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May 23, 2008 | 6:16 am

Jewish Press: Obama’s ‘not some ogre’

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There has been an obnoxious number of stories lately about Obama’s Jewish problem.

I found Jodi Kantor’s much-discussed NYT piece yesterday to be heavy on anecdotes and light on evidence. Last week, Jeffrey Goldberg published his interview with Obama, in which they discussed Israel, Hamas and the “kishke question,“ a conversation that has had more traction than any in recent memory and to which the New York Times followed with this piece on Obama’s Jewish campaign.

Thomas Friedman added to the din this Sunday with “Obama and the Jews,“ a good column about the whisper campaign against the Illinois senator, but, frankly, I’m a bit tuckered out:

I don’t want a president who is just going to lean on Israel and not get in the Arabs’ face too, or one who, as the former Mideast negotiator Aaron D. Miller puts it, “loves Israel to death” — by not drawing red lines when Israel does reckless things that are also not in America’s interest, like building settlements all over the West Bank.

It’s a tricky business. But if Israel is your voting priority, then at least ask the right questions about Mr. Obama. Knock off the churlish whispering campaign about what’s in his heart on Israel (what was in Richard Nixon’s heart?) and focus first on what kind of America you think he’d build and second on whether you believe that as president he’d have the smarts, steel and cunning to seize a historic opportunity if it arises.

I’ve argued before that the claim that American Jews need to choose between Obama and Israel is false. The right-wing Jewish Press agreed, and quoting from Goldberg’s interview ran this editorial:

Sen. Obama is very forthcoming about his commitment to the survival of Israel. This is not some ogre with a hidden anti-Semitic agenda. The devil, however, is in the details.

That’s where, of course, they question just what his commitment would look like. And I’d say that’s a fair exercise to do with any presidential candidate on any issues you as a voter care about. (Again, this is why I don’t vote for politicians based on their purported religious beliefs.)

(Hat tip: Bintel Blog)

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg in God for President | 11 Comments — Leave your comment

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Poo on Osama…

I just wanted to take the opportunity to say the new blog is a huge step up from Blogger. A lot more user friendly overall. Feels alot more “Homey”...

Comment by Guy Vestal on 5/23/08 at 3:21 pm

Looks like preview is not working. Tried 3 times.

Comment by Guy Vestal on 5/23/08 at 3:22 pm

Thanks for the bug notes, Guy, and the general feedback. It’s helpful and encouraging.

Comment by Brad A. Greenberg on 5/24/08 at 12:55 am

Commitment is important but so is capability. Bush professed commitment but didn’t
help Israel. McCain has proven he’ll say and do anything to be elected so he’s not credible. Obama has proven himself to be sincere, honorable, brilliant, and capable. He selected Biden. John selected Pallin. Who would be better for America and Israel is not even a close contest.

Comment by andrea R on 9/02/08 at 11:11 pm

Someone with Bush`s mind (McCain I sugest) is the one America needs no matter what! I`m interested in Isreals security especially against Iran more than any other thing

Comment by Ebuka Ani on 9/18/08 at 3:43 pm

Ebuka, think. Why would you want someone with Bush’s mind for anything? What did he do to help Israel? If you are interested in Israel’s security, why would you vote for someone whose only means of dealing with Iran would be to bomb them? Are you willing to risk another war, the lives of thousands more Americans, not to mention Israelis? It would be a war we can’t afford, would not win, and one which might lead to the end of Israel. No matter what?

Comment by Andrea R on 9/18/08 at 8:22 pm

The issue is not his “quotes” on Israel, but the fact that he is a Marxist-who still has ties to Islamist-Marxist figures such as al-Monsour.

Islam and Communism are *both* INEHERENTLY anti-Semitic, and his support for those ideologies overshadows anything he may try to sell to people about his beliefs on Israel.
The Jew represents “Tradition” and “Evil Capitalism” to the “Revolutionary Anti-Capitalist”.
Don’t forget that the Communists were horrible to the Jews for longer than the Nazis even were.

Hopefully, McCain will win and this leftist-extremist will no longer be of consequence, at least until the next election, should he choose to run again.

Comment by nox on 10/16/08 at 4:24 am

He is NOT a Marxist, not does he support those ideologies. Ask the rabbis and Jewish people of Chicago who know him well, as opposed to the uninformed who simply cannot wrap their minds around the facts. McCain, btw, is already no longer of any consequence. Watch the Rachel Maddow show.

Comment by Andrea R on 10/16/08 at 10:18 am

He is TOO a Marxist/Socialist-even his proposed income redistribution policies support this.
Read up from some sources that aren’t run by biased blind Obama supporters.
He is a “modern day” Communist, not wrapped in all the classic* imagery and slogans, but He is a communist all the same.
Read about the 7th Congress of the Communist International and you will find that they officially agreed to change the terminology with which they spread their message.
Memetics is a powerful social enginering tool, and Obama has used it to an extreme degree, almost as successfully as Hitler.

Comment by nox on 10/16/08 at 11:46 am

I’m out of the country and can’t respond to your nasty diatribes so enjoy yourself.

Comment by Andrea R on 10/16/08 at 12:15 pm

Is Obama The Messiah? Open you Eye O’ Israel!
Minister Louis Farrakhan, the controversial leader of the Nation of Islam, has declared
Barack Obama to be the Messiah. Farrakhan did this at a gathering last February, but the video has just hit Youtube and is causing shock waves.

Farrakhan said, “You are the instruments that God is gonna use to bring about universal change, and that is why Barack has captured the youth. And he has involved young people in a political process that they didn’t care anything about. That’s a sign. When the Messiah speaks, the youth will hear, and the Messiah is absolutely speaking.“

There are a number of frightening and bizarre implications in this pronouncement. For one thing, declaring a human being to be a divine being is heresy, even in Farrakhan’s peculiar brand of Islam. Not even the Prophet Mohammed is considered a divine being, as Jesus Christ is in Christian sects, but rather as simply a man who received the message of God.

The movement surrounding Barack Obama has always seemed to have less the air of a political crusade than that of a cult. Barack Obama has even encouraged this phenomenon with the Greek temple backdrop during his convention acceptance speech.

Obama has talked about the levels of the ocean receding and the planet healing, should he become president. Obama supporters have referred to Obama as “The One”, and other terms that suggest not a political figure to be admired and supported, but a religious figure to be followed and even worshiped.

There are obvious problems with this kind of approach. A political figure in a democracy can be supported or opposed according to the values and wishes of people in that democracy. But if Farrakhan’s pronouncing Obama as the Messiah is a wide spread belief, then Obama takes on the mantle of a religious figure, doing the work of God, as Farrakhan said in his speech. And who dares oppose the will of God?
When Obama becomes President The Arab countries will pour out into the streets to celebrate the arrival of their Messiah.
The Irony is that many Jews in Germany supported Hitler and helped him into Power… My Jewish Mother always said: Never repeat the same mistake twice.

Visit this Youtube links and be shock: Copy and paste on address toolbar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha5HEc-vOJs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hPR5jnjtLo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOu-3dDQuac

Comment by Ray P on 10/20/08 at 10:15 pm

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