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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
Dec. 28, 2007
/ 19 Teves 5768
Let's put it to a vote
By
Mort Zuckerman
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
A week is a long time in politics, as a British prime minister once said. This is true for our current election season in two senses. First, a week of the same partisan pandering and vacuous sound bites rehearsed for TV makes a week seem like an eternity. Americans are so repelled that roughly 75 percent think the country is on the wrong track.
Second, with deep unhappiness slowly fading over Iraq, anything can change the focus in a few days in '08: a recession, a deeper credit crisis, fears of inflation, a terrorist attack, or something out of left field.
Until then, the candidates are more or less running campaigns based on their personalities and biographies (with deletions, evasions, and double talk to appease the base, notably from Mitt Romney and less so from Rudy Giuliani: They were for it before they were against it). All of them are smart, ambitious, and competitive, with huge egos. But what the public seeks is somebody whose moral values it can respect. Sen. John McCain's late spurt is entirely due to his sticking to his guns while others wobble.
Indeed, this is the year of the wobble. Sen. Hillary Clinton was the odds-on favorite, but the air started to leak from her campaign when she flip-flopped on a plan by the New York governor to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. She still has formidable assets: a unique appeal to women, national recognition, an established political machine, what seemed to be a comprehensive grasp of the issues. But she has yet to overcome the feeling that she is scripted and calculating. She brings to mind the good student, resented because she worked overly hard to achieve.
And then there is the fact that her marital asset, Bill Clinton, became a loose cannon, demeaning the credentials of Sen. Barack Obama, attacking the media for favoring Obama, asserting that he had been opposed to the Iraq war, contrary to everything he had said earlier to so many people.
Dubious endorsement. As bad as it was, it got worse in one of those you-could-not-have-made-it-up moments. Former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young recommended Senator Clinton to the black community by asserting that "Bill is every bit as black as Barack," then following up with: "He's probably gone with more black women than Barack." Who wanted those associations with the White House to be brought back? All this only reminded voters of the Clintonian capacity for negative campaigning and polarization, just when the country was looking for a better message.
Simultaneously, Obama has continued to grow in public standing as he focuses on the need to do things differently. His message has gained traction as he heads into the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries, in part helped by his support from Oprah Winfrey and her popularity with women and African-Americans, crucial demographics in Democratic primaries. Obama is presenting himself as the anti-Clinton, putting forth his ideas in a noncontroversial way and limiting his political attacks. This tone has been well received in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
On the other side, the Republican Party is in a wide-open race with three different candidates leading in four different states: Mike Huckabee breaking through in Iowa because of his ease and humor, combined with religious conservative credentials; Romney in New Hampshire; and Giuliani in Michigan and Florida. Giuliani has long led the national polls, based on his crime fighting and his image as the Gen. Ulysses Grant of the 9/11 tragedy. His campaign has been seriously weakened recently as the media focus shifted to his personal life. He is hoping to survive the early primaries and then do well in Florida and Michigan before hitting the big-state primaries of February 5.
Romney was at first seen to be Giuliani's major competitor. But Romney's campaign has gained little traction. Republicans, especially conservatives, are naturally suspicious of his shameless flip-flopping on a wide array of issues: abortion, stem cell research, gay rights, and an earlier lack of support for President Reagan. Since his conversion to the faithful has come at a time of political convenience when he decided to run for the presidency he's being seen as a salesman devoid of any heartfelt commitment. Because of his tactic of pandering to his supposed base at the risk of losing national support, his advantages of movie-star good looks and persuasive speaking style now suggest a kind of plasticity. Party insiders call him "Multiple-choice Mitt."
Fortunately, this depressing and distressing campaign is about to be transformed by actual primary votes. Not a moment too soon, we can all be relieved to know what the people think and not what the media think.
The nation still yearns for a political leader who will let the future in.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Mort Zuckerman is editor-in-chief and publisher of U.S. News and World Report. Send your comments to him by clicking here.
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© 2005, Mortimer Zuckerman
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