Republicans, Israel and The Jewish Vote

Well we are almost at the homestretch of the election now.. as Tuesday we head to the polls to cast our votes for our next president. Gosh, I wonder who I'm gonna vote for. Hmmmm.

I am pretty oblivious to election advertising. I already knew from day 1 that I would not vote for a Republican... so whatever the ads say basically goes in one ear and out the other. In addition, since I live in NJ, I don't get to see the rough and nasty anti Obama ads that the Republicans have been buying throughout the country since they already have conceded that NJ and NY are going to vote Obama... so why spend the money here?

Even Frank Lautenberg isn't spending a lot of money on his re election campaign. One campaign that caught my attention is the Republican hot bed in Northwest NJ where a blind Rabbi named Dennis Shulman is running for Congress against incumbent Scott Garrett. Hey, I'd rather have a blind Rabbi than a blind mohel.

I remember Garrett when he was in the NJ State Assembly in the early 90s.. and you have never met a person more Conservative. His blood is redder than a red state. This guy earned the title of most right wing voting Congressman from NJ, based on his Brad Lidge-esque consistency of voting for all things Conservative. That is how he earned a perfect 100 percent score with the American Conservative Union. Some of the things he has voted against include unemployment benefit extensions, stem cell research, aid to Katrina victims, and amazingly child safety locks on guns. What happens if somebody in his district has a problem and needs to "call his Congressman?" Do they really think he is going to actually help somebody if it is going to go against his Republican mantra of "Don't spend taxpayers money".

I also see that my new fellow Hebrew John King (he recently converted after marrying his fellow CNN colleague Dana Bash) is getting a lot of attention for his amazing CNN map. It's not that the map is so impressive... it's his amazing knowledge of geography, a subject we Americans are very weak in. As much as I am aware of how voting goes around NJ and NYC, his map can pinpoint local markets all across the country and predict how people will vote. Unfortunately, as much as I would like to see Obama win, I can see King smacking around his map next Tuesday pointing out locations around the US that are still not ready to accept a Black man as President. Btw, can you imagine if he uses that map highlighter to teach his kids about the birds and the bees? Here on the east coats is the daddy and his shmeckle - Over in California, this is the mommy and her eggs. Now if the shmeckle juice ends up swimming through the midwest....

Anyway, since I don't get to see the anti Obama ads, I still want to see what those Republicans are up to because the old saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That is why I make it a point to check out what's going on on Fox News. Every night like giggly eyed school girls they show the latest Sarah Palin speech and frankly I gotta admit, those Republicans are really bending over backwards to get the Jewish vote. Palin has been the poster girl for the rhetoric unleashing says some nasty comments about the Palestinians.. especially this alleged Palestinian spokesman Rashid Khalid's friendship with Obama that is on some video tape, hidden somewhere at the LA Times... With all this anti Palestinian talk, Sarah Palin is starting to look like Meir Kahane with boobs.

Obviously, Israel is very important to me, and my Republican colleagues are amazed that I am a Zionist that does not support McCain. In reality, Israel occupies a place close to my heart... and I am extremely right wing when it comes to politics there. I am also not too tolerant of the Palestinians there. I don't have an issue with the ones who are struggling to get by financially since everybody knows that Yasser Arafat and his co horts stole all their money and screwed them over way worse than what they allege the Israelis have done.. despite what the bleeding heart Jewish liberals might think. The Palestinians that worry me are the treasonists who constantly plot against the government and terrorize Israelis who are just trying to get on with their daily lives. It appears that the violence has subsided there, but they always have to be on the lookout for the homicide bombers.

That is why I get such a kick out of Sarah Palin - she has the guts to speak out against the PLO. I really like that about her... but not enough for me to vote for her. But I can see Palin getting a little chic show on the Fox News Network after the election with Elizabeth Hasselbeck that might be watchable if Palin wears that short skirt - boots combo she wore during the closing credits on SNL a few weeks ago.... This would go along with my predicted CNN show with the bearded journalist and horny former Governor called Blitzer and Spitzer. I just hope a future Palin show doesn't bounce out Greta van Susterin.

