informed and validated assessment of the potential threats we face, one that restores as a principal objective the deterrence using the full spectrum of our military capabilities. (http://www.gop.com/2012-republican-platform_Exceptionalism/#Item8)

• • The United Nations remains in dire need of reform, starting with full transparency in the financial operations of its overpaid bureaucrats. As long as its scandal-ridden management continues, as long as some of the world’s worst tyrants hold seats on its Human Rights Council, and as long as Israel is treated as a pariah state, the U.N. cannot expect the full support of the American people.(http://www.gop.com/2012-republican-platform_Exceptionalism/#Item12)

• • Israel and the United States are part of the great fellowship of democracies who speak the same language of freedom and justice, and the right of every person to live in peace. The security of Israel is in the vital national security interest of the United States; our alliance is based not only on shared interests, but also shared values. We affirm our unequivocal commitment to Israel’s security and will ensure that it maintains a qualitative edge in military technology over any potential adversaries. We support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state with secure, defensible borders; and we envision two democratic states – Israel with Jerusalem as its capital and Palestine – living in peace and security. For that to happen, the Palestinian people must support leaders who reject terror, embrace the institutions and ethos of democracy, and respect the rule of law. We call on Arab governments throughout the region to help advance that goal. Israel should not be expected to negotiate with entities pledged to her destruction. We call on the new government in Egypt to fully uphold its peace treaty with Israel. (http://www.gop.com/2012-republican-platform_Exceptionalism/#Item25)

• • The U.S. seeks a comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East, negotiated between the parties themselves with the assistance of the U.S., without the imposition of an artificial timetable. Essential to that process will be a just, fair, and realistic framework for dealing with the issues that can be settled on the basis of mutually agreed changes reflecting today’s realities as well as tomorrow’s hopes. (http://www.gop.com/2012-republican-platform_Exceptionalism/#Item25)

• • In a season of upheaval, it is necessary to be prepared for anything. That is true on the ground in the Middle East, and it will be equally true in the next Administration, particularly with a new President unbound by the failures of the past. We welcome the aspirations of the Arab peoples and others for greater freedom, and we hope that greater liberty – and with it, a greater chance for peace – will result from the recent turmoil. Many governments in the region have given substantial assistance to the U.S. over the last decade because they understood that our struggle against terror is not an ethnic or religious fight, and that violent extremists are abusers of their faith, not its champions. (http://www.gop.com/2012-republican-platform_Exceptionalism/#Item26)

• • Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons capability threatens America, Israel, and the world. That threat has only become worse during the current Administration. A continuation of its failed engagement policy with Iran will lead to nuclear cascade. In solidarity with the international community, America must lead the effort to prevent Iran from building and possessing nuclear weapons capability. We express our respect for the people of Iran, who seek peace and aspire to freedom. Their current regime is unworthy of them. It exports terror and provided weapons that killed our troops in Iraq. We affirm the unanimous resolution of the U.S. Senate calling for “elections that are free, fair, and meet international standards” and “a representative and responsive democratic government that respects human rights, civil liberties, and the rule of law.” We urge the next Republican President to unequivocally assert his support for the Iranian people as they protest their despotic regime. We must retain all options in dealing with a situation that gravely threatens our security, our interests, and the safety of our friends. (http://www.gop.com/2012-republican-platform_Exceptionalism/#Item26)