Why Hillary Lost
I think Don Surber has hit the nail on the head.
US Politics
May 08, 2008
May 05, 2008
There's Something About Hillary
Scrappy, ambitious, tough as nails, Hillary Clinton is earning a grudging respect from some on the right. She is being criticized by the same people who criticize the right, and the way she's going about fighting them is not going unnoticed:
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It's all calculated, of course. Given Obama's appeal to the far left, Hillary's only chance was to run to his right. But what does she really think? What are her real views? That's the real problem with someone who will say anything to be elected, who will sway in whatever direction the prevailing winds seem to blow. We just don't know.
April 22, 2008
Compare and Contrast: The Messianic vs the Power Hungry Leader
Obama the Messiah vs Clinton the soulless - which would be worse? A fascinating analysis from Carolyn Glick.
Michelle Malkin: The snob vs the liar.
April 17, 2008
Last Night's Debate
I watched about 45 minutes to an hour of it (cooking and eating and household noise interfered a bit). Though the liberal blogosphere is strenuously objecting, I thought all the questions I heard were fair.
Prior to the debate I was thinking that this was going to be the end of Hillary Clinton's campaign. In the past, she did not come off well debating Obama. But to my surprise, she did a terrific job. She came across as direct, to the point and did not let up on her opponent. When asked if she thought he could win the election, I was impressed by the way she responded yes, without hesitation - - and followed up by saying she was the better candidate, of course. This set the right tone for her to attack him later. Though Obama tried his best to turn things around, he was not able to do it. Hillary was successful in pulling off being fair to him, yet attacking his campaign quite pointedly at the same time. She seemed correct in what she was saying, but not mean, and in control of herself, fresh, and energetic. Obama seemed unable to keep up.
Ms. Clinton was more on target, emotionally appropriate and clear than I've ever seen her.
I followed coverage from my favorite commentators at The Corner and Contentions as the debate was going on. I highly recommend visiting both for good discussion of the details and implications.
Though Hillary won the night, both candidates scored points against each other. The real winner of the evening as a result: John McCain.
April 14, 2008
A Story About Character
I am still learning about Senator John McCain as he runs for the office of president of the United States. I recently read the following story about him which I thought was very telling.
...we were on the road, and McCain was reminiscing about his early political career. When he was elected to the House in 1982, he said, he was "a freshman right-wing Nazi." But his visceral hostility toward Democrats generally was quickly tempered by his tendency to see people as individuals and judge them that way. He was taken in hand by Morris Udall, the Arizona congressman who was the liberal conscience of the Congress and a leading voice for reform.
"...Mo reached out to me in 50 different ways," McCain recalled. "Right from the start, he'd say: 'I'm going to hold a press conference out in Phoenix. Why don't you join me?' All these journalists would show up to hear what Mo had to say. In the middle of it all, Mo would point to me and say, 'I'd like to hear John's views.' Well, hell, I didn't have any views. But I got up and learned and was introduced to the state." Four years later, when McCain ran for and won Barry Goldwater's Senate seat, he said he felt his greatest debt of gratitude not to Goldwater—who had shunned him—but to Udall. "There's no way Mo could have been more wonderful," he says, "and there was no reason for him to be that way."
Hat tip: Throwing Bullets
April 13, 2008
April 07, 2008
McCain Sings Barbra
He's got a good sense of humor. He was pretty funny on Letterman recently as well.
April 04, 2008
April 01, 2008
American Thoughts Regarding Israel
Poll: U.S. Voters Support Israel (JTA)
Americans likely to vote in November strongly believe the U.S. should take Israel's side in its conflict with the Palestinians, according to a poll of 800 likely voters conducted on March 18-20 and released Monday.
"The militant actions by Hamas and disarray among the Palestinians have moved Americans to side with Israel even more strongly than in the past," said Stanley Greenberg of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research.
93% agree Palestinians must stop their missile attacks before a two-state solution can bring peace to the region.
84% of Americans agree Israel should remain a Jewish state and a homeland for the Jewish people. Only 20% believe that Jerusalem should be divided.
Not sure how accurate this is. 800 is a pretty small sampling. The fact that only 84% think Israel should be a Jewish state - - wonder what percentage believe that France should be a French state?
