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Senator Joe Lieberman (right) and Republican candidate John McCain (Reuters)
Will Florida Jews follow Joe Lieberman and vote GOP?
By Shmuel Rosner
Tags: primaries, U.S., Nevada 
RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE: Lieberman praises McCain's pro-Israel voting record to Jewish crowds.

The political battles that will be waged on Saturday in the Republican primaries in Nevada and South Carolina will not end in a decisive victory for any candidate.

No matter the result, the losers will not drop out, and the victors will not deal a death blow to them. There is clearly a great deal of momentum at stake, as well as the potential to scoop up important delegates for the summer's conventions.

These are relatively small states, and the number of delegates up for grabs is quite low. Nonetheless, for one candidate, Saturday's primaries could spell life or death for his campaign. If Tennessee's Fred Thompson does not win in neighboring South Carolina, he can pack his bags and head home, for his race will be all but over.
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Since 1980, every Republican candidate who has won the South Carolina primary has gone on to win the party's nomination for president. This year however, things are different. A number of candidates are coming to the primary still on their feet, still with some wind in their sails. This is the first time that the state could choose a candidate who did not win in New Hampshire or Iowa, meaning it may not be the decisive blow that it has been in the past. The polls so far don't agree that a dark horse could win in the Palmetto state, but so far, the polls have been far from perfect.

They predict a Huckabee victory or one for McCain (25% to 23% respectively), but in national polls McCain is still seen as the candidate most likely to be able to defeat a Hillary Clinton or a Barack Obama.

This was exactly the message that Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman gave in a speech to the "Republican Jewish Coalition" in Boca Raton, Florida. For some time now, Lieberman has stood by McCain's side, or more accurately, has run to lend support when needed at McCain's beckon call. When McCain lost earlier in the week in Michigan and gave his concession speech, Lieberman was there and someone made this joke: Huckabee has mighty Chuck Norris, but McCain has mighty Joe.

Over the next week and a half, Lieberman will address a number of heavily Jewish crowds in Florida in support of the McCain campaign. Will the support of the senior Jewish senator from Connecticut encourage Florida Jews to buck the trend and vote for McCain.

Before the heavily-Jewish crowds, Lieberman emphasized McCain's pro-Israel voting record and his knowledge of the Iranian threat. Lieberman didn't level harsh criticism on the democratic candidates, after all, he is for the most part still a democrat. Nonetheless, Lieberman doesn't seem convinced that the democratic candidates fully understand the Iranian threat.

It's hard to assess how much Lieberman will influence the race in Florida. The Gore-Lieberman ticket lost the Sunshine state in the 2000 presidential elections, albeit by as little as 500 votes depending on who is doing the counting. And it was not Lieberman's fault: after all, the popular governor of Florida at the time was the other candidates' brother. If Gore and Lieberman came close - maibe he does have some influence over the Jewish community of this state.

Lieberman's ex-friends in the Democratic party, the ones he abandoned after they abandoned him in the 2006 race for the Connecticut Senate seat, have turned their gaze towards Nevada.

At Barack Obama's campaign headquarters, a palpable tension has been felt for the weekend's primary. The fact that that the two largest workers' unions in the state have endorsed his candidacy has turned the Illinois senator into the man to beat in Nevada, in spite of polls that had him trailing Hillary in the state for a very long time.

Grand expectations do not typically serve the candidates well in the primaries. It's easier to hope for victory when the expectations are low, or to lose quietly, as was expected before the polls began to sing your praises. This is why Obama's supporters have been quick to point out that the candidate is not the frontrunner, he's not the one who is ensured a victory. If he wins they say, all the better, if not, then there was no failure - Nevada was never slated to be an easy victory for Obama.

When the democrats head to the polls in South Carolina, it will be more difficult for the Obama campaign to make such argument.

