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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
Sept. 5, 2008
5 Elul 5768
Lackluster speech is bad snooze for John McCain
By
Michael Goodwin
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Well, he's no Sarah Palin. Or Barack Obama. Then again, John McCain has never been like anybody else.
The war hero and political maverick accepted his nomination for President last night with a speech best described as workmanlike. No one will accuse him of eloquence.
A day after Palin rocked the convention with a star-turning performance, McCain offered a sluggish, disjointed follow. At times halting and plodding, he was, as usual, uncomfortable with the spoken word for the nearly 50 minutes he was on stage.
Even allowing for low expectations, McCain fell short in content as well as delivery. It didn't help that before he could get going, hecklers interrupted with protests against the war.
When he got back to work, McCain took a scattershot approach that had me looking for themes. I didn't find any as he launched into a series of code words and hot-button phrases.
He sounded more ritualistic than enthusiastic when he promised the rule of law and judges who do not legislate from the bench while decrying failed school bureaucracies and high taxes. No wonder the party's base doubts his convictions.
His passion was clear, however, for achieving victory in Iraq and cleaning up Washington, saying forcefully that his party "lost the trust of the American people."
Mostly, he sought to burnish his reputation for personal rectitude and having a commitment to national security. Those are his strong suits, and he hammered them effectively in a bid to woo independent voters.
But only at the end, when he mixed in brutal details of his experience as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, did he approach an inspired coherence that was truly moving.
"I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in somebody else's," he said, making a heartfelt pledge that his presidency would be guided by putting America first.
It was an emotional ending to an otherwise disappointing speech.
While Palin's sensational performance Wednesday started to move the GOP beyond the Bush-Cheney era, elections are won or lost at the top of the ticket and the 72-year-old McCain remains at a disadvantage against Obama.
Although he has kept the polls close because voters trust him more than Obama to keep them safe, it's a tough year for Republicans and McCain suffers from a serious charisma deficit.
McCain also may be a victim of his own success. He gets credit for pushing for the surge of troops in Iraq, but because American casualties have dropped, the issue has fallen from the top of voter concerns, and that limits McCain's political gains.
Meanwhile, the slumping economy has become issue No. 1 and McCain has been hesitant and ineffective on the topic. Unless he can find the right policies and make a better presentation, it could be a killer in November.
He made only token gestures last night, promising compassion, but proposed nothing new and offered no details on his existing plans. Indeed, he only skimmed the surface on most subjects, a curious decision given the huge audience in the hall and on national television.
Here's hoping ...
McCain, of course, has been left for dead before, politically and otherwise. But to go the distance this time, he must answer the Dem refrain that he represents a continuation of Bush's economic policies in a year when voters demand change.
He can do that only by pulling a Palin-esque surprise on the economy - presenting fresh, compelling ideas. So far, he hasn't.
Obama certainly is not home free on his economic proposals. His vague plan to raise a number of taxes presents an inviting target, but McCain will have to do better than just attack Obama.
Americans aren't satisfied with the status quo and are likely to elect the man who offers them the most hope and help. John McCain was not that man last night.
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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