One thing you left out is that despite their insularity, the Hasidim vote, in large numbers, and largely the way their rabbis instruct them to. Combine this wit

One thing you left out is that despite their insularity, the Hasidim vote, in large numbers, and largely the way their rabbis instruct them to. Combine this with the fact that they have very large families, and you can see how they can quickly become very politically powerful.