March 27, 2008
March 26, 2008
March 25, 2008
What if they threw a campaign and everyone came but they lost anyhow?
The following quote made me think back to Obama's campaign slogan, "We are the ones we've been waiting for." Maybe they were waiting for someone else all along:
"I'm starting to worry," Democratic pollster Mark Mellman, an adviser to John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election, writes in The Hill, a Capitol Hill newspaper. "I believe Democrats are exquisitely positioned to win the White House in 2008. The only thing that could defeat us is us, and it feels like we just might."
The only thing that could defeat them is them. Precisely. If their message isn't appealing to voters, if they become embroiled in ugly argument, if they have no real policy differences, if the only attributes they can offer are their identities as "female" and "African-American" (separatism and division)to promote themselves, if they appear dishonest, if they can't adequately damn those who damn the "US of KKKA," they will defeat themselves.
And McCain, just by managing to avoid too many gaffs and stand out of the way, will win.
Even the left has grown tired of Clinton and Obama:
And here I thought Hillary was the self-righteous scold. Obama lectures even when he's the one who's been called into the principal's office. Alter has presented the most compelling case for Al Gore I've read.
(And Gore is not a self-righteous scold?)
March 24, 2008
Is Obama Hiding Anti-Israel Views?
For Arutz Sheva, Gil Ronen writes:
Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama is currently hiding his anti-Israel views in order to get elected, according to a well-known anti-Israel activist. The activist, Ali Abunimah, claimed to know Obama well and to have met him on numerous occasions at pro-Palestinian events in Chicago.
March 10, 2008
March 05, 2008
McCain's Fortune
It looks as though the Hillary/Obama show will continue to amuse some and pain other Americans for a bit longer, at least until the Pennsylvania primary in mid-April. John McCain must be extremely pleased.
What a race.
February 27, 2008
McCain and the Jewish Vote
A very interesting discussion/analysis of the Jewish vote is posted at Volokh Conspiracy.
February 26, 2008
Post-Debate Coverage
Halfway watching MSNBC post coverage...Interesting - Pat Buchanan was very pro-Obama. Really complimentary. Called him "presidential."
Obama impresses everyone.
It's very difficult to dislike him....
Until I start to think about things like taxes, Iranian nuclear weapons, and Hamasgazastan.
But it's not that I dislike him, it's just that I don't think his approach will be effective.
Bambi will be a formidable opponent for McCain.
The Debate
The debate is still going on and I just read the following on Contentions from John Podhoretz:
A Comment on Hillary Clinton For All My Co-Religionists
It's the prayer for the dead (the Mourner's Kaddish)
More Obama Rumination
Spengler draws a bleak picture:
Be afraid - be very afraid. America is at a low point in its fortunes, and feeling sorry for itself. When Barack utters the word "hope", they instead hear, "handout". A cynic might translate the national motto, E pluribus unum, as "something for nothing". Now that the stock market and the housing market have failed to give Americans something for nothing, they want something for nothing from the government. The trouble is that he who gets something for nothing will earn every penny of it, twice over.
The George W Bush administration has squandered a great strategic advantage in a sorry lampoon of nation-building in the Muslim world, and has made enemies out of countries that might have been friendly rivals, notably Russia. Americans question the premise of America's standing as a global superpower, and of the promise of upward mobility and wealth-creation. If elected, Barack Obama will do his utmost to destroy the dual premises of America's standing. It might take the country another generation to recover.
"Evil will oft evil mars", J R R Tolkien wrote. It is conceivable that Barack Obama, if elected, will destroy himself before he destroys the country. Hatred is a toxic diet even for someone with as strong a stomach as Obama. As he recalled in his 1995 autobiography, Dreams From My Father, Obama idealized the Kenyan economist who had married and dumped his mother, and was saddened to learn that Barack Hussein Obama, Sr, was a sullen, drunken polygamist. The elder Obama became a senior official of the government of Kenya after earning a PhD at Harvard. He was an abusive drunk and philanderer whose temper soured his career.
The senior Obama died in a 1982 car crash. Kenyan government officials in those days normally spent their nights drinking themselves stupid at the Pan-Afrique Hotel. Two or three of them would be found with their Mercedes wrapped around a palm tree every morning. During the 1970s I came to know a number of them, mostly British-educated hollow men dying inside of their own hypocrisy and corruption.
