For Jewish supporters of the president , Mr. Bush's foreign policy experience is the key issue.
outreach effort by Bill Clinton forces in several key ing in the community — which means that both sides
can pretty much take you for granted. That's what
f J states, including Michigan and New York, the plain we're seeing this time around."
fact is that the Jewish community has not been heav-
ily targeted by either major presidential campaign,
and even less by supporters of Texas billionaire Ross
Perot.
The relative lack of an active Jewish presence in the
emocratic nominee Bill Clinton has chosen
presidential campaigns reflects several factors: the over-
to base his pitch to the Jewish community
whelmingly domestic focus of the 1992 contest; the
on one major theme: Jews, like other mid-
growing aversion to "special interest" politics among
dle-class Americans, have been devastated
the American electorate; and the apparent return of
by
the apparently endless recession and by
many Jewish "swing" voters to the Democratic fold —
the
Reagan-Bush
policies that — in the Democratic
a direct result of President Bush's clash with the Jew-
view
—
caused
it.
ish community over the issue of loan guarantees for
Even the country's ability to stand up for Israel, Mr.
Israel.
Clinton
said at the recent B'nai B'rith convention, de-
`The Jewish community made up its mind very ear-
pends
on
a solid economic recovery at home.
ly ," to go with Mr. Clinton said a prominent Jewish
"We
view
this as a watershed election for Ameri-
Republican. "So there hasn't been much campaign-
THE CLINTON STRATEGY
D
ca in general," said Donald Mintz, a Louisiana lawyer
and co-chair of the campaign's Jewish leadership coun-
cil. "Jews, like all Americans, are very concerned about
the direction of the economy, about education, about
health care. I would quarrel with the idea that the
Jewish position is really different from the mainstream
American political position this year."
The economic issue, in turn, is related to Jewish se-
curity in this country.
"The most important issue for Jewish Americans
is the most important issue for all Americans — how
to get the economy moving again, and how to relieve
some of the anger and anxiety that people out there
feel," said Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), an ear-
ly Clinton supporter.
"Traditionally, Jews have been targeted in times of
economic stress, and subject to being hurt by politi-
cians who are not unifiers," Mr. Lieberman added.