http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1103/p09s02-coop.html
Charlotte, N.C. - There has been a lot of speculation that Barack Obama might win the election due to his better "ground game" and superior campaign organization.
I had the chance to view that organization up close this month when I canvassed for him. I'm not sure I learned much about his chances, but I learned a lot about myself and about this election.
Let me make it clear: I'm pretty conservative. I grew up in the suburbs. I voted for George H.W. Bush twice, and his son once. I was disappointed when Bill Clinton won, and disappointed he couldn't run again.
I encouraged my son to join the military. I was proud of him in Afghanistan, and happy when he came home, and angry when he was recalled because of the invasion of Iraq. I'm white, 55, I live in the South and I'm definitely going to get a bigger tax bill if Obama wins.
I am the dreaded swing voter.
So you can imagine my surprise when my wife suggested we spend a Saturday morning canvassing for Obama. I have never canvassed for any candidate. But I did, of course, what most middle-aged married men do: what I was told.
At the Obama headquarters, we stood in a group to receive our instructions. I wasn't the oldest, but close, and the youngest was maybe in high school. I watched a campaign organizer match up a young black man who looked to be college age with a white guy about my age to canvas together. It should not have been a big thing, but the beauty of the image did not escape me.
Instead of walking the tree-lined streets near our home, my wife and I were instructed to canvass a housing project. A middle-aged white couple with clipboards could not look more out of place in this predominantly black neighborhood.
We knocked on doors and voices from behind carefully locked doors shouted, "Who is it?"
"We're from the Obama campaign," we'd answer. And just like that doors opened and folks with wide smiles came out on the porch to talk.
Grandmothers kept one hand on their grandchildren and made sure they had all the information they needed for their son or daughter to vote for the first time.
Young people came to the door rubbing sleep from their eyes to find out where they could vote early, to make sure their vote got counted.
We knocked on every door we could find and checked off every name on our list. We did our job, but Obama may not have been the one who got the most out of the day's work.
I learned in just those three hours that this election is not about what we think of as the "big things."
It's not about taxes. I'm pretty sure mine are going to go up no matter who is elected.
It's not about foreign policy. I think we'll figure out a way to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan no matter which party controls the White House, mostly because the people who live there don't want us there anymore.
I don't see either of the candidates as having all the answers.
I've learned that this election is about the heart of America. It's about the young people who are losing hope and the old people who have been forgotten. It's about those who have worked all their lives and never fully realized the promise of America, but see that promise for their grandchildren in Barack Obama. The poor see a chance, when they often have few. I saw hope in the eyes and faces in those doorways.
My wife and I went out last weekend to knock on more doors. But this time, not because it was her idea. I don't know what it's going to do for the Obama campaign, but it's doing a lot for me.
Israel's Best Interest is a Morally Strong America
by Edgar M. Bronfman
I am supporting Obama for president for two reasons: one is my disdain for the McCain-Palin ticket, and the other my respect and admiration for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.Among Jewish voters, some feel the basic question is which candidate will act in the best interest of Israel. The answer is Barack Obama. As an American Jew who loves Israel, I cannot support John McCain. He cannot provide what Israel needs most--a respected, credible, morally strong America. To have the United States and Israel both regarded by the rest of the world as unreliable and in isolation is no way to solve the problems that plague both countries. This has been the effect of the Bush policies, and these are the policies that John McCain has promised to continue. Barack Obama is the candidate who can restore America's moral authority in the world and position our government to help negotiate peace.
The most vexing problem Israel faces is its relations with its neighbors. From the inception of the state until today, Israelis have felt besieged, surrounded by enemies who want to make them disappear. The constant security threat has made it very difficult for Israel to address the long list of problems that for the most part have been swept under the rug while awaiting peace. These include a disastrous educational system, a widening gap between rich and poor, and bitter division between secular and religious Jews. Israel desperately needs peace if it is to come anywhere close to being the "light unto nations" of Jewish dreams.
I quarrel with the oft-heard assumption that "George W. Bush is good for Israel." He gleaned many Jewish votes on that slogan, but I take a contrarian's position. Israel is further from peace than it was at the end of the Clinton administration. The smoldering hatred between Iraq's Sunni and Shi'a has burst into flames as a result of the American occupation. An emboldened Iran, with its Shi'a majority, has strengthened and armed Israel's enemies Hamas and Hezbollah. But Israel's most immediate danger comes from a nuclear Iran. Under the Bush administration, conversations with the Iranians began only at the end of May 2007 and have been badly mishandled. The result of the Bush doctrine in the Middle East has been an America and an Israel that are regarded with hatred and fear.The region requires an honest broker that will push both sides towards a workable solution and a two state outcome. I remember the scene at the White House when President Clinton helped Prime Minister Rabin to shake Arafat's hand. Whether an American president is prepared to preside over another handshake--one that could build lasting peace--should not be measured by his professed love for one side or the other, but by his judgment.
John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as running mate is the towering example of his poor judgment. Palin's ignorance of public affairs is monumental. Especially disturbing to the Jewish voter should be her willing acceptance of the campaign assignment of demagogy, which has stirred up racism and hate. The prospect of our having a 72-year-old president in poor health raises the real possibility that Palin could be our president, a thoroughly frightening thought. (I am well aware, in my eightieth year, of the flagging energy of any 72-year-old.) McCain's choice of Palin was a bid to the extremists in the Republican party, not the considered choice of a man who puts his country first.
Barack Obama is the leader who can begin to undo some of the damage done by Bush's policies. His background as an American who has lived among diverse cultures makes him sensitive to the cultural and religious motives that shape conflicts. He is cerebral, measured, calm, and pragmatic. By his character, he will engage these issues with more than stonewalling and weapons. He is brilliant in his choices of advisors. He is a tough idealist who has the courage to imagine an America that may inspire hope, not fear, in the Middle East and around the world.
Voters who care about Israel's welfare should ask which candidate will help sustain the ties between Israel and American Jews. Those of us who were alive at the creation of Israel have a love for Israel that is tied to the Holocaust, to the displaced persons camps and to the early struggles for a Jewish homeland. We were all as generous as we could be in support of Israel, as donors and as advocates. Now there is a generation growing up that is more distant from Israel than I should like. Young Jews do not automatically support Israel, and many are rightly troubled by what they learn about the ill treatment of the Palestinians under Israeli occupation. No longer motivated by fear of anti-Semitism, they seek to understand what Israel stands for, not to say "my Israel, right or wrong." Without strong support among the younger generation of American Jews, Israel may lose its vital relationship with the US government.
Obama can inspire much-needed support for Israel among this next generation of American Jews. He reflects their idealism and speaks in the language of hope they understand. His approach to international affairs shows a commitment to restoring America's reputation and to working with our allies to combat war, poverty, disease, and environmental destruction. He has articulated a vision for American society that does not ask us to ignore our differences--religious, racial, or economic--but to set aside divisive rhetoric and acknowledge that we all have a stake in building a more ethical society. Under