Both Obama and the American public should be very careful of what they wish for. As the horrible example of Obama's father shows, there is nothing worse for an embittered outsider manipulating the system from within than to achieve his goals - and nothing can be more terrible for the system. Even those who despise America for its blunders of the past few years should ask themselves whether the world will be a safer place if America retreats into a self-pitying shell.
Too bleak?
February 25, 2008
February 24, 2008
The Excitement is Palpable
Ralph Nader has thrown his hat into the ring:
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader said on Sunday that he is launching another long shot independent campaign for president of the United States.
Nader, who will turn 74 this week, announced his presidential bid on NBC's "Meet the Press" saying that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are addressing the problems facing Americans. Link
February 22, 2008
My Take on the Democratic Debate: In Retrospect
I think Hillary blew it. Her greatest strength is her strength, but she kept it mostly hidden last night choosing to try to be charming and pleasant instead. Her smile was forced and looked inappropriate at times, such as when Obama was scoring points against her.
I think that the Democrats may be operating under the false assumption that Obama will appeal to voters as a candidate who is willing and able to bring people together and that he could do a better job of this than Clinton. In actuality, as people take a closer and harder look, many are seeing him as more and more liberal and progressive. Certainly, things his wife has been saying publicly haven't helped - her statement about this being the first time she feels pride in her country and that, "Every woman that I know, regardless of race, education, income, background, political affiliation, is struggling to keep her head above water" (Every woman? Regardless of income and background? Really?) supply reinforcement on the point.
As I see it, Obama and Clinton run about neck and neck as far as their desire to cripple the economy with taxes and entitlements.
This is a huge turn off to those who lean right or libertarian. Obama will not be able to woo those of us who want smaller government, less taxes, and to keep the emphasis on supply-side economics. We are not going to be swayed by his undeniable oratory skill. And we are going to continue to have our doubts about him and his ability to lead, given his inexperience. His strength and leadership ability remain a question mark, and there's not much he can do about it.
Hillary Clinton's reputation as a tough woman is the only thing that separates her from Obama. Her ability to be a b*tch on wheels was her best asset amongst people who continue to be concerned about terrorism, making it possible to envision her as a leader who would be tough if it is called for.
Clinton can't out-charm Obama and her policies are essentially the same as his. The only other thing that she has going for her in addition to her cut-throat reputation, is the fact that she's already been in the White House. She's had the opportunity as the wife of a president to see what the job is like up close and personal. Why not catch a ride on that coattail? It's the elephant in the room anyway.
Despite the Democrats' hopes that Obama will have widespread appeal, up against McCain he may appear weak; his seeming youth (he comes across as much younger than he actually is) and inexperience could very well stand out in further relief. Clinton, based on her prior reputation, has what it takes to appear to out-tough the war veteran and could get away with making him look old without making herself come across as immature.
McCain is actually a much better cross-over candidate than Obama - he has turned off the right at times (but they, despite what the die-hard anti-McCainiacs say, will end up voting for him) and he is not an extremist social conservative. For all his talk about bringing peole together, Obama has offered nothing of substance. I can't see anything that appeals to me personally in the areas I find of greatest concern - economics and foreign policy. (not to mention...)
In last night's debate, Clinton should have been tough as nails, serious, unyielding, eagle-eyed, clear, logical, on task, and without undue emotion proved that she was a force to be reckoned with. What was needed was a show of determination and grit, not awkward attempts to be likeable. She should have put Obama away.
She didn't do it.
February 21, 2008
February 20, 2008
Hillary is Done For
Larry Kudlow, flinty-eyed economist and numbers guy, writes:
Please allow me a dose of hardened market realism concerning Obama's landslide victory in Wisconsin. The race is over. Hillary is finished. The Clinton Restoration is over. President Bill Clinton's political invincibility is over. Hillary's electability is over.Obama got to the far Left faster than she did. He out organized her in the precincts. He out fundraised her. He out speechified her. He out-hustled her. He out-dressed her. He out-presidentialed her. He outdid her and he outbid her for votes, one promised government check at a time.
