I know there are many Jewish-Democratic-Hillary supporters out there who are unsure about Obama. (I'll address the foolish "only-Republicans-can-support-Israel" position in another post). I hope the following endorsement will put some of your fears at ease and allow you to assess Obama and his position on his own merits and not the ramblings of the Jewish Press.
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20 comments:
I think Obama is another Jimmy Carter, but McCain I'm afraid is another Bush.
Choose your poison.
LNM,
I echo the sentiments of you post ENIRELY. Your comment about basing your vote entirely on the candidate's foreign policy for Israel is right on target.
This is truly a historic moment. Obama is the Democratic Presidential Candidate!
Obama for President 2008!
I unabashedly vote almost exclusively on the Israel issue. I guess I probably shouldn't, but it is my main interest, and I think the fact that I live here does give me that right. Thanks for the kudos :)
By the way, it's nice that Obama claims to be a friend of Israel. But he has also stressed that he is equally concerned about Palistinian rights. I am also concerned about Palistinian rights, but I think he and I mean two different things when we say that....
for the record, the western regional director of AIPAC said that all three candidates have a good track record for israel. He also added that Obama is the only one that told the Palestinians to forget about their right to return.
"It drives me crazy when people tell me they base their vote for President of the United States solely on the issue of Israel."
Oh, I agree. As far as I go, I'm not fond of virtually any of Obama's foreign policy.
Miri,
> I unabashedly vote almost exclusively on the Israel issue.
Yes, but YOU LIVE IN ISRAEL. That's the whole point. In your case the better question is why are you voting in the U.S. election if you don't live here.
> I am also concerned about Palistinian rights, but I think he and I mean two different things when we say that....
I don't exactly know what your position is on Palestinian rights but if you agree that Palistinians should have basic human rights I can't imagine that your position is that far from his. I was saving this link for tomorrow but for more on his support for Israel see the following video.
http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=84056&videoChannel=1
OP,
> Oh, I agree. As far as I go, I'm not fond of virtually any of Obama's foreign policy.
Well, since you are a conservative that's to be expected. Your philosophical approach is different.
Interestingly, I went to johnmccain.com and he doesn't have a "foreign policy" section in his list of issues. He has sections for the related topics of "Iraq", "Border Security", and "National Security" but nothing specifically about his approach to foreign policy.
For anyone who is interested, you can read about the direction Obama wants to take U.S. foreign policy as well as some specific goals of his on his website's foreign policy section here: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/foreignpolicy/
"Well, since you are a conservative that's to be expected. Your philosophical approach is different."
Heh, on this issue I am. On other issues, not so much. In fact, if foriegn policy wasn't an issue then I could easily see myself taking Obama over McCain.
"It drives me crazy when people tell me they base their vote for President of the United States solely on the issue of Israel."
Ditto. In 2004, I heard waaay too many people say something along the lines of, "I HATE Bush, but I'm going to vote for him because he's good to Israel..."
For me, Israel CAN be a make-it-or-break it issue (it's not the only such issue). In other words, even if I agree with a candidate on every single issue (unlikely, but it's a hypothetical) but they are completely anti-Israel (note: COMPLETELY anti-Israel, not just that they can see the Palestinian side of things, etc.), then I don't think I could vote for them.
But with the exception of such a hypothetical case, I refuse to be a single-issue voter. How can I when there is SO much at stake?
I mean Liberals voting for GWB?!? Seriously? Did it get any worse than that? Haven't we learned our lesson about that kind of voting? (I suppose not. Sigh.)
I also find it annoying when people vote solely on the basis of who would be Israel's biggest buddy.
Re: Obama's middle east policy, it's more nuanced than one might imagine. This article by David Brooks is pretty good.
The other problem with voting this way (based on Israel) is that when your candidate screws up, Israel gets looped in with them. As a Jew, I don't particularly like Israel's (rather nuanced) politics getting grouped together with Bush and Cheney and Iraq and that huge quagmire. But unfortunately, that's what these voters are asking for.
Zionists, conservatives, beware. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
for the record, the western regional director of AIPAC said that all three candidates have a good track record for israel. He also added that Obama is the only one that told the Palestinians to forget about their right to return.
Nice factoid, HH.
If a candiddate doesn't support Israel's security issues rightly it is a very big factor for me as the fact is that Israel's security issues and America's are to a great extent one. If a candidate doesn't look out for france's security it would also be a big factor.
"Hillary Clinton: 'Obama will be a good friend to Israel'"
And when has a Clinton ever lied? Then again maybe it depends on what
"good friend" means. And wasn't Hillary the one who gave Mrs. Arafat a hug?
"Obama is the only one that told the Palestinians to forget about their right to return."
And Obama is the only one endorsed by Hamas.
"I mean Liberals voting for GWB?!? Seriously? Did it get any worse than that?"
Aw come on OHO. Those liberals did the right thing. Gore and Kerry were head cases.
All things considered, Bush has done a pretty good job. Iraq looks like it's going to be a success. The recession we're supposed to be been having doesn't seem to have happened. Taxes are lower. We have allies. Even global warming seems to have stopped.
I suppose the left and Limbaugh will find things to complain about, and maybe there are reasons to complain about some things around the edges, but overall Bush worked out pretty well.
Ichabod Chrain
LNM-
"Yes, but YOU LIVE IN ISRAEL. That's the whole point. In your case the better question is why are you voting in the U.S. election if you don't live here."
Because I am a U.S. citizen and as one I have the right and responsibility to vote. Also, I firmly believe you don't have a right to complain about the government unless you do what you can to change it.
I do believe in Palistinians having basic human rights. The difference is, I don't think that those rights are Israel's responsibility, since Palistinian citizens have a government who should be attending to those rights. The fact that their government does not attend to those rights and in fact violates them constantly is what I think the world ought to be more concerned with than, say, the security wall.
I love Israel, but I live in America AND I LOVE America! But heres why I vote (almost) exclusively on the Israel issue - I feel that if our leaders don't support Israel, fully, this is just one step closer to them not supporting Jews here in America. Don't forget that Israel was started as a refuge state for Jews due to centuries of Antisemitism. Once someone wants to take this refuge away from Jews, or not help us protect it, its one step closer to our next national peril.
Side note: I am totally anti B.O (Barack) for president. However, his speech at AIPAC was difficult for someone with my views to understand. I just cant imagine him being sincere in his speech with his history and ties to anti-semitic cultural leaders.
I am totally anti B.O (Barack) for president... However, his speech at AIPAC was difficult for someone with my views to understand. I just cant imagine him being sincere in his speech with his history and ties to anti-semitic cultural leaders.
Sounds like you, like many Jewish voters, still aren't sure what Obama's true stance is on Israel or Jews. I think as the general election season drags on, this stance will become readily apparent. I think it's going to get almost as much press as Iraq (sadly). Why don't you wait until then to make up your mind?
BTW -- having Israel in the newspapers as a political lightning rod is *not* good news for the Jews.
The road to peace is paved in the back alleys and the shadows, my friends.
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