Rick Perry Picks Up Veterans Support In Orthodox Jewish Brooklyn
Republican voters in Iowa may not have adored Rick Perry, but the Texas governor is feeling the love from a "New York state veterans support organization" based in the unlikely precincts of Orthodox Jewish Brooklyn.
The grammatically challenged website of Operation Boots on the Ground says its mission is to "elect rick perry for president in the republican primers." It features battle photos from World War II and other conflicts and notes that President Barack Obama cut the Pentagon budget.
Although Perry is skipping the New Hampshire primary to focus on South Carolina, the group urges support for the former Air Force pilot in "'The battle of fire' In New Hampshire. Rick Perry a 7 year military 'air force' veteran, Is 'critical wounded' after the Iowa caucuses, He need your help."
The group -- if it is more than one enthusiastic Perry supporter -- was first noticed by Yossi Gestetner, a Hasidic Jewish blogger who writes about politics:
A PAC that is working to get military veterans to vote for Rick Perry is registered at 199 Lee Ave Brooklyn NY 11211. To make it look professional, the PAC OperationBootsOnTheGround.com is registered at "2nd Floor, Suite #900," when in fact that address is merely a post-box location and the second floor is occupied by Hasidic residence.
The building in the Williamsburg neighborhood also houses a small Jewish school for boys, Keren Hatorah.
A Friday morning update on the pro-Perry website said it would close at noon New Hampshire time and reopen Sunday morning. Because the Jewish Sabbath begins at sunset Friday and ends at sunset Saturday, the shutdown suggests the webmaster is a religiously observant Jew.
Perry and other Republicans have actively courted Orthodox Jewish voters, who, unlike the majority of their Democratic-leaning coreligionists, lean more toward socially conservative GOP candidates. In September, Perry reached out to conservative Jews in a speech in New York, during which he blasted Obama's policy on Israel.
While Perry may not make it to New York's presidential primary in April, the folks behind Operation Boots on the Ground might still appreciate the now-viral video of their favored candidate dancing with Hasidic rabbis at the Texas state capital.
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First Posted: 01/06/2012 9:58 am Updated: 01/06/2012 10:01 am