Jerusalem Post: Jewish Democrats hope to swing key states in the presidential election

BY DONNA RACHEL EDMUNDS

An advertisement targeting Jewish voters in swing states has been launched by the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) this week, to coincide with the Democratic National Convention, which this year has gone virtual.

The minute-long ad, titled “We need a mensch in the White House” aims to persuade Jewish swing voters to back Senator Joe Biden in November’s presidential elections, with JDCA explaining that the Jewish vote could make all the difference in swing states.

Recounting a time when Joe Biden unexpectedly turned up at a Shiva being held for supporter Sylvia Greenhouse, who donated $18 to his campaign regularly – a number signifying life in Jewish tradition – Rabbi Michael Beals tells viewers: “This is a man who cares about other people. This is the type of person I want as my president.”

ewish backing for the Democratic Party has been on the rise in recent years. In 2014, 66% of Jewish voters backed the blues, according to JDCA. In the 2016 Presidential election, 72% of Jewish voters supported Hillary Clinton. By the 2018 midterms, Jewish support for the party had risen still further to 79%.

“The trend line is clear: the Jewish vote matters and it still has room to grow,” said Halie Soifer, executive director of JDCA who previously served as vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s national security advisor.

“Our votes can make the difference in key states Joe Biden and Kamala Harris need to win the White House this November. We know Jewish voters overwhelmingly support Democrats, and we know how to reach them in this election.”

JDCA expects both Jewish voter turnout and Jewish support for the Democrats to grow when Americans go to the ballot box this fall, and hope this will translate into Biden edging out Trump in key swing states such as Michigan and Florida, through Jewish votes alone.

To that end they have launched the Virtual Schlep, designed to reach more than a million voters through phone banking, text messages and digital advertising, supported by state chapters, grassroots supports and student fellows joining forces several times a week to contact Jewish voters in key swing states.

“JDCA’s Virtual Schlep is targeting Jewish voters in key states to elect Biden and flip the Senate from red to blue, and we won’t stop until we ensure victory in November,” Soifer said.