Did McCain solve Obama's 'Jewish problem'?
Ben Smith argues that Republican Presidential nominee John McCain has solved Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Hussein Obama's 'Jewish problem' - Obama's weak support in the Jewish community - through McCain's selection of Sarah Palin to be his running mate (Hat Tip: Memeorandum). Based on anecdotal evidence in a community I've covered for years, Sarah Palin's nomination has generated a bit of backlash among Jewish voters. Where John McCain was making inroads for his place in the secular, hawkish wing of the GOP, and where there were doubts about Obama, there's now concern and viral e-mails about Palin.Smith has a point, but I wouldn't read as much into it as he does. Yes, there is concern about Sarah Palin in the Jewish community. Unfortunately, the Buchanan libel made the rounds before anything else was even out about Palin. And it is also correct that many Jews - especially the secular and non-observant ones (who make up the majority of the Jewish community) - are deeply concerned that overt displays of Christianity could be the first sign of the establishment of a state religion in the United States. He's also right that most Jews - even observant ones - are nowhere near as anti-abortion as Christian evangelicals and Catholics (Jewish law does allow abortions under certain circumstances, but they are few and far between). But the Jewish votes McCain was going to get - and can still get - are largely the votes of the observant and of those who openly identify themselves as Jewish, and not the votes of the secular and unaffiliated Jews who would be most bothered by the fact that Palin is a born-again Christian.
Some, on little evidence, paint her as a Buchanan acolyte; others accurately point out that she, unlike McCain, hails from the evangelical Christian wing of her party, which would like to see more overt displays of Christianity in the public square. (There's a minority of observant Jews who would also prefer this, but this — and vehement anti-abortion stance — lose you a lot more Jewish votes than it wins.)
In any case, at the heart of this — as of so much about her — is the almost complete absence of evidence of her views on this issue. Aside from signing an boilerplate Israel-Alaska friendship resolution, Palin doesn't have a paper trail on Middle East politics, and she hasn't been to Israel. Her Alaska Jewish allies I spoke to had no recollection of discussing the issue with her in detail. Meanwhile, two Jewish Obama fundraisers have told me since the Palin pick that they've seen Jewish donors moving to Obama.
Where McCain and Palin can eventually make up much of what they have lost (Hat Tip: Hot Air) this weekend - at least when it comes to the Jewish community - is when it comes to Israel. Unlike Obama, who had a rich history of meeting with 'Palestinian' enemies of Israel, Palin is essentially tabula rasa when it comes to Israel, at least in the public sphere. From what little she has said of Israel in public, she is supportive of Israel and sensitive to our security needs, and by playing up that support and that sensitivity, McCain can 'restore' Obama's Jewish problem. While many Jews are knee-jerk Democratic voters, there is still a lot of mistrust of Obama in the Jewish community. One good Reverend Wright speech would be enough to reawaken it. But it may not even take that for McCain to carry Florida with Palin.
UPDATE WEDNESDAY 5:49 PM
More on this story here.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:42 AM
6 Comments:
That's pretty weird since anyone that does minimal research would realize that Palin's from the wing of Christianity that believes in good citizenship but separation of church and state, meanwhile Obama is the mixing theocratic religion and politics to an unprecedented degree. Seeing as how Obama's call to renewal and social justice largely echoes the talk of interfaith "Christian" activists Brian McLaren and Jim Wallis (Sojourners), any Jews considering supporting Obama might want to do a Google search of Jim Wallis Palestine or Brian McLaren Palestine. There are plenty of more names where this came from, it's a movement, and Obama's playing it, using them, and being used by them. He's fighting for this emerging church demographic, and within that movement some very much have Israel replacing, theocratic Kingdom Now theology, while Palin's background is nontheocratic and recognizes that the church is not Israel. Oh, and do realize another link between the Sojourners type Christians and Obama is both share support from liberation theology groups--and that means Palestinian Liberation Theology, too! Here, I'll again offer the research: Sojourners Sabeel.
Theocracy concerns? Well, Obama's religo-socialism is straight out of the writings of people like Tony Campolo and Jim Wallis, and mixing religion and politics is what they're all about! And if that doesn't convince you, do realize Jim Walllis' recent book is Forewarded by Jimmy Carter, lovely.
Have you seen the photo of her office from 2007? With the Israeli flag in the background?
Good thing Palin's a fighter, just read the thinly veiled Harper's Magazine attack on Palin, portraying her as an intolerant, Christian Zionist zealot linked with the divisive John Hagee! Ridiculous. Just because her church supports Israel and Hagee's pro-Israel lobby group does not mean they agree with Hagee's theology in general, much less the controversial parts.
But this is all Jew-haters come up with and push to the media about Christian Zionists--the ulterior motive Armageddon myth or pulling out the caricature Christian Zionist rather than the more sober, scholarly student of the Bible supporter of Israel types. Pitiful. In Palin's case the caricature won't stick, there's just not that kind of background.
Yishai,
If you follow the link to Daled Amos in this post, you will find the flag in the video.
Orde,
The Jew haters are willing to do anything to 'get' the Jews. At this point, the anti-Semitic left regards Christian Zionists with almost revulsion as it does Jews.
Forget all this. Smith is crazy.
Jews who are going to vote for Obama simply do not have Israel's survival as an important issue, AND MAY NEVER HAVE, except as it gets the votes for those who are concerned.
These are people who thing if you want a secure border, but are still for very open immigration you are right wing nut
These are people who worry that Walt and Smearsheimer are right
These are people who believe the 'progressive' dialectic is more important than facts
These are people who think we will lose our civil liberties if McCain gets elected. (sigh)
There is virtually no chance that any of these people will vote for McCain.
Anyone who understands the import of Obama appointing Zbig, McPeak, Powers, Malley, Rice etc as advisers, AND has Israel's survival as an important item will not vote for Obama, no matter what their religion is.
It is McCain's job to inform.
Palin can help. Palin might be the 'barracuda' needed to rip that open.
But to the people who happen to be jewish and lean to Obama, Palin's stance of legal abortions will be more important than anything having to do with Israel. Israel is a passing thought.
I don't know who Ben Smith is talking to
Those Jews are who are secure about being Jewish are not troubled by religious Christians' faith in G-d. Quite the opposite. It reminds them why they remain Jews.
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