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February 10, 2012
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David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
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Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
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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)
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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
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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
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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
Dec. 12, 2006
/ 22 Kislev, 5767
The Hillary and Barack show
By
Cokie and Steve Roberts
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Here's the problem the Democrats face: They know too much about Hillary Clinton and not enough about Barack Obama. Clinton has a boatload of baggage after 15 years in the national spotlight; Obama is an untested commodity after barely two years in the Senate. But primary voters will probably have to choose between them: the first woman, or minority, to head a major-party ticket.
Of course, one or both could still decide not to run. But Clinton is already recruiting supporters and has hired a finance director. Obama is headed to New Hampshire this weekend to make speeches and sign books, not to ski.
And yes, the Hillary and Barack Show won't have the stage to itself. Democratic victories last month encouraged a long list of dreamers: Bayh, Vilsack, Edwards, Biden, Dodd, Richardson, Kerry, perhaps even Gore.
But if Clinton and Obama do run, they will suck up the three commodities that matter most in the 13 months prior to the Iowa caucus: money, staff and media attention. So at this early stage, how do they stack up against each other?
After eight years as first lady and six in the Senate, Hillary is one of the most experienced candidates in recent history. She's evolved into a fine legislator, gaining the respect of Republican colleagues like John McCain and shedding the liberal label by establishing moderate credentials on such issues as abortion and video games.
Sure, she won re-election in a Democratic year, against a weak opponent, but no serious rival had the guts to challenge her and her victory was still impressive. She has the potential of tapping into a reservoir of female pride, power and money. She's the best fundraiser around, with the possible exception of her husband, Bill, and she'll always have her party's most effective strategist behind her.
But her drawbacks equal her assets. She is the most polarizing figure in America. In the latest Quinnipiac poll, 41 percent say she's not qualified to be president (56 percent say she is), and in exit polls last month, two out of five voters said they'd never vote for her.
One South Carolina Democrat told The New York Times that she couldn't win even if she "promised to eliminate the income tax and give free ice cream to everyone." Republicans are dying to send out a fund-raising appeal that reads: "Stop Hillary. Send Money."
She might be married to Bill Clinton, but there are enormous differences. He was a Southern governor, she is a Northern senator, and the country hasn't elected a lawmaker or a Frost Belter since 1960. Most importantly, she lacks the natural charm and the magical ability to connect with people that made Bill so magnetic.
In the Quinnipiac poll, voters were asked to rank 20 politicians on a "feeling thermometer." She finished ninth on the warmth index, well below the leader, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, potential rival McCain (third) and her husband (fifth).
Which brings us to Barack Obama, who finished second. Forty percent of Americans don't know him well enough to have an opinion, but still, that's a stunning result, and political insiders are trying to figure out why he has emerged so quickly as such a scintillating star.
Partly it's his story: The mixed race son of a white Kansan and a black Kenyan, raised in Hawaii by a single mother, he overcame early troubles with drugs to become the first black editor of the Harvard Law Review.
Partly it's his comfort with faith: At a conservative Christian church in Orange County, Calif., he recently received a standing ovation when he declared: "This is my house, too. This is God's house. We've all got a stake in each other. I am my brother's keeper."
Partly it's his message of unity and optimism: He repeatedly condemns the "slash-and-burn, highly ideological politics" of recent years. He even titled his recent book "The Audacity of Hope."
Like Hillary, Barack has enormous problems. No one knows whether he will melt down in the fierce heat of a presidential campaign, made even hotter by modern technology that captures and communicates even the smallest misstep. And in a dangerous world, as Iraq falls apart, will voters feel comfortable choosing a leader with virtually no foreign experience?
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© 2006, NEA
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