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February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
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
August 26, 2008
25 Menachem-Av 5768
New, improved Barack Obama must surface at DNC
By
Michael Goodwin
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Barack Obama needs to increase his appeal among working-class voters.
A friend and ardent Democrat who is distressed over Barack Obama's stall in the polls was laying out his vision for a breakthrough. "He's got to talk with more specifics about the economy and connect with average Americans who are hurting," my friend said. "He's got to be tough and hardheaded and honest about what he's going to do."
That's easy, I thought. All Obama needs is a personality transplant that makes him a whole new person. Less dreamy eloquence, more grit would help.
Oh, and he should make the change immediately, so this new and improved Obama - this Obama 2.0 - can appear in Denver while the eyes of the nation are on him.
Democrats need a momentum changer, with many Republicans for the first time believing John McCain can win. Instead of consolidating the party behind him, polls show Obama has lost ground in key states since Hillary Clinton conceded in June. The race is a referendum on him, and he has failed to make a compelling case he is ready.
Obama's problems with working-class voters are so well-defined now that the history-making nature of his candidacy is sometimes an afterthought. As the first black person to be the nominee of a major American political party, Obama has scaled heights of success regarded as impossible only a year ago.
Yet "close" doesn't count in elections, and Obama would be the first to say the journey will not be complete unless it ends in the Oval Office. How well he and his party do their jobs in Denver will go a long way to determining whether that greater history is made.
The opportunity is there. Americans remain in a mood to blame Republicans for everything from the war in Iraq to the economy to the price of gas. With eight out of 10 voters saying the country is on the wrong track, this should be a Democratic year from statehouses to the White House.
But for that to happen, Obama has hard work to do. So hard, in fact, that vanquishing Clinton and a rat pack of male rivals for the nomination now looks like it was the easy part.
The good news for Democrats is that Obama and his team, after two months of dithering, finally seem to recognize the seriousness of the problem.
By selecting Joe Biden as his running mate, they opted for a grownup who could plug big holes in Obama's game.
Obama's lack of experience, especially on foreign affairs, was so glaring that Clinton and McCain both exploited it almost at will. Russia's invasion of Georgia illustrated the untenable situation that every world crisis had the potential to help McCain because Obama had no answer to the experience gap.
Biden, for all his flaws, brings some balance to that battle. As the designated attack dog, he will take the fight to McCain in ways that are unbecoming and uncomfortable for Obama.
Yet that brings us back to my friend's concern about Obama himself. For all his inspirational rhetoric and the savvy primary game plan, the fundamental doubts about his readiness that were there on day one persist.
Biden cannot change that dynamic. Nor can Bill and Hillary Clinton, even if they are inclined to honestly try to help Obama win.
If Obama is going to be President, he must propel himself over the finish line. We're about to find out if he can summon whatever it takes.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and the media consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Michael Goodwin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the New York Daily News. Comment by clicking here.
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