I noticed this article when I saw Obama standing in a strangely familiar room, which turns out to be in Congregation Rodeph Shalom in Philadelphia (a very historic Reform synagogue in the area that is absolutely gorgeous). Obama was addressing these pressing issues with the Jewish leadership from the Philadelphia area. According to this article, many Jewish voters are still on the fence for the primaries, and they hold a pivotal vote in determining the delegate that gets the nomination.
My best friend's uncle (Rabbi Philip Warmflash) was present at this event, and he is a Clinton supporter who wanted to experience for himself. I think it was important that the Jewish leaders were able to hear Obama speak for himself, rather than be forced to listen to other people continue to spread lies and rumors about him and his background.
I volunteer at the Obama office in Bloomington, and I have heard many Jewish voters voice their hesitations about voting for him because of this Pastor or his ancestral background. However, it is important to get the facts straight and not fall into the trap of smearing a campaign through rumors and accusations.
I think it may come as a surprise to many people that the Jewish population has such a large impact when it comes to voting, because of small numbers overall. However, it is important to get out there and vote, because if you don't speak out for yourself- there is no way you will be content with the way our country is being run.
3 comments:
I definately agree with you here, during my passover in connecticut, you could tell that all the older people at the seder were very concerned about Obama and how he feels about the Jewish Community.
they all said that they would vote democrat either way, but it was a lot of people there who really like hillary.
as for myself, i really just dont know, but i do know I registered to vote, and when i got my info about it in the mail- the not only have my birthdate down wrong, but my last name is spelled wrong 2!
Interestingly, I haven't really heard all that much about the relationship between Jews and the election. I think everyone on the IU campus is spending so much time talking about the celebrities, the large Jewish population on campus has ignored issues popping up that actually might affect us. (Granted, I was distracted by Jeremy Piven..but he's Jewish so that counts, right?) My family is very liberal and I was chatting with my dad a few days ago. He had no idea who he was planning on voting for. The next day when we spoke again, he had signed up to WORK for Obama. I'm not sure what changed his mind, but I do know that my voting district votes in a church, and I always see at least a few Jews I know. Unfortunately, the great state of Indiana is RED, and I don't think this will every change.
I am writing my final paper on "The Jewish Vote" and how candidates attract Jewish voters and also what Jewish voters look for in a candidate so I really appreciated the article that you posted! Also, it was interesting to read the two above comments and get a perspective on the divide that is often found within politics but from a Jewish standpoint.
Post a Comment