OPINION Imi"••••••••••• 11

Ross Perot

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Continued from Page 7

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MASTER
DEALER

anti-Semitic or anti-Israel;
the evidence is to the con-
trary. But he represents a
counter-revolutionary
tendency that should be
dismaying to all Americans
and especially to Jews. The
Democratic and Republican
parties are both coalitions.
Various interest groups
come together in each party
to negotiate their interests
and to come to some accom-
modation for the common
good.
When the coalitions work,
the parties work; the coun-
try works — and relatively
small groups like the Jews
can exercise some influence.
Imagine what a fix we'd be
in if we had to operate polit-
ically with a Jewish party.
Both parties have been
having coalition problems.
For some years, the Dem-
ocratic Party has had trou-
ble coalescing, and this year
the Republican Party is hav-
ing the same trouble. It has
happened in the past be-
cause of a combination of in-
transigent single-issue
groups and a leadership too
weak to take charge. But it
hasn't always happened to
both parties at the same
time. .
Now, if Mr. Perot had
stepped into either party on
the primary level to fill the
vacuum, to try to provide the
leadership to pull one or the
other together, he could
have been an American
hero.
Instead, he chose to bypass
the coalition process alto-

gether. The "participatory
democracy" of an electronic
town hall, or of a convention
attended by a random mass
of people, is counter-
revolutionary. It is the polit-
ical equivalent of a lynch
mob. In general, that is no
way to run this railroad; in
particular, "Jewish issues"
would no longer be a serious
part of the equation.
It is not that Mr. Perot will
be elected, or that if he is
elected, everything will go
completely to pot. There still
is Congress and the courts.
But he represents a
dangerous tendency that a
lot of alienated people ap-
parently find attractive.
Mr. Perot cannot alone be
blamed for this tendency. He
is a product of the growing
decline of the coalition pro-
cess in both parties.
The Jews, who are polit-
ically hyperactive, will be
doing their own specific
causes the most good not by
just worrying about Jewish
candidates, or even just
about short-range victories
in those specific causes, but
about the health of the par-
ties.
It sounds very virtuous to
call oneself a political
"independent," as more and
more Jews are now doing,
but it is also a cop-out. In its
own self-defense, the Jewish j
community should organize c..)
itself, on a nonpartisan
basis, to get its members I.
more deeply involved and
active in the coalition party
of their choice.

INDIC A I ED 10
EXCELLENCE

LOCAL NEWS

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are pleased to announce the association of

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Effective July 1, 1992

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r-ri rN Ak/ II IIA/

4r1r1r1

Conference Accepts
Grant Applications

The Michigan Jewish Con-
ference will begin accepting
applications for Litvak Foun-
dation grants for programm-
ing among member commun-
ities outside the Metropolitan
Detroit area.
In its second year, the Lit-
vak Foundation encourages
Jewish activities and pro-
grams that reach beyond the
borders of a single communi-
ty in Michigan. Proposals
should aim to enrich, support
and build Jewish life through-
out the state. A local funding
component is required.
The MJC Grant Committee,
which includes represen-
tatives from around Michi-
gan, will consider as many
proposals as possible for fun-
ding from the five-year,
$50,000 grant.
The Conference serves as a
statewide network to share

information and ideas, ex-
change views and facilitate (
the political relations needs of
its 13 member communities:
Ann Arbor, Bay City, Detroit,
Flint, Grand Rapids, Jackson,
Kalamazoo, Lansing, Mid-
land, Muskegon, Petoskey,
Saginaw and South Haven.
The MJC was formed to
establish and maintain a
presence in Lansing and to
engage in advocacy on behalf
of the statewide Jewish corn-
munity.
In addition, the Conference ,)
builds coalitions with other
human needs and social
justice organizations.
Deadline for applications is
July 30. For information
about the Litvak Foundation')
Grant, contact Caryn Nessel
at the Michigan Jewish Con-
ference Detroit office,
642-4260.

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