Posted by
J-GOP on Friday, November 16, 2007 12:01:58 PM
So you think you're in the minority as a Jewish Republican? It could be worse. You could be a Jew supporting Republican Presidential candidate, Ron Paul. Now that's a minority!
According to an article posted on JewishJournal.com entitled, "The few, the proud, the Jews for Ron Paul", the candidate commands a loyal, albeit small, Jewish following. This Jewish support has followed the same pattern as Paul's backing from other groups -- coming from out-of-the way places on the Internet and taking mainstream media and political organizations by surprise.
Among his followers are two distinct poltical groups: Jews for Ron Paul, and Zionists for Ron Paul -- Jewish supporters that believe that it would be best for Israel if the United States kept out of Jerusalem's affairs. They also believe that American aid to Israel is dangerous because it feeds the perception that Jews wield too much influence over U.S. foreign policy.
"Many of us believe the current relationship between the United States and Israel is a very unhealthy relationship, like that of a man and concubine, or a slave and master," said Yehuda HaKohen, an American immigrant to Israel and head of the group, Zionists for Ron Paul.
Ron Paul's views towards the state of Israel and the Middle East conflict show a similar disconnect from reality. "Our foreign military aid to Israel is actually more like corporate welfare to the U.S. military industrial complex, as Israel is forced to purchase only U.S. products with the assistance. We send almost twice as much aid to other countries in the Middle East, which only insures increased militarization and the drive toward war."
Ron Paul is an interesting example of political extremes. Even though he may represent one aspect of the far-right, It's not doubt that many of his views are similar to those of far-left candidate Dennis Kucinich. Both are in favor of bringing our troops home from Iraq and all foreign locations immediately. Ron Paul even complimented Dennis Kucinich in a recent interview on C-SPAN. You can watch his glowing remarks in a 9-minute YouTube video. (Just advance it to 7:45 to see this comment).
Talk show host Hugh Hewitt said it best, "Clearly Ron Paul is as mad as a hatter. Both he and Dennis Kucinich would make the perfect circus freak-show act". It just goes to show you that, like two opposite points on a circle, both the far-right and the far-left can get to the point where they meet each other on the far side of that circle.