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February 10, 2012
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February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
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The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
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Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
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Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
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January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Feb. 19, 2008
/ 13 Adar I 5768
The allure of Obama for young people
By
James Klurfeld
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
I received a lot of e-mail on last week's column predicting that Sen. Barack Obama would become the target of a lot more negative press, now that he has become the Democratic front-runner. Most of the messages were from supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton, who said it's about time.
And sure enough, even with his significantly big win in Wisconsin on Tuesday (maybe because of it), the questions about Obama are exploding. Just how is he going to do what he says he wants to do: bring the nation together to find solutions to long-simmering problems? And do the numbers behind his policies add up? Here come the barbs and arrows.
Some are trivial points, such as those about a comment made by his wife, Michelle, about how she is proud of the nation now that it is voting for her husband. But others are substantive, such as the very penetrating column by economist Robert Samuelson in Newsweek, saying Obama's numbers for saving Social Security and implementing a universal health care plan while still cutting some taxes don't add up.
But there's another aspect to the Obama phenomenon I'm watching that is up close and alive on the campus where I work. He has inspired many young people who didn't know a hanging chad from a superdelegate. He has captured their attention, moved them emotionally, inspired them to become involved. And that is no small accomplishment. Friends my age say it's reminiscent of how John F. Kennedy inspired a generation of formerly apathetic young people to become involved with government and politics.
In a nation that has witnessed an almost steady decline in voter participation, especially among young people, what Obama has done - and you have to give him the lion's share of the credit - is important. In state after state, the Democrats have turned out in unprecedented numbers in primaries and caucuses, and the youth vote has been a factor.
A premed major in my class on journalism and politics, Thomas Kingsley, visited me in my office last week to gain more insight into what's happening in this campaign and to find out how he might become more politically active. Thursday morning he informed me that he had not only signed up with the Obama organization on campus but was being sent to Rhode Island next week to prepare for the March 4 primary. And this isn't an isolated case.
I know my political history well enough to appreciate that young people's voting turnout has always been significantly smaller than that of older people. And in a general election, as compared with a primary, young voters have historically mirrored the vote of the population as a whole. I still recall 1972, when Democrats believed that the first generation of 18-year-old voters, fed up with President Richard Nixon's prolonging the Vietnam War, would give Democrat Sen. George McGovern the boost he needed to score an upset. It was a daydream. The young people ages 18-25 voted for Nixon in about the same proportion as their parents - but, of course, in much smaller numbers. McGovern carried one state: Massachusetts.
But we should never underestimate the importance of inspiration and the ability to communicate effectively in a system as complex and hard to move as ours. When was the last time we came together as a nation to deal with the really difficult challenges facing our country, instead of just kicking the can forward? How far back do you have to go to remember a time when there was a sense of bipartisanship and a willingness to sacrifice in the short run for long-term goals?
For a generation that knows only trench political warfare, vetoes and stalemates, the hope of something different, something better, is awfully attractive. Can Obama be a transforming figure? I'm intrigued that a lot of young people, who don't carry around my baggage of dashed hopes, think he might be.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment by clicking here.
James Klurfeld is a professor of journalism at Stony Brook University.
Previously:
02/19/08: Obama sounds good, but words aren't enough
© 2008, Newsday Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
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