What does this mean? Well, I thought Hillary would be far easier for McCain to beat than Obama, but Kudlow says:
The real winner tonight? That chap from Arizona. Captain John McCain.
All I know is, when I asked the Magic 8 Ball if McCain would win the presidency, it said, "Reply hazy, ask again later."
February 11, 2008
Obama Wants Your Paycheck
His tax plan is a horror show. Larry Kudlow writes:
To the casual reader of the primary and caucus results of this past weekend, Obama is just creaming Hillary. This race won’t be over until the returns are in from Texas and Ohio next month and Pennsylvania in April. After that, the super-delegates will have to make up their minds. But right now, Hillary is just getting whooped. That’s the long and short of it. (Plus, she just fired her campaign manager.)
This is disturbing news on the taxation front. The Wall Street Journal’s Steve Moore says Obama’s tax plan would add up to a 39.6 percent personal income tax, a 52.2 percent combined income and payroll tax, a 28 percent capital-gains tax, a 39.6 percent dividends tax, and a 55 percent estate tax. In other words, Sen. Obama is a very-high-tax candidate. Whether Wall Street has fully discounted this, I have no idea. Probably not yet. But somebody in the investor class ought to be thinking about it, because it’s not good.
Interestingly, at least two of Obama’s top economic advisors — Austan Goolsbee and Jeffrey Liebman — are highly regarded free-market economists. Goolsbee from Chicago, Liebman from Harvard. But somehow their candidate has a very punitive high-tax campaign plan for the economy. I don’t know all the details on Hillary’s tax plan, but I don’t think she is yet in favor of lifting the payroll tax cap, as Obama is. And I think she’d keep cap gains at 20 percent. But none of this is any good.
February 09, 2008
Acknowledging the Negative While Accentuating the Positive - - Updated
One can only hope McCain is kicking himself repeatedly in the rear end for making one of the dumbest remarks ever - which the Democrats intend to make good use of:
With John McCain poised to win the Republican nomination, Democrats are already gathering ammunition to use against him in the general election.
In more than a few instances, the best fodder has been provided by the candidate himself.
A case in point: As the economy was rising late last year as a major issue for voters, McCain in New Hampshire delivered this grenade, with its pin still in it: "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should," he said. "I've got Greenspan's book."
I keep repeating my mantra:
You go to election with the candidate you have.
You go to election with the candidate you have.
You go to election with the candidate you have.
You go to election with the candidate you have.
The man has strengths. Hopefully, they will become more visible as the campaign progresses.
Searching for the positives I came across a very complimentary piece on McCain from Investor's Business Daily:
"I believe today," McCain said, "as I believed 25 years ago, in small government; fiscal discipline; low taxes; a strong defense; judges who enforce, and not make, our laws; the social values that are the true source of our strength; and, generally, the steadfast defense of our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, which I have defended my entire career as God-given to the born and the unborn."
If there's a more thoroughly conservative statement of personal political belief out there, we've not seen it. The things McCain articulated as the soul of his own beliefs are bedrock conservatism, pure and simple.
We have acknowledged numerous policy differences with Sen. McCain over the years. Even in disagreement, however, we've always felt he was a man of honor and principle.
Unfortunately, many conservatives don't feel the same. They don't trust McCain when he calls himself, as he did Thursday, a "mainstream conservative." Based on his rousing speech and the response it got, we think — we hope — that opinion will change.
Along with showing he has the "vision thing," McCain also made a series of very concrete promises — met, mostly, with rapturous applause from the skeptical CPAC audience. Among other things, he pledged to:
• Cut taxes on individuals and corporations, and end the alternative minimum tax.
• Use markets, not big government, to solve health care problems.
• Appoint federal judges and Supreme Court justices in the mold of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Sam Alito.
• Put Iran on notice that its espousal of the destruction of Israel and its hatred of the U.S. will earn our implacable opposition to its bid to gain a nuclear bomb.
• Win the war against terrorism, arguing convincingly that losing in Iraq would result in far greater losses than any we've seen. "And I will not," McCain said, "allow that to happen."
The Wall Street Journal discusses potential VP choices, which could turn out to be extremely important, putting it bluntly, given the age of the candidate.
