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Litmus

Al Gore's staunch support of Israel and
Jewish causes has made him the darling
of the Jewish voter ... up till now.

House and Senate before moving into
the vice president's mansion — can
run an outside-the-Beltway campaign.
Ironically, politically conservative
Jews may already be shifting toward
Bradley, despite the fact that he is run-
ning to the left of Gore.
For them, Bradley lacks the baggage
of the Clinton years. If he hasn't been
a leader on Mideast issues, at least he
hasn't been a cheerleader for a peace
process many on the Jewish right dis-
like.
JAMES D. BESSER
More importantly, he hasn't been
Washington Correspondent
tainted by a troubled, tempestuous
White House that has produced a
or Al Gore's struggling pres-
kind of national political exhaustion.
idential campaign, Jewish
Jewish voters still like and respect
voters are the canaries in
Gore, some Democratic offi-
the coal mine.
cials say, but they worry that he
Early missteps by the Gore
can't beat Texas Gov.
team, a surprisingly strong
George W. Bush. One party
challenge from former senator
.:: Lo' official said the recent defec-
and basketball star Bill Bradley
tion of Sen. Daniel Patrick
and armies of pundits pro-
Moynihan (D-N.Y.) to the
claiming his unelectability have
Bradley camp because of his
not triggered a Jewish exodus
blunt assessment that Gore
from the Gore ranks, but
can't win resonates disturbingly
Democratic officials are talking
with Jewish voters.
about the possibility if the
That calculation could take
campaign continues to sputter.
on added urgency because of
"Jewish voters aren't going
the perCeption that Jews are
anywhere — yet," said a high-
being written off by Republican
ranking Democratic Party offi-
leaders who believe Pat
cial who pointed out that there
Buchanan's ultra-conservative
is still plenty of time for Gore
supporters are more important
to reverse his early decline.
to the party's 2000 chances.
"The loyalty to Al Gore is gen-
That was the message many
uine and impressive, but there
saw in the desperate effort by
is a lot of talk about the possi-
top Republican leaders to keep
bility that a time could be
Buchanan in the party — and
coming when many will shift
in Bush's refusal to repudiate
to Bradley because they see no
the columnist-turned-candi-
chance Gore can win."
date, despite renewed charges of
A mass Jewish defection
anti-Semitism and xenophobia.
would have limited electoral
For now, Democratic offi-
impact in most states, but it
cials say, mainstream Jewish
would be a devastating blow to
voters are sticking with the
Will Al Gore overcome the taint of Bill Clinton's administration?
the morale and image of a
vice president. But if the feel-
campaign that has squandered
ing
that
Gore can't win produces a
But the equation is shifting, and
Michael Dukakis' liberalism and soft
some of its early advantages.
political
critical mass, some
not in Gore's favor. His frontrunner
positions on the Middle East led many
For Al Gore, the Jewish electorate is
Democratic
insiders fear a chain
status is frayed, his campaign has been
Jewish "Scoop Jackson" Democrats to
as good as it gets.
reaction
rush
away from the vice
plagued
with
mistakes
and
misjudg-
rally behind Gore's losing bid.
Forget the Jewish right-wingers
president
could
begin.
ments
and
there
is
little
reason
to
Even Gore's oft-mocked stiffness
who have taken to derisively referring
The behavior of the Jews — Gore's
think
the
recent
decision
to
shift
the
isn't necessarily a minus for Jewish
to the "Clinton-GORE administra-
loyalist supporters — will be the best
entire operation to Tennessee so that
voters, who admire his strong focus on
tion" every time they attack some per-
indicator of when that catastrophic
Gore — who was raised in
issues and his sober, straitlaced
ceived slight against Israel; rank-and-
point is reached. ri
Washington and served 16 years in the
demeanor.
file Jews, both peaceniks and hardlin-

Jewish support will
be a strong
indicator of Al
Gore's electability.

10/15

1999

ers, have always trusted Al Gore.
There are a number of reasons for
that affinity, starting with the fact that
Gore was a staunch friend of Israel
throughout his years in the House and
Senate, even though Jews are not a
critical voting bloc in Tennessee.
Domestically, Gore
was always attractive "
NEWS
to Jewish voters
because he was politi-
cally liberal, but not
beholden to the
party's far-left segment; in the late
1980s he was seen as the perfect anti-
dote to the Jesse Jackson surge in the
party.
It was hardly a surprise in 1988 when

Gore, like Bill Clinton, seems com-
fortable with Jews and Jewish issues;
his active Jewish outreach has seemed
natural, not forced and calculated.
Unlike most politicians seeking Jewish
votes and money, he has succeeded in
building good relations with Jews
from different points on the commu-
nal and political spectrum.
Former Sen. Bill Bradley, Gore's
only Democratic challenger, supported
Israel during his Senate tenure, but he
was never a leader on Mideast issues.
With Bradley starting out as a dis-
tant long-shot, Jewish voters — prag-
matists who generally shun lost politi-
cal causes — lined up solidly behind
the vice president.