With his political fortune seemingly darker than a moonless night, embattled Gov. Gray Davis has turned to some of his most faithful friends to combat the recall efforts — Southern California Jews.
Community Leaders Against the Recall, an ad hoc group of prominent Jews organized by former Rep. Mel Levine, recently held a press conference at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles in support of Davis. Levine, speaking in impassioned tones, said the governor has long been a friend to the Jewish community and a stalwart supporter of Israel.
Whether such a demonstration is in the works for Northern California remains uncertain, but influential individuals in both the Bay Area Jewish community and the Democratic Party say they wouldn’t count on it.
“As far as the sheer number of votes, the Jewish community of Southern California certainly has us there,” admitted Sam Lauter, a San Francisco political consultant and pro-Israel activist.
“If you’re, say, running for Senate in North Carolina, no one here can vote for you anyway, so you’d definitely want to make a stop in both Los Angeles and San Francisco. But there’s no question, when it comes to California politics, Southern California will be the first stop when it comes to the organized Jewish community because the votes are there and there’s more money.”
Davis, a former assemblyman in Los Angeles’ heavily Jewish West Hollywood district, “has always been a Southern California-based guy. His long-term relationships are more there than here, and in a time like this you go to your family.”
As one of the nation’s most liberal communities, Jews have politically embraced the Democrat Davis. In last year’s re-election, 69 percent of the state’s Jewish voters cast ballots for him. Only blacks, at 79 percent, were bigger supporters, according to a Los Angeles Times poll.
With only two months to the recall election that will decide the fates of both Davis and California, Levine vowed that the July 21 Los Angeles press conference was merely the first salvo in what promises to be a growing anti-recall movement among Jews.
But while some Jews may publicly bolster Davis, many say — privately — their staunch opposition to the recall shouldn’t be mistaken as an enthusiastic endorsement for the governor. Some Jews criticize him for the ballooning state deficit, a lack of leadership and for degrading the political process through incessant fund-raising and vicious campaigning.
“He combines the personality of Michael Dukakis with the ethics of Tony Soprano,” said Jack Pitney, professor of government at Claremont McKenna College, adding that Davis once asked U.C. Berkeley students to pay $100 for the privilege of speaking with him on campus.
Davis’ gray personality and ethics notwithstanding, most Jews oppose the recall because they largely share his political philosophy, have a longstanding relationship with the governor and worry about the possibility of someone worse replacing him. Jews also seem bothered by the uncertainty surrounding attempts to unseat a sitting governor with a seldom-used initiative. Even Jewish Republicans appear ambivalent.
As governor, Davis has visited Israel and signed legislation expanding the definition of hate crimes to include such acts as painting a swastika on a synagogue. At his behest, the Simon Wiesenthal Center has received $31.4 million, the Zimmer Museum $2.4 million and the Skirball Museum $6.4 million over the past five years from the California Arts Council and the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, a Davis spokesman said.
Jews, for their part, have ponied up hefty campaign donations to Davis and his allies over the years.
Meanwhile, Democratic support for Davis was boosted Wednesday when Sen. Dianne Feinstein announced she would not allow her name to be placed on the ballot.
Some conservative Jews, as much as they loathe Davis, have concerns about upending the democratic process. But whatever the case, Jews will likely unite behind Davis.
“He’s not a hugger or a back-slapper. That’s why it’ll take time for support to come,” said Howard Welinsky, chairman of Democrats for Israel and a member of Levine’s ad hoc group. “But I’m confident it will come.”