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Last update - 15:37 10/02/2008
McCain found a tool with which to woo conservative Republicans: Israel
By Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Shmuel Rosner, John McCain 
"Those [Democratic] senators won't recognize and seriously address the threat posed by an Iran with nuclear ambitions to our ally Israel in the region," McCain said Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

There's been a lot of talk lately about John McCain's problem with the more conservative (and religious) right wing of the Republican Party. In Super Tuesday McCain won among self-identified conservatives in only three of the nine states that were covered by the exit polls I looked at. His real strength is among moderates.

The dominant narrative for the rest of the Republican race could be McCain's uneasy relationship with the right, writes Michael Grunwald in Time. The candidate is making an effort to win over this important constituency: "I promise you," McCain assured conservatives in his victory speech, "if I am so fortunate to win your nomination, I will work hard to ensure that the conservative philosophy and principles of our great party ... will again win the votes of a majority of the American people."

The problem he has is clear: How does one win over the more radical wing of his party without alienating the more centrist voters on which one relies to help him win not just the nomination but also the general election. McCain is using a couple of tools as to try and achieve this goal. One of them, and not a marginal one, is the State of Israel.
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Senator Joe Lieberman is playing a role here. The staunchest Jewish supporter McCain has, Lieberman can promise both Jews and Evangelical voters that McCain is the candidate who will not abandon Israel (no wonder some people still think Lieberman is McCain's top pick for Vice President).


Lieberman also says that McCain understands how significant the establishment of the state of Israel was. He is an avid reader of history and also has "a sense of history." He is familiar with the story of the country. He will not do anything that will "compromise Israel's security." Lieberman has real confidence in McCain, a "total comfort level" because "I know this man."

"In his potential outreach to evangelical Christians, Lieberman could trade on a relationship rooted in a shared concern for the safety of Israel, as well the respect many evangelicals have for Lieberman's Orthodox Jewish background and for his activism on values issues like violence in the media", wrote Jennifer Siegel of the Forward, and rightly so.

But who needs Lieberman when it is so clear that the candidate himself is using the Israel tool with his most problematic constituency? Two weeks ago I reported that "it is not only the Jews who McCain is courting" with gestures and statements concerning Israel:

Asked about his chances of winning the Republican nomination despite his poor relations with evangelical Christians, he noted that an influential segment of this community is very committed to Israel, and "obviously I have been a very strong proponent to the State of Israel."

And here is a statement he made earlier, in the summer: "The State of Israel has never needed your support and your hopes and your prayers they way they need it today," McCain said. "And God bless you for your commitment." The occasion: the annual Christians United for Israel Summit in Washington.

McCain's speech Thursday, at the Conservative Political Action Conference here in Washington, was designed to hammer this point home in an even more forceful way: "Those [Democratic] senators won't recognize and seriously address the threat posed by an Iran with nuclear ambitions to our ally Israel in the region", McCain said. Meaning: If you conservatives really care about Israel as you often say you do - I'm you're man. Here?s some more: "I intend to make unmistakably clear to Iran we will not permit a government that espouses the destruction of the State of Israel as its fondest wish and pledges undying enmity to the United States to possess the weapons to advance their malevolent ambitions".

His speech, wrote Stephen Hayes "was surprisingly well-received". After the speech, Hayes reports:

[Tom] DeLay told a few reporters that a speech at CPAC could not make up for McCain's record, but he would not rule out voting for him. That might not seem like a big deal unless we recall that DeLay had previously said that McCain "has done more to hurt the Republican Party than any elected official I know of." And he'd still consider voting for him?

