On their way into the Republican Jewish Coalition’s presidential forum in Washington on Thursday, two D.C. professionals who looked like they were in their late 20s or early 30s debated: Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio?
The two Cuban American U.S. senators are capturing the imagination, and importantly, the financial and grassroots support, of RJC members as the 2016 GOP nominating contest enters a crucial period. Cruz and Rubio have done it by outflanking their competitors in demonstrating fluid comprehension of global and Middle East affairs, while establishing trust with Jewish Republican activists that they can be counted on to reassert aggressive U.S. leadership abroad, and affirm America’s alliance with Israel.
During a full day of speeches from more than a dozen GOP contenders, all received an energetic reception from the 700 RJC members in the audience at the Ronald Reagan Building a few blocks from the White House. But it was Cruz and Rubio who made an impression; Cruz for the ideological fervor underpinning his foreign policy; Rubio for a detailed address that touched the key pressure points important the national security hawks that dominate the RJC’s membership.
William Fox, an RJC member from Baltimore who is considering Cruz, Rubio, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, discussed why first-term senators Cruz and Rubio appeal to this crowd despite their youth (both are 44) and lack of executive experience. “They’re both focused on the security of our country,” Fox, 73, said. “A number of the candidates are, obviously. But those two in particular put together the whole package.”
“They both come across as very clear about where they stand, what their policies are, what they project for the future of our country,” he added.
Jewish Republicans comprise a relatively small voting bloc; the RJC boasts 45,000 members. But they’re an important source of campaign cash and grassroots activism to their party, and the sweepstakes to land the support of the biggest and most connected Jewish Republican operatives and donors are intense every four years. Rubio appears to have the inside track here, having recently secured the backing of New York financier and RJC board member Paul Singer.
Bush and Christie also are strong with RJC members.
Bush is supported by several deep-pocketed GOP moneymen that sit on the organization’s board. Many are part of the Bush family political network and have been longtime donors, including to Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, Jeb’s father and brother, respectively. George W. Bush remains popular with RJC members because of his administration’s Israel policy. Bush met with several of them privately on site for about 30 minutes before speaking at the forum.
Many of those same donors also attended a morning briefing for Right to Rise USA, Bush’s super PAC. That event was headlined by Mike Murphy, who runs the super PAC, and former House Majority Leader, Republican Eric Cantor of Virginia.
Meanwhile, Christie also has significant corners of RJC support and could attract members’ backing if his prospects rise. His speech focused solely on foreign policy and fighting radical Islamic terrorism in the wake of the shootings in San Bernardino, Calif. According to news reports, there appeared to be a jihadist terrorist component to the motivation of the alleged suspects.
“What this crowd is looking for is determination, they’re looking for followthrough and basic understanding of what U.S. foreign policy should be like,” said Jason Epstein, 46, a Washington consultant and RJC member who is still undecided.
Projecting the determination and know-how to carry out an assertive and successful U.S. foreign policy in the midst of challenges that go well beyond the Middle East are qualities that have made Cruz and Rubio the front-runners for the endorsement of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam. They are RJC board members and perhaps the wealthiest and most sought after of all Republican donors outside of Singer.
Cruz, who has made inroads with socially conservative orthodox Jews, wowed the RJC during its spring meeting in Las Vegas last April, and has been on the march with the group ever since. Thursday was no different. He opened the presidential forum in the morning, delivering a well-prepared speech with no notes that, as one attendee who is not supporting him said, perfectly hit all of the viscerally emotional policy points that an RJC crowd is clamoring to hear.
Rubio has turned heads consistently with RJC members. Thursday’s speech was more of the same. Indeed, it could be argued that Rubio won the day with a detailed, address on national security and U.S. foreign policy, particularly vis-à-vis Israel and the Middle East, that his campaign confirmed was written specifically for the event. Rubio periodically glanced at his notes, hitting the sweet spot of all the policy priorities that RJC members care about.
“This crowd would be very happy with a Ted Cruz or a Marco Rubio,” said Joseph “JB” Bensmihen, 46, an RJC member and health care executive from Boca Raton, Fla., who is running for Congress.
“Ted Cruz’s position on foreign policy is so strong, his pro-business is so eloquent. Even Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz said he’s the smartest student I ever had; that carries some weight,” Bensmihen, who is considering Bush and Rubio, explained. “That being said, I think Marco Rubio gave the kind of speech that said: ‘Here’s why I’m president of the United States’ — it’s a transition from being Senator Rubio to President Rubio, it was just very well articulated.”
