Can Jewish Exodus from Democratic Party keep Florida red in 2020?
Jill Weinstein attends Republican Jewish Coalition meeting in Las Vegas.

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Florida Jewish politicos found embrace from Republican Jewish Coalition.

For most of her life, Jill Weinstein never questioned voting Democrat. As a Jewish woman, it never seemed a question who to support at the polls.

“It’s genetic,” she jokes. “We’re all basically born Democrats.”

Weinstein supported President Barack Obama both times he ran for president. Four years ago, she supported Bernie Sanders as he sought the Democratic nomination, hoping to become the first Jewish President.

But now, the Port St. John voter talks glowingly about President Donald Trump. She labels Sanders an “anti-Semitic Jew.” Leading to 2020, she will be volunteering with her local Republican Executive Committee.

“Now I see things differently,” she says.

“At this point, I plan to talk to other Jews who are feeling betrayed like I did but are willing to make that step.”

Weinstein spoke this weekend at the national Republican Jewish Coalition meeting in Las Vegas. At the event, she felt embraced by the GOP, and hopes other Jewish voters will as well.

She became involved in the event through state Rep. Randy Fine, a Brevard Republican. Fine, the only Jewish Republican lawmaker in Florida, sees her story and others as a sign of change.

By Fine’s analysis, it’s political shift that may already have elected Gov. Ron DeSantis. And it may be what gets Trump another term in the White House.

Exodus

Anyone who follows American foreign policy knows the shift that’s taken place in partisan rhetoric on Israel.

The party of John and Robert Kennedy held an unwavering support if the Jewish State — so much so Robert while running for president died at the hands of a Palestinian assassin.

A half century later, support of Israel sounds like a universal Republican position.

There’s areas where the issue remains potent. Certainly, Florida counts, as demonstrated by U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch’s policy advocacy in the House or Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried’s recent AIPAC attendance.

But a new generation of Democratic officials deeply critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has further undercut notions of bipartisanship support for Israel.

Recent comments by U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, led U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, a Sarasota Republican, to sponsor a resolution condemning the words.

In just a couple years, Fine said he’s seen a significant shift among Jewish voters from Democrats to Republicans. He headed Jewish outreach for the Governor’s 2018 campaign, and the experience demonstrated the movement clearly.

He pointed a Fox News poll that showed 5 percent of voters in the gubernatorial race identify as Jewish, Of those, 35 percent voted for DeSantis.

That’s 7 percent more than vote for Trump in Florida in 2016 or who supported Rick Scott for Governor in 2014. And that jump in voters roughly equates with the 32,463-vote lead that delivered victory to DeSantis over Democrat Andrew Gillum.

“We have the ability to move the needle,” Fine said.

BDS Wedge

Fine sees an opportunity presented because of the BDS Movement, a call to boycott divest and sanction Israeli companies worldwide.

He’s filed anti-BDS legislation this year in the Florida Legislature, with no Democratic co-sponsors. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, meanwhile made similar moves at the federal level.

“Democrats have just embraced anti-Semitism,” Fine said.

Weinstein tends to agree.

She said her concerns about Democratic leadership began with Obama leaving Israel out of talks on a treaty with Iran. That got her questioning her loyalty to party principles from gun control to veteran support.

Neither Weinstein nor Fine see any connection between white nationalism under Trump with the president himself. That’s despite nationalists chanting “Jews will not replace us” in Charlottesville, Va. before Trump said there were “very fine people” on both sides of that deadly protest.

Extremists don’t represent the Republican Party, Weinstein said.

“Within the far right, they are always there and always ignored,” she said.

Fine notes Trump and Vice President Mike Pence this weekend spoke to the Republican Jewish Coalition. That actually marks the first time outside Washington, D.C. that a sitting president and vice president appeared the same day at the same event.

It shows Trump values Jewish voters and citizens, and won’t bend to hatred. Nationalists, he said, have more in common with socialist nationalists under Adolf Hitler. He doesn’t see white nationalists fitting anywhere in the American mainstream politic.

Weinstein notes, meanwhile, Jews face more hatred worldwide than any minority group. Yet, Democrats no longer seem interested in protecting that minority interest.

“The Democratic Party, they want victims,” Weinstein said. “Jews aren’t seen as victims anymore.”

Jacob Ogles

Jacob Ogles has covered politics in Florida since 2000 for regional outlets including SRQ Magazine in Sarasota, The News-Press in Fort Myers and The Daily Commercial in Leesburg. His work has appeared nationally in The Advocate, Wired and other publications. Events like SRQ’s Where The Votes Are workshops made Ogles one of Southwest Florida’s most respected political analysts, and outlets like WWSB ABC 7 and WSRQ Sarasota have featured his insights. He can be reached at [email protected].


11 comments

  • gary

    April 7, 2019 at 8:48 pm

    One question…. Why would a jew vote Democrat? Why?

    • Fred Friedman

      April 12, 2019 at 12:50 am

      Because too many Jews refuse to see how sick and corrupt the Democratic party has become.

  • Seth Platt

    April 8, 2019 at 9:19 am

    This article is garbage. Race baiting garbage.

    • Gloria LaRoche

      April 8, 2019 at 10:43 am

      Oh no it isn’t. Dems are pro Muslim not Jews.

  • Valerie Sprieser

    April 8, 2019 at 3:41 pm

    So where was trump and the gop after the University of Virginia torch kit rally where the demonstrators yelled “Jews will not replace us!” Did they condemn the Jewish grave stone desicrated? Where were they when men women and children were gunned down in the synagogue? Crickets from trump and the gop! Jewish people know who will fight for their rights ….trump and company claim they do….??????? Really?????

    • Steve Moore

      April 8, 2019 at 6:14 pm

      It never ceases to amaze me how raw, irrational hatred breeds so much willful ignorance. So let me color your bleak little world for you.

      In 1983, the Jewish National Fund bestowed upon Donald Trump the Tree of Life Award, a “humanitarian award presented to individuals for their outstanding community involvement [and] their dedication to the cause of American-Israeli friendship.” In 2004, he served as Grand Marshall of the 2004 Israel Day Parade. In early 2015, he received the Liberty Award from the conservative-leaning Jewish publication, “Algemeiner.” During his campaign, he scored the support of Jewish casino magnate and billionaire Sheldon Adelson. Since taking office, Trump has repeatedly reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering commitment to Israel. He has backed that up by nullifying the disastrous Iran nuke deal underhandedly orchestrated by Obama to empower Israel’s greatest and closest enemy. He has comdemned the blatantly anti-semitic remarks of Democrat Rep. Ilham Omar and publicly called for her resignation. He fulfilled a campaign promise to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jeruslaem, something numerous Democrat presidents had promised to do but never did. In response, the city has posted billboards and posters praising his decision to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv. In fact, Donald Trump’s face will be featured on an Israeli coin marking the 70th anniversary of the country’s independence.

      As for your lie regarding Trump’s supposed silence after the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, I quote the leftist mouthpiece Politico: “Trump: ‘This was an anti-Semitic attack at its worst'”

      The scariest thing about ignorant, downright evil people like you is that you vote.

  • Steve Moore

    April 8, 2019 at 5:44 pm

    Keep Florida red? Since when? Since Rick Scott was voted governor? Since Ron Desantis was voted governor? Since Donald Trump won the state? There is no end to the lies that ignorant leftists will try to pass as truth.

Comments are closed.


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