Another Trump Campaign Fail

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports 

Hymie’s, a popular Philadelphia Jewish deli, raised some Jewish hackles when it served as the scene of the Republican Jewish Coalition’s closing ad — featuring Jewish actors playing older women who, after supporting Democrats, were switching their votes to Donald Trump.

So 10 days later, a Democratic organization stepped in to film a pro-Kamala Harris ad at the same deli, featuring real Jewish people from Pennsylvania — one of seven swing states both parties are closely focused on ahead of Tuesday’s close-fought election.

Former Gov. Ed Rendell, the state’s Democratic governor from 2003 to 2011,  launches the Harris ad by sitting in a booth and contemplating his favorite Hymie’s offering, a turkey special. “They’re the best,” he says.

 Lita Cohen — who served as a Republican in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1993 to 2002 — says her preference is the lox and bagels, but adds immediately, “I’m very upset with that recent Trump ad that stereotypes Jewish people,” a reference to local unhappiness with the deli for allowing the RJC to use its premises.

The ad does stereotype Jewish people- poorly- with hand gestures, "oy vey," mugs reading "life, liberty, and pastrami," and "amen" at its conclusion, with a pronunciation uncommon to Jews.  Further

The ad is paid for by Patriot Majority USA, a political action committee founded 14 years ago to counter the rise of the Tea Party, which was then in the early stages of becoming very influential within the Republican Party. The PAC did not return requests for comment; nor did Specter, who is now a marketing consultant.

Each ad seeks to identify the other party’s nominee with extremes: the RJC ad ties Vice President Kamala Harris to the anti-Israel protesters roiling campuses. “Oy vey,” one of the three actors says. “Trump I never cared for, but at least he’ll keep us safe.” That ad ends with the three women raising their mugs to a vote for Trump.

The RJC acknowledged that the women, whom it referred to as "bubbies,: are actors but said they were all Jewish and voting for Trump. It would not make them available for interviews.

Not only would many Jews be turned off by the stereotyping but it reinforces what some anti-Semites believe about Jews. Donald Trump probably did not know that this ad was coming but if he did, he likely would have approved it. He has run an awful campaign and is preparing for the excitement of the period between the election, which he believes he will lose, and Inauguration Day.

 

 

Share |