Orthodox activist Jeff Ballabon is working to boost the Jewish outreach efforts of the evangelical Governor of Texas Rick Perry as he fights for the GOP presidential nomination. Ballabon, who has worked as a lobbyist and in public relations, iss rounding up Jewish donors and supporters for Perry, as well as defending Rick Perry from the latest criticism among Pro Israel Jews over his comments at the last Republican debate with regard to foreign aid and Israel's yearly military aid.
In a blog post on Rick Perry's website, Ballabon makes the case to those Yiddish speaking Jews that shocked the political world two month ago in the New york 9th congressional district - special election, in electing Republican Bob Turner in particular as a message to President Obama on his policies and his treatment of Israel.
"It seems to me that, in these difficult times, Governor Perry's peerless and truly extraordinary record as chief executive of the great state of Texas is sufficient reason for him to be our candidate in 2012.
But there is more to recommend Rick Perry as our next president and I'd like to share it with you...at least how I see it.
I've had the great privilege of spending some time with Governor Perry during this campaign. I've seen him now in public and in private with all sorts of crowds, talking about his vision and responding to questions on a very wide range of policy issues. I'm impressed with the substance of his positions, his character of impeccable decency and his charismatic combination of toughness and warmth simultaneously.
He isn't a slick schmoozer; but he is keenly perceptive on substance. He's not a wonk; but he's tremendously engaged and knowledgeable. Most important - he is unafraid to say exactly what he believes and is unapologetic about it. He's not triangulating to figure out what you want to hear - he stakes out his position and explains it...you can come along with him, or not - but his vision is an integrated whole and so there is no point in pretending otherwise...you are invited to buy into a man and into an approach to the governance of a free society. He will explain it all to you clearly and patiently, with passion and with humor and is completely comfortable leaving it to you to make the right decision. It is the difference between pandering and recruiting. He won't stoop to lying or distorting in order to bring you or your money on board; because - it seems to me - he truly is a man of honor.
To his very core, he is an אוהב ישראל for the very best of reasons - and if you haven't seen his remarks at the press conference about Israel and against the UN vote - and his responses to the q&a afterwards - I recommend that you do....
Yes, the Democrats will try to portray Perry as extreme and hateful - because that is their perennial shtick. And, yes, the media will denigrate him and cast him as stupid - highlighting every misspoken word and distorting many well-spoken words - but when all is said and done, with Rick Perry as our standard-bearer, the depressed base of 2008 is going to come roaring back, just as they did in 2010. And then 2012 will be a fascinating contest - with political gladiators from the true Right and Left, not the squishy middle.
Perry v Obama 2012 will be a battle of ideas and not increments - and that is good, because America is nearing economic and cultural collapse (just look at the barbaric filth and violence of liberal darlings "Occupy") and Israel is being demonized and pressured (consider the global sympathy for terrorist-collaborating "flotillas") and nothing incremental is going to save us now.
And here is the thing about Rick Perry - he's already proven that he knows how to run a government for the people's benefit. He's proven that he knows how to create an environment for dramatic economic growth. At a time of great hopelessness, he doesn't make empty promises of hope and change through centralized social tinkering. Instead, he reminds you of the great promise of ordinary Americans set free from the shackles of distant, inhumane, bloated and corrupt bureaucrats. Rick Perry doesn't want to reengineer Americans; he plans to overhaul Washington.
I am supporting Rick Perry for President because I love America and I have faith in his leadership, vision, experience and integrity.
And I am supporting Rick Perry for President because I believe it is an עת צרה ליעקב and I have faith in his deep and abiding and principled commitment to the safety, security and survival of my people.