Republicans have to be wary of traps set by the media - set up perhaps without intending them to be traps, but tricky to navigate, nevertheless:
...any future criticism of Senator Obama, on grounds of political philosophy and ideology, will be seen as activating the “Republican attack machine.” And those of us who have said favorable things about Obama will be accused of going “partisan” because we dare say a negative word about the young senator from Illinois.
...We should be able to praise Obama on the grounds we have without being accused of being “infatuated” with him and “swooning over him.” We can recognize his gifts without viewing him as a “knight in shining armor.” The reality is that Senator Obama is an impressive man and a remarkable political talent. He is also a conventional liberal and, on Iraq particularly, I believe his policies are unwise and even reckless. I disagree with him on probably every major issue–and yet I still find him to be an appealing figure
I agree - Obama comes across as an impressive figure, however, today's world is much too volatile for polite diplomats. Many are not fond of McCain's pugnaciousness - I think it could turn out to be his greatest asset. An irritable military man who can stand up to critics and doesn't take cr*p from anyone could be just what the doctor ordered.
Peace comes from strength, not weakness. No matter what the US says or does, it will not convince its enemies of its benign intentions. There is nothing we can do to eliminate the aggressive forces against us except convince them that not only can we beat them militarily, but that we are ready, willing and able to do it.
McCain is the best choice.
Update:
In support of McCain - - I will add to the list as I find more:
Fred Thompson came out in support of McCain.
McCain is supported by the conservative Investor's Business Journal.
John Bolton, who I think is the best thing since sliced bread foreign policy-wise and I hope McCain will find a good role for him if he wins, came out in support of McCain.
Robert McFarlane, Reagan's national security advisor, bluntly states that the right is wrong on McCain.
And Larry Kudlow, conservative economist and writer for the National Review supports McCain.
Jules Crittenden - a must-read.
February 07, 2008
Jews and McCain
Suzanne Fields writes that McCain could be the one who is finally able to pry Jews away from the Democratic party:
Many Jewish voters, for all their loyalty to the party of the New Deal, appreciate Sen. McCain's fervent support for the surge in Iraq, understanding that it's all of a piece with a clear-eyed view of what's at stake in the Middle East. They can appreciate the McCain appraisal of Vladimir Putin, contributor of Iran's nuclear capability: "I looked into his eyes and I saw three letters — a K, a G and a B." Transferring allegiance from Rudy Giuliani, with his national security bona fides, to John McCain might not be difficult.
Most Jews are registered Democrats, of course, and Hillary and Obama are courting them aggressively. Hillary won most of them in Florida, Nevada, New Jersey and California, but according to exit polls Barack Obama won them in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The memory of Hillary's kiss for Yasser Arafat's wife Suha in 1999, after she accused Israel of poisoning Palestinian women and children, is still fresh in the memory of many Jews.
When doubts were raised last week about the strength of Sen. Obama's resolve in the Middle East, he called several Jewish reporters to reiterate his "pro-Israel positions," his defense of Israeli security and repeated his insistence that Hamas must recognize Israel's right to exist before Washington will talk to them. He agrees that Iran with nuclear weapons is unacceptable and he has been a voice against anti-Semitism in the black community, but his pastor and mentor is a fan of Louis Farrakhan, who called Judaism either "a dirty religion" or "a gutter religion," depending on the reading of the audiotape.
But the McCain record on fighting terrorism, and his bold assertion that the fight against radical Muslims is the transforming struggle for the new century, offers Jews an alternative to both Obama and Hillary. Like everything else in this presidential campaign, old loyalties are scrambled like a plate of breakfast eggs.
McCain
I did not post yesterday because I spent the morning in class (art - portrait drawing) and the afternoon posting on a message board in a debate regarding the support of John McCain. He is far from my #1 choice in candidates, so it's hard to support him, but I really am disturbed by the attitude of many staunch conservatives who say they will stay away from the polls or even vote for Hillary, rather than McCain. There are many issues that people have with McCain, and I am not saying they are wrong. But. However. There is 100% chance that Clinton or Obama will institute disastrous liberal policy with regard to the war and the economy. The odds are much better that McCain could get things right, or else at least not get things entirely wrong.
He is our best hope.
