An interesting phenomenon has developed since the Bibi-Boehner show earlier this month and the follow-up election in Israel. The American right-wing hasn't let it go. And the reason for that, is because they view the event as an opportunity to poach a few liberal Jews over to the dark side. Hannity, Levin and Limbaugh have all been parroting the same thing of late, and it goes something like this (paraphrasing from memory of a recent Hannity rant): "It's hard to understand why so many Jews in this country still support the Obama administration and the Democratic Party. Look at the way this White House disrespects the Prime Minister of Israel." As if that's the foremost interest of the average American Jew.

And so begins a new chapter in the Republican's favorite game; Divide & Conquer. Set up the board as they did back in 2002; "You're either with us or you're against us," resist mentioning the differences of the left/right divide, and just go right for the ethnic heart. Breaking news right-wingers: There's a reason why 78% of American Jews vote Democratic, and it has nothing to do with their faith, with Israel, with Barack Obama or the price of lox in Brooklyn. It has everything to do with the track record of right-wing governments and how they've always exploited their minority communities—right up until the moment they're no longer useful to them.

I suspect this trip to Israel that Boehner is taking will be Phase II of their little puppet show. Run scenes 24/7 on Fox News of the Souse of the House and Bibi together at the Wailing Wall both festooned in yarmulkes, with a split screen shot of President Obama playing golf in Hawaii, a text splash reading; "Obama Plays Golf While Speaker Visits Israel." Divide and conquer, their favorite ploy. If they can whittle that 78% of Jewish Democrats down to 70%, it would make an immense difference in their political fortunes.

But here's why it won't work. To the crocodilian mind of the conservative strategist, they believe ethnicities respond as a flock. Jews largely believe this, blacks believe that, Hispanics believe the other. And they betray that wrongheadedness in the most transparent ways. For example, to offset the appeal Barack Obama has within the African American community, they hire token black spokespersons to challenge the President's policies, stupidly thinking if one handsome black man can out-talk another handsome black man, maybe we can peel off a few black voters to the GOP. Never once considering that the REASON Barack Obama resonates as he does with the African American community has virtually nothing to do with the color of his skin, as it does his shared experiences as someone who witnessed first-hand the racism and injustices of a two-class society. So how does the right wing media respond to this? They prop up some black journalist who says the incidences of racism being alleged by many blacks today are overblown, even going so far as to defend the Ferguson MO police department. And they're flummoxed that so few blacks support this. Yes, it's the mystery of our time!

And so it is with the Jews and the right. The big "push" right now, is to capitalize on the current anger and turmoil created by the Netanyahu government and the disgusting little stunt orchestrated by he and Boehner. The GOP is hoping they can tear at the hearts of those Jews who are loyal to both the President and their ethnic/spiritual leanings, so they're using the person of Bibi Netanyahu as they do their token African American on Fox News.

They'd have better luck using Bernie Madoff.

This is as insulting to the intelligence of the average American as it is mind-bogglingly stupid. Again, as with blacks who did NOT vote on skin tone, but on the President's articulation of a common life experience, Jews aren't going to suddenly change their ideological beliefs to align with some right-wing hack, just because he happens to be a member of the tribe. Jews, like all people, vote their personal interests. Not their religious interests. Not their shared history. And certainly not the interests of one right-wing putz who is proficient at one thing and one thing only: winning elections, by hook or by crook.

Contrary to the right-wing talkers, Barack Obama hasn't divided the American Jewish Community. If anything, he's inspired it more than any other leader since JFK. He's been the very face of inclusion, at a time when the GOP has once again embraced exclusion. Whereas Bibi Netanyahu and his brethren in the United States Congress have become the dividers. And as is always the case amongst the right, they've cleaved along ethnic and racial lines.

There has always been a small fraction of American Jews who lean right (usually industrialists, neo-con types, etc.). If anything, all this latest Dog & Pony show did was force both sides to retreat deeper into their corners. Sheldon Adelson's faction will continue to fund his interests, and the other 4/5ths of us will continue to oppose them. And no matter what the right says, it has nothing... NOTHING to do with Judaism. It has to do with being an American. Something they'll never get.

The GOP has about as much chance luring American Jews into their fold by goading them to side with Bibi as they do luring blacks to side with the racists in Ferguson. And when it too fails, they'll probably stay up at night wondering where their strategy went wrong. It went wrong the moment they stopped thinking of voters as individuals, rather than races to be courted and manipulated like children.

Why would Jews support the anti-Semitic rightwingnut Tea Partiers?