The campaigning of UTJ has been in very low gear. Reports have it that the various headquarters and branches are still in sleep mode, volunteers are not being given work to do, banners have not been passed around intensely, and for a party that keeps repeating the mantra about how this is the most serious election ever for the haredi public, they definitely have not been campaigning as if that is the case.

But now things might turn around, with just a week left until the elections. Yesterday they came up with a new idea around which to base their campaign, and I think it is brilliant. I do not know if it is legal or not (it reminds me of some Shas campaigns of previous years that were deemed illegal), but if it does not get challenged I think this campaign is right on target and can make a huge difference.

The campaign is based on something Rav Shteinman said. Basically, it promises a Yissachar-Zevulun relationship to anybody who votes UTJ (gimmel).

The avreichim and bochurim are basically locked up with UTJ anyway, so they were not much of a concern. They have to work to avoid apathy, and a little bit of dissent, but for the most part that community is in UTJ's back pocket. The "working haredim" community, on the other hand, is where a lot of the anger and dissent has been. it is largely, though not solely, by the "working haredim" where people were considering voting for secular parties, for Shas, for Am Shalem or even Koach l'Hashpia.

If Rav Shteinman is really promising to the public that a vote for UTJ is as if a Yissachar-Zevulun deal was signed, a lot of those voters might go back and vote UTJ. It is almost irresistible. Still nobody in UTJ is saying the party will work towards solving the issues relevant to this group, be it issues of taxes, creating courses and vocational training, be it issues of their children being rejected from the classic haredi schools or whatever. However, people might very well overlook all that in order to achieve the benefits of a Yissachar-Zevulun relationship with the yeshivas. They will share equally in the merit of the Torah learning of the yeshiva world without even having to dish out any money (yes, money will be dished out by the government, from their taxes, because of the votes, but nobody will have to write a check or empty their wallet to get this merit).

Rav Shteinman explained the concept behind the idea that just as a wife shares in her husbands Torah learning because she assists and enables his learning, so in this situation as well. The voter will be a full partner in the Torah learning of thousands and tens of thousands of pages of gemara that will be learned in the coming years as a result of voting for UTJ..
(Sources: Kikar and Bechadrei)