DeLay is definitely one of those people to which a positive message concerning Israel is of great importance, and might help McCain do the trick.
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  1.   McCain has always been pro Israel.... 20:29  |  Dave from Chicago 08/02/08
  2.   RE: McCain has always been pro-Israel??? 21:21  |  Ken Mathews 08/02/08
  3.   McCain Inconsistent 22:56  |  MichaelF 08/02/08
  4.   He`s absolutely right, Democrates want OUT of the ME at all costs 01:58  |  Virginia 09/02/08
  5.   McCain and Israel 02:01  |  Chopper 09/02/08
  6.   I dislike McCain but he`s good for Israel 05:25  |  jGOP 09/02/08
  7.   Disengage! 06:02  |  Kovacic 09/02/08
  8.   McCain foun a tool with which to wo conservatve Republicans 08:05  |  martin list, m.d. 09/02/08
  9.   who is being courted? 15:04  |  elixelx 09/02/08
  10.   Good for Israel? 17:02  |  The Other Alan 09/02/08
  11.   McGovern Democrats and the ME 18:03  |  HonestAbe 09/02/08
  12.   McCain 20:44  |  Sam 09/02/08
  13.   New York voters know what they`re doing!!! 21:04  |  Glad of outcome 09/02/08
  14.   #6 GOP 23:25  |  Bryan 09/02/08
  15.   Shame on McCain for exploiting Israel 00:42  |  Blended 10/02/08
  16.   We`ve got God on our side.... 06:31  |  Dave from Chicago 10/02/08
  17.   We`ve got God on our side II 06:37  |  Dave from Chicago 10/02/08
  18.   Good for Israel..but good for America? 16:35  |  dan 10/02/08
  19.   McCain & Lieberman are LOSERS 16:47  |  Masoud 10/02/08
  20.   Kovacic 16:59  |  Jason,Ph.D. 10/02/08
  21.   IMAGINE 17:03  |  Masoud 10/02/08
  22.   Re: To Alan 17:13  |  Robin 10/02/08
  23.   Please face it, Mr. Dave from Chicago, 17:22  |  Masoud 10/02/08
  24.   All three 17:37  |  Ploni 10/02/08
  25.   Mccain+Hackuby=Maccaby 17:59  |  Sal 10/02/08
  26.   Who`s best for America not Israel 17:59  |  Ben 10/02/08
  27.   Massoud the hypocrite 18:00  |  Jane 10/02/08
  28.   #14 18:01  |  Jane 10/02/08
  29.   McCain will win in November by a landslide 18:38  |  Steven 10/02/08
  30.   McCain has the answer... Not 19:54  |  Scott Havsy 10/02/08
  31.   #29 20:21  |  Jane 10/02/08
  32.   vote war 20:23  |  al 10/02/08
  33.   #6 "Safe" in Israel? 20:35  |  Michal 10/02/08
  34.   VOTE McCAIN IF YOU WANT MORE WARS! 20:37  |  sal-usa 10/02/08
  35.   #34 Sal the liar 20:50  |  Maya 10/02/08
  36.   #14 20:55  |  sal-usa 10/02/08
  37.   To Jane: Re: Masoud 20:56  |  Anonymous 10/02/08
  38.   Old trick of anti-Semites 21:03  |  Gene 10/02/08
  39.   "God on our side" WTF 21:05  |  Anonymous 10/02/08
  40.   Jane, oh Jane. #31 21:15  |  Masoud 10/02/08
  41.   #37 21:18  |  Jane 10/02/08
  42.   Sal 21:20  |  Jane 10/02/08
  43.   Anonymous:" This so-called-Jewish state...has the right to exist" 21:23  |  I 10/02/08
  44.   #34 Vote for Dems and you`ll have more 9/11s 21:30  |  I 10/02/08
  45.   #35 21:30  |  sal-usa 10/02/08
  46.   Yes # 36, USA is a "Chritian" country 21:33  |  I 10/02/08
  47.   Michal, you contradict yourself 21:39  |  I 10/02/08
  48.   To Anonymous, #39 22:07  |  Masoud 10/02/08
  49.   #46 22:07  |  sal-usa 10/02/08
  50.   McCain on protecting Israel? 01:05  |  Cindy 11/02/08
  51.   #28 Jane 02:01  |  Bryan 11/02/08
  52.   How does John McCain rationalize supporting ? 02:22  |  Chopper 11/02/08
  53.   American politicians who offer "special support" 06:07  |  David G 11/02/08
  54.   McCain 12:29  |  Tom 11/02/08
  55.   McCain and Israel 14:11  |  Max L. Cadenhead 11/02/08
  56.   McCain found a fool with which to woo 14:47  |  jingles 11/02/08
  57.   Strange America 14:58  |  Jp 11/02/08
  58.   #6 15:37  |  bubba 11/02/08
  59.   EXCUSE ME!! 23:37  |  KiIm 11/02/08
  60.   McCain 01:21  |  Paul 12/02/08
  61.   Ron Paul is best for Israel. How ?! Read on . . . 02:45  |  michael mazur 12/02/08
  62.   McCain prez when hell freezes over 07:35  |  Advocate4Liberty 12/02/08
  63.   McCain prez when hell freezes over 07:35  |  Advocate4Liberty 12/02/08
  64.   does anyone care if Mccain is good for usa?? 08:32  |  DAVID 12/02/08
  65.   McCain/Israel - U.S. `support` for foreign countries 20:06  |  Joel in Boston 12/02/08
  66.   Discussion not above board 23:53  |  LanceThruster 12/02/08
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