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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
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Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
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)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
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
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
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
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
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
May 15, 2008
/ 10 Iyar 5768
Dems' long march has value
By
Clarence Page
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Is it over yet?
Everybody seems to be complaining about the endless Democratic presidential primaries. Sen. Barack Obama's supporters even wonder out loud whether Sen. Hillary Clinton will deliver a concession speech before Inauguration Day.
Yet, as exhausting as the process has been, the Democrats' long march has value. It has made better campaigners of the two candidates and taught the rest of us a lot about them both.
It has exposed their vulnerabilities and refined their strengths in preparation for the general election.
Imagine, for example, if Obama had received the comparatively easy ride to the nomination that Sen. John Kerry received after winning the Iowa caucuses in 2004. The Illinois senator would not have had the chance to show himself or the rest of us how well he could handle crises and setbacks.
Same for Clinton. I have heard even some die-hard Hillary-haters express begrudging admiration for her determination, resourcefulness and fierce advocacy for her beliefs.
Who, for example, would have guessed that she would win the endorsement in the Pennsylvania primary of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, owned by conservative Richard Mellon Scaife, a financier of what Hillary Clinton used to call the "vast right-wing conspiracy?" Politics is full of surprises.
And Obama learned how quickly his rock-star popularity could turn against him. His rapid rise to the national stage before most of the public outside of Illinois grew to know him very well worked in his favor before; suddenly, it didn't.
The primaries have shown how his strong appeal with younger, higher-income voters concealed his lack of connectedness to older and lower-income voters who lacked college degrees. Exit polls show Clinton winning an overwhelming average of 57 percent of white Democrats since the Super Tuesday primaries.
Clinton cleverly and aggressively painted Obama as an "elitist." Despite having come from a more fortunate upbringing than Obama, Clinton turned into a passionately populist activist for ordinary "hard-working" folks complete with a rural accent that the Park Ridge native apparently picked up during her Arkansas years.
Obama responded appropriately, ridiculing Clinton at one point for trying to come off like "Annie Oakley in a duck blind" to please gun-totin' voters. He moved out of the big-arena speeches and into neighborhood coffee shops and basketball courts for more intimate conversations with a wider array of voters.The long campaign also has helped both candidates to get a better idea of what's really on voters' minds. Obama kept Clinton to an embarrassingly close victory in the Indiana primary by challenging her on an issue of real importance to regular folks, her proposed "gas tax holiday." Obama attacked the idea, also favored by Sen. John McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee. Obama called it a "gimmick" that sounded good but wouldn't really save motorists money in the short-run and would only cost them in the long-run. He gambled on the good sense of ordinary voters, which is always a risky proposition, but he apparently won. That's encouraging.
The big question now facing Obama and the Democratic Party is whether he can win enough working-class voters in the fall. I wouldn't count him out.
Autumn is the big game changer. So far, his ability to win working-class voters has been held back by Clinton's big name and influential friends in the Democratic Party's hierarchy. Most of the Democratic mayors, governors, county chairs and others who have supported Clinton will be working for Obama, if he's the Democratic nominee. So will Clinton, if she keeps her word.
And the Democrats' battle-tested nominee is likely to face McCain in a year that does not favor anyone with connections to the Bush administration. McCain is portraying himself as a "change" candidate, a theme that Obama has all but made his own.
Polls also show race is a very real factor, but when is it not? The Associated Press, for example, found that "about 8 percent of whites would be uncomfortable voting for a black for president." I'm not surprised. I've seen worse numbers. I've been around long enough to be gratified that the percentage is that low.
Either way, if Obama is nominated, he needs to remember that some people lie to pollsters in matters of race. He's already seen that in some of the primaries and it has only made him work that much harder. Thanks to the long primary season, he can work smarter too.
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.
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