RJC Makes Big Pro-Bush Ad Buys in Jewish Papers

By: Mark Fitzgerald This summer John Kerry's Democratic presidential
campaign announced with great fanfare that it would be
buying what it called an unprecedented amount of
advertising in black-owned and Hispanic-oriented
newspapers.

With much less publicity, the Republican Jewish
Coalition (RJC) is in the midst of what also appears
to be an unprecedented advertising buy -- in Jewish
newspapers.

"The quality of the Republican advertising is far
higher and the quantity of the advertising is far
heavier than anything I've ever seen," said Douglas
Wertheimer, editor and publisher of the Chicago Jewish Star.

In the current issue of the Jewish Star, a full-page
RJC ad shows President George W. Bush praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The text-heavy ad praises Bush for his "unprecedented pro-Israel policies, his commitment to fighting global anti-semitism, and winning the War on Terror."

James D. Besser, a Washington correspondent whose work appears in numerous Jewish newspapers, reported last week that the RJC ads will target Jewish papers in such markets as Chicago, St. Louis, Ohio, and southern Florida. Besser quoted an unnamed observer as saying the RJC spending could be "upwards of $400,000." RJC Executive Director Matthew Brooks did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.

But Jewish papers confirm the buys, which they say
are very unusual coming from a Republican group.

"I can verify the Republicans came through, though I
will not say the Democrats came through to the same
level," said Jennifer Woomer, advertising director of
The Cleveland (Ohio) Jewish News. "We were extremely surprised."

In addition to pro-Bush ads, the RJC buy at the
13,500-circulation Jewish News includes slams on
Kerry. One ad criticizes Kerry for saying "absolutely
Nothing" about Israel in his acceptance speech.

Besser reported that the RJC's Democratic counterpart,
the National Jewish Democratic Council, said it would
also have an extensive campaign in Jewish papers.

Woomer, for one, said she hasn't seen it: "Saying and
doing are different things ... Unfortunately, the
Democratic (ads) are coming in piecemeal. The
Republicans had a plan in place." The current issue
includes an ad from the Kerry-Edwards campaign wishing Jewish readers well on the High Holidays.

Ohio is a critical swing state targeted by both
campaigns, but the campaigns may also be especially
interested in readers of the Jewish News, Woomer said.

According to the latest Simmons study, she said, 98%
of the paper's readers are registered voters, and 93%
voted within the last 24 months. "Obviously, it's a
political hotbed out there, and everybody wants our
readers," she said.