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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
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
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
Oct. 14, 2008
/ 15 Tishrei 5769
What about the economy Obama, McCain?
By
James Klurfeld
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
There was a surreal quality to the presidential debate Tuesday night that was very discouraging. Even as both candidates went about their scripted, well-rehearsed routines, they all but ignored the 800-pound gorilla stalking around the room: the global financial meltdown.
Oh, sure, both John McCain and Barack Obama gave a grudging acknowledgment to the gorilla. How could they not? But then they proceeded to debate each other as if the gorilla had left the building. Health-care plans, energy plans, getting rid of lobbyists in Washington, eliminating earmarks and, of course, cutting taxes. Obama talked about how he had warned of excessive deregulation of the financial markets. McCain talked about how he had warned of the lending practices of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
It all seemed so irrelevant to what's really on everyone's minds: How are we going to survive the financial meltdown? How long will it last? How much will we have to sacrifice?
At the very least, somebody needs to give a clear explanation of what has gone wrong. The political blame game has not done it. What I was looking for in the debate was some candor, not oversimplified finger-pointing. There has rarely been a sadder example of the disjunction between campaigning and governing than the debate Tuesday night.
Maybe I expect too much. Clearly there are no magic potions out there that will, presto-chango, bring back our faltering markets or instantly restore our depleted retirement funds. But I was waiting for some straight talk, something that McCain was willing to do back in the 2000 campaign and that the super-articulate Obama has done so well, at times, this year.
But neither candidate even tried to give a sober explanation of why things have gone so wrong and why the steps the government is taking now are necessary. Yes, the race is still so close that any possible misstatement or even a discouraging note will be turned into a devastating 30-second sound bite by one campaign against the other. But if a candidate doesn't call for sacrifice during a campaign, on what basis can he or she ask for it once in office?
President George W. Bush has seemed almost irrelevant to this financial crisis. The leadership burden has fallen to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke. But they are more technocrats than political leaders. So is either Obama or McCain up to the role that Franklin Roosevelt played during the Great Depression, explaining complex matters clearly and giving the American people a sense of hope?
Neither stepped up to the task Tuesday night. Both chose the politically safe route: keep to the mantra of tax cuts, don't even hint at anything smacking of real sacrifice by the American people, and don't dare suggest that our own profligate ways have anything to do with the crisis. Just blame it on Wall Street and the Washington lobbyists.
McCain's proposal for the government to purchase faltering mortgages and refinance them for homeowners might be a sound program. It's the type of big concept that should have been part of the debate. But he presented the concept in such a confusing manner, using verbal shorthand and garbled syntax, that its impact was largely lost on the audience. And much of the media seemed as interested in the fact that McCain referred to Obama as "that one" in answering a question, than in the concept - let alone the details - of McCain's mortgage proposal.
I believe both McCain and Obama are better than the campaigns they are running. I was attracted to Obama in the primaries because he seemed to understand intuitively that he must bridge the gaps between left and right to govern effectively. McCain, in his better moments, also has been willing to govern from the center, but his recent tendency has been to campaign from the gutter. That won't work when the problems we face are so serious.
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:
09/04/08:Palin stunningly wrong choice by McCain
05/01/08: Carter, Hart ... and Obama?
04/12/08: Election year politics and the cost of war
04/02/08: Time for a '30s-style government mortgage role
03/11/08: Power rightly belongs to Dem superdelegates
03/04/08: A neophyte looks like a pro, and vice versa
02/22/08: The allure of Obama for young people
02/19/08: Obama sounds good, but words aren't enough
© 2008, Newsday Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
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