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      1.   WILL FLORIDA JEWS FOLLOW JOE? 20:14  |  GOLD COAST 18/01/08
      2.   and they say Obama is for change... 20:54  |  Avi 18/01/08
      3.   Is Lieberman loyal to Israel or the U.S.? 21:00  |  peacelover 18/01/08
      4.   Follow Lieberman?? Joe or Avigdor 21:23  |  Gideon Reader 18/01/08
      5.   Lieberman is a backstabbing idiot! 21:47  |  Democrat 18/01/08
      6.   Finally a Rosner column that doesn`t tout Giuliani! 22:32  |  Smolanit 18/01/08
      7.   The neocon message endangers Israel 22:48  |  MARK KLEIN, M.D. 18/01/08
      8.   Rosner, Rosner, Rosner 23:04  |  Tony Anthony 18/01/08
      9.   Joe Lieberman is a mensch. So is John McCain 23:04  |  Dave from Chicago 18/01/08
      10.   Hobson`s Choice 23:09  |  Mark of Lewiston 18/01/08
      11.   Jews will NOT follow Saint Joe 23:13  |  Richter 18/01/08
      12.   Gideon..... 23:24  |  bill pearlman 18/01/08
      13.   Dave from Chicago, do you think the U.S. is a Christian nation? 23:39  |  Richter 18/01/08
      14.   Richter - WHAT? 00:42  |  Moi 19/01/08
      15.   Wow Richter, you covered alot of ground there.... 00:47  |  Dave from Chicago 19/01/08
      16.   Richter from Brooklyn (cont) 00:56  |  Dave from Chicago 19/01/08
      17.   Americans first..or Jews first? 00:58  |  dan 19/01/08
      18.   One more thing, Richter..... 01:03  |  Dave from Chicago 19/01/08
      19.   Tony, Tony, Tony.... 01:08  |  Dave from Chicago 19/01/08
      20.   McCain is a Rino & a sleaze 01:27  |  Gideon Reader 19/01/08
      21.   The Christian nation USA is better to Jews than anyone 02:05  |  JustCause 19/01/08
      22.   To Gideon 02:13  |  Steve G 19/01/08
      23.   DAN WE ARE CITIZENS 02:13  |  TOBIA 19/01/08
      24.   Dan What RUBBISH !!! 02:13  |  KJJ 19/01/08
      25.   McCain Lieberman Ticket Could Win 02:18  |  Jane 19/01/08
      26.   #8 Tony, Jews are backing away from Obama 02:44  |  Mack E. 19/01/08
      27.   sounds good to me 02:46  |  Nechama 19/01/08
      28.   Richter/Brooklyn (yay!) 02:50  |  Nechama 19/01/08
      29.   Pros and cons 03:26  |  Colin Wright 19/01/08
      30.   Joe Lieberman - A True Hero 04:19  |  Mark Jeffery Koch 19/01/08
      31.   The view from out West 04:27  |  Morris Valentine 19/01/08
      32.   WHY BLACKS AND JEW 05:37  |  TOBIA 19/01/08
      33.   REspond TO PEACE LOVER 05:53  |  TOBIA 19/01/08
      34.   Dire Warning 06:17  |  Paul 19/01/08
      35.   #17 Miami news 06:29  |  JW 19/01/08
      36.   Jews voting republican? 07:39  |  Yaakov 19/01/08
      37.   #35 08:37  |  Paul 19/01/08
      38.   Sorry #35 intended for 36 09:19  |  Paul 19/01/08
      39.   Jews first, America second 10:30  |  Chaim 19/01/08
      40.   STAY AWAY FROM LIEBERMAN MC CAIN, HE WAS A LOSER 11:06  |  indrajaya 19/01/08
      41.   Florida Jews should never trust a two facer 13:49  |  Markus 19/01/08
      42.   To Jane, Palm Beach 13:52  |  Markus 19/01/08
      43.   Rosner know as much about American politics as my dog 14:55  |  Sidney 19/01/08
      44.   Putting HaShem First Is Putting America`s Interests First 14:57  |  "Joe Goy" 19/01/08
      45.   # 41 Marcus AMEN TO THAT!!!!!! 15:40  |  Petra 19/01/08
      46.   America first, jews second 15:49  |  Dayan 19/01/08
      47.   # 36 Recheck your statistics, MOST ISREALS DON`T WANT TWO STATES 15:49  |  Petra 19/01/08
      48.   #47. Statistically, Israeli don`t want peace. 17:41  |  chrisopher 19/01/08
      49.   #44 17:42  |  Paul 19/01/08
      50.   The Bible is true 17:52  |  Paul 19/01/08
      51.   The Florida vote 18:13  |  ottomatik 19/01/08
      52.   Joe 18:16  |  Miriam 19/01/08
      53.   Following Joe the Shmoe 18:16  |  davidk 19/01/08
      54.   paul of clementon.....the bible is true 18:23  |  maria 19/01/08
      55.   paul re. #44 I agree with you there.... 18:27  |  maria 19/01/08
      56.   Mr. Rossner, your disingenuous reply #14 is a real disappointment 18:31  |  Richter 19/01/08
      57.   joe goy..... 18:32  |  maria 19/01/08
      58.   To Dave from Chicago 18:37  |  Richter 19/01/08
      59.   correction ....paul re. #44 18:46  |  maria 19/01/08
      60.   #54 Maria 18:49  |  Paul 19/01/08
      61.   Joe Goy 18:57  |  F Goys 19/01/08
      62.   Maria - Those who speak for god, will live in eternity in the 19:09  |  Krishna 19/01/08
      63.   #14 Moi, America is not a Christian nation 19:19  |  Sidney 19/01/08
      64.   Old NY/Florida Jews will only vote Democratic 21:25  |  David 19/01/08
      65.   #62 Krishna 21:38  |  Paul 19/01/08
      66.   I hope cryin` Joe convinces America 00:52  |  Steve 20/01/08
      67.   Richter...can`t take the heat? 01:44  |  Dave from Chicago 20/01/08
      68.   Richter is duckin`................ 01:52  |  Dave from Chicago 20/01/08
      69.   paul....do you have scoffield bible with you? 02:21  |  maria 20/01/08
      70.   khrishna...........Jesus said..... 02:37  |  maria 20/01/08
      71.