November 21, 2022

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It is always fun to attend the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership conferences in Las Vegas, but this year was particularly cathartic for those of us distressed over the results of the midterm elections last week. As someone who lives in the liberal bastion of hell known as Westchester County, New York, spending a weekend with likeminded conservative Jews is not just therapeutic, but also invigorating and grounding (one tends to lose perspective living in a blue bubble of woke, abortion-and transgender rights-obsessed, sanctuary-city and defund the police-supporting lunatics).

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This year’s confab, like those in the past that have always included the most consequential and influential Republican politicians, featured not just big-name Republican politicians but those who will likely be sharing a future debate stage as the GOP primaries for the 2024 presidential election heats up. And every report that I’ve read from The New York Times to Ha’aretz recognized that we just watched the launch of the 2024 campaigns of most of the speakers.

My first RJC leadership meeting was well over a decade ago when there were several hundred in attendance. This year there were reportedly over 850 attendees – all bringing with them enthusiasm and optimism given the impressive slate of speakers (and more importantly, presidential candidates).

Friday evening’s Shabbat dinner featured Tennessee Senator Bill Haggerty, truly one of Congress’s biggest supporters of a strong US/Israel relationship, who gave an impressive and powerful speech from the perspective of someone who was not as familiar with him prior to this weekend.  He was followed by Maryland’s Governor Larry Hogan, whose disdain for former President Trump was on full display. His remarks in front of an audience that, notwithstanding Trump’s shortcomings, still adores Trump and values everything he did for the State of Israel and fighting antisemitism, felt completely out of touch, misplaced and small. His handlers should have reminded him (and his speech writer should have known) that spending his time at the RJC with 20 minutes of backhanded remarks attacking Trump wasn’t a wise way to launch a presidential campaign. He also lacked even a modicum of charisma, giving a boring stump speech that I would have gladly skipped. It was clear the audience agreed with me as he received very little applause throughout his remarks – in this regard he set himself apart from all of the other speakers during the weekend who drew cheers, standing ovations, and admiration.