In support of supporting McCain - recommended reading:
Doug Lambert, guest poster at Right Wing News
February 06, 2008
National Polls
| John McCain (R) vs. Hillary Clinton (D) | |||||
| Poll | Date | Sample | McCain (R) | Clinton (D) | Spread |
| RCP Average | 01/18 to 02/03 | - | 46.3% | 44.5% | McCain +1.8% |
| CNN | 02/01 - 02/03 | 974 RV | 47% | 50% | Clinton +3% |
| Cook/RT Strategies | 01/31 - 02/02 | 855 RV | 45% | 41% | McCain +4% |
| ABC/Wash Post | 01/30 - 02/01 | 1249 A | 49% | 46% | McCain +3% |
| FOX News | 01/30 - 01/31 | 900 RV | 45% | 44% | McCain +1% |
| NPR | 01/29 - 01/31 | 1000 LV | 48% | 45% | McCain +3% |
| Rasmussen | 01/25 - 01/27 | 1200 LV | 48% | 40% | McCain +8% |
| NBC/WSJ | 01/20 - 01/22 | 1008 A | 46% | 44% | McCain +2% |
| LA Times/Bloomberg | 01/18 - 01/22 | 1312 RV | 42% | 46% | Clinton +4% |
| See More General Election: McCain vs. Clinton Polls | Chart | |||||
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Source: RealClearPolitics
February 05, 2008
February 04, 2008
February 03, 2008
Vote For Your Ruler
(H/T: Draftervoi)
February 02, 2008
McCain Derangement Syndrome
You may not like him, but you should vote for him over Hillary or Obama. Here's why.
January 31, 2008
Post Debate Thoughts
Mark Steyn sums up the Republican candidate conundrum of choosing between bad and worse:
Just because McCain can poke Mitt in the eye is no indication he'll be as effective with Putin, a remarkable number of whose enemies wind up splattered on the sidewalk outside their apartment house after opting for a strangely uniform manner of fatal auto-defenestration.
Although, oddly enough, after tonight's debate, I'm tempted to join them.
**********
Rush Limbaugh has decided not to concede.
******
Hugh Hewitt writes:
John McCain won over few if any conservatives tonight, and his display of bad temper and his rambling filibuster of his wrongful "timetables" attack on Romney from last weekend may even have lost him some moderates. In the spin room heads were shaking. McCain was at his worst in the second half of the debate, and those who watched had to ask themselves how this sort of performance would play against a youthful, upbeat Obama with a MSM ready not to protect McCain but tear into him as aging and confused --even obviously deceptive-- about his facts.
**********
I really wanted to see two things tonight. I wanted to see Romney take the fight to McCain and earn the front runner spot. That didn’t happen. Romney came off well but I doubt the fundamentals changed. The other thing I wanted to see was some sign that McCain was ready to be a leader and be a less irritating figure than he has been up to now. That didn’t happen either. His “I led for patriotism, not for profit” line is a slap in the face to business. A slap in the face to business, and from the presumptive nominee of the pro-business party? Who does he think he is? And where does he think his own money came from? It came from his wife’s father, who presumably led for profit, not for patriotism.
His dishonest attack on Romney’s war stance, captured above, just signals that he’s the same old McCain.
I’m now in the position of having come around to like Romney. He’s decent, smart and fair and I think he would make a fine president. And I dislike McCain all over again. He’s a smarmy beltway insider who just lied to everyone who was watching while he smeared a good man, flipped on his own awful legislation and belittled free enterprise. This man wants to lead the party of Reagan?
**********
Kiss of death for Romney?
In a major boost for John McCain, Republican presidential rival Mitt Romney signaled Wednesday he's not ready to commit to a costly campaign in the states holding primaries and caucuses next week.
Several officials said that on the heels of a defeat in Tuesday's Florida primary, Romney's campaign was not attempting to purchase television advertising time in any of the states on the Super Tuesday calendar.
January 30, 2008
Ralph Nader Threatens to Run For Pres
Go ahead and do it Ralph, you self-important bag of wind. You'll just help make sure a Republican wins.
His past antisemitic remarks have not endeared the man to me.
January 29, 2008
Oh well
The best way to achieve peace is through overwhelming strength. - Rudy Giuliani
The Florida results were just announced and I am listening to Giuliani speak on CNN. He is very likeable and inspiring. It's a shame his campaign went off-track.
Obama and the Jews
More concerns being raised at American Thinker. Long post, lots of links.
Obama and the Jews, Revisited
People who know more than I are leery of Obama. I've been hoping against hope that he really is as friendly to Israel as he sounded in the conference call mentioned below. But Eric Trager cautions:
...how can voters who care about the U.S.-Israel relationship be reassured that Obama’s staunchly pro-Israel declarations are not mere pandering? After all, Obama is on record as having called for an “even-handed approach” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in 2000, just as the Palestinians commenced the Second Intifada following Camp David. According to Electronic Intifada founder Ali Abunimah, Obama’s pro-Israel epiphany occurred shortly before his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign—an about-face for which Obama apologized to Abunimah. “Hey, I’m sorry I haven’t said more about Palestine right now, but we are in a tough primary race. I’m hoping when things calm down I can be more up front,” Obama said at the time.
Obama’s apology to Abunimah—a major proponent of the one-state “solution”— indicates an unsophisticated view of American politics, in which success requires whispering sweet Zionist nothings to satisfy the almighty, one-issue Jewish electorate. Obama’s foreign policy advisers have similarly promoted this inflated vision of Jewish power. As my contentions colleague Noah Pollak has assiduously noted, Obama adviser Samantha Power has declared that sound Middle East policy might require “alienating a domestic constituency”—guess which one. His staff further features Zbigniew Brzezinski, who has defended the Walt-Mearsheimer “Israel Lobby” thesis that the U.S.-Israel relationship is the product of Jewish power politics, rather than strategic interest.
This mixture of prior statements and advisory influences suggests little regarding how Obama might act towards Israel if elected. Obama has repudiated Brzezinski’s call for dialogue with Hamas, while Power’s support for ending U.S. foreign military aid to Israel probably represents too radical a departure from historic U.S. policy to be taken seriously.
Rather, Jewish concerns regarding Obama’s candidacy should focus on whether Obama and his posse view American Jewry as a stumbling block in the way of promoting U.S. interests in the Middle East. This is the insidious crux of the “Israel Lobby” thesis, and Obama’s prior statements to Abunimah—as well as the writings of Power and Brzezinski—are hardly reassuring.
January 18, 2008
January 17, 2008
Obama and Israel
Obama's supporters are people who are not friends of Israel. What does this say about his Israeli policy? Ed Lasky of American Thinker reads the tea leaves:
One seemingly consistent them running throughout Barack Obama's career is his comfort with aligning himself with people who are anti-Israel advocates. This ease around Israel animus has taken various forms. As Obama has continued his political ascent, he has moved up the prestige scale in terms of his associates. Early on in his career he chose a church headed by a former Black Muslim who is a harsh anti-Israel advocate and who may be seen as tinged with anti-Semitism. This church is a member of a denomination whose governing body has taken a series of anti-Israel actions.
As his political fortunes and ambition climbed, he found support from George Soros, multibillionaire promoter of groups that have been consistently harsh and biased critics of the American-Israel relationship.
Obama's soothing and inspiring oratory sometimes vanishes when he talks of the Middle East. Indeed, his off-the-cuff remarks have been uniformly taken by supporters of Israel as signs that the inner Obama does not truly support Israel despite what his canned speeches and essays may contain.
Now that Obama has become a leading Presidential candidate, he has assembled a body of foreign policy advisers who signal that a President Obama would likely have an approach towards Israel radically at odds with those of previous Presidents (both Republican and Democrat). A group of experts collected by the Israeli liberal newspaper Haaretz deemed him to be the candidate likely to be least supportive of Israel. He is the candidate most favored by the Arab-American community.
January 10, 2008
January 08, 2008
Recession Fears and the Election
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks tumbled on Tuesday after a warning by phone company AT&T of soft consumer spending sparked a new round of recession fears, helping drive the S&P to its worst-ever five-day start to a year. Link
In my humble opinion: A speedy and efficacious remedy is needed for the slow bleeding but worrisome US economic hemorrhage which began a few months ago. Otherwise, it's certainly curtains for the Republican party in the next election, given that things are going relatively well in Iraq and fear of terror has abated.
January 07, 2008
The Presidential Campaign
"" from pizdaus.com