However, as much as I might agree with Palin on this ONE issue, I see exactly what she is up to. Her latest attacks this week have been for Obama's alliance with Khalid who she claims is a former PLO spokesman. CNN however says that the guy is a Columbia professor who is a PLO sympathizer. Believe it or not, as anti PLO as I might be, I don't have an issue with people feeling sorry for them, as long as they are not sending over a lot of money to them that goes to terrorist operations. But for a college professor to speak out on their behalf doesn't bother me. I might not agree with him, but there are a lot of issues I don't agree with... and frankly being based in New York and sympathizing with Palestinians is not something I find to be too dangerous.

In reality, this is Palin's way of trying to steer Jews away from Obama. People seem to equate pro Israel with the Jewish vote.. but in reality every politician is pro Israel and it's not for the Jewish vote.. it is because it makes sense. Israel is the only normal country in that crazy Middle East and the US government knows it is dealing with the only sensible democratically elected government in that area. Americans find Israelis a pleasure to work with compared to its neighbors. This is in direct contrast to dealing with Israelis at electronics stores. One day I went to a now defunct electronics store to buy an advertised technological gadget that was manufactured by Microsoft. When I got there, the actual product was made by some company I had never heard of. The salesman said... "Buy this one.. its better; who knows how long Microsoft will be around?".

I think my fellow Jews are smart enough to see through Palin's rhetoric. We will always be pro Israel as long as we continue to work together to keep the Middle East safer and saner. And keeping Israel as a safe tourist area helps both Jews and Christians since that is the Holy Land for everybody.

According to the Jewish Week, the GOP is actually getting a lot of support from the Ultra Orthodox Jewish community. An article in the latest issue talks about how the ultra Orthodox are more on the same page with Republicans when it comes to "moral" issues such as taking away the right to choose etc. This weeks Jewish Week has a report that Democrat Congressman Jerry Nadler appeared at a pre Election Day event in Boro Park and pointed out that a lot of the local programs that are specifically important to that community that has a lot of kids, but not a lot of money are actually supported by Democrats. According to the Jewish Week, Nadler told them that before voting for McCain they should keep in mind that 98% of the people pushing for Section 8 and increased social services are Democrats.

Another issue with that community is they are immune to pop culture - no TV, no NY Post, etc, so the stuff they hear about the politicians is basically hearsay. Many of them still think that Obama is a Muslim. And now the rumors about his relationship with a PLO sympathizer is gonna cause more trouble. One of their newspapers - Hamodia - printed an editorial ripping into Obama for jumping to conclusions about somebody innocent till proven guilty, because he criticized Agriprocessors the house of horrors slaughter house in Iowa that faces 9000 criminal charges after an immigration raid earlier this year. As if Obama's criticism was worse than what went on in Iowa?

And as we head to the homestretch and this crazy call your bubby and zaida in Florida to vote for Obama movement, I really find it hard to believe that my fellow Jews would not vote for Obama ONLY because he is black. We as a people were marched to the gas chambers because we were "different" than the Aryans. So what if he looks different... the color of his skin is not going to affect his ability to do his job.... and I hope you will join me Tuesday in helping him get the job of President of the United States.


PUMPSTRADAMUS PICK OF THE WEEK: Last week Pumpy lost to drop to 6-2. This week Pumpy has an Election Day theme to his pick which is very interesting since Wayne Root who made a fortune by selling his NFL picks is amazingly the Libertarian's Vice Presidential Candidate. Does Pumpy have a political future? This week we go to Washington where George W. is packing his suitcases to get out by Inauguration Day. This week the Redskins are at home and are 1 1/2 point faves over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sayeth the Pump: "According to tradition if the Redskins lose their last home game before Election Day, then the incumbent party loses the election.... so I'm backing the Steelers.... because Obama's going to steel the White House!"

UNBIASED GIANTS FAN OF THE WEEK: The 12 game winning streak bit the dust last week. We went 1-2 for a season record of 16-8. This week I am picking a week of doggies - except McCain!!

Dallas 9 doggies over GIANTS - The Giants will win, but I think the Cowboys will cover.

KC 8 1/2 doggies over Tampa Bay - The more the Bucs and Eagles lose, the closer the Giants get to a playoff spot. Hopefully the Chiefs will stop that "play not to lose" mentality and take this one.

Pittsburgh 1 1/2 doggies over WASHINGTON - I'm with Pumpy on this one - I think the Steelers are ticked after they blew last week's game against the Super Bowl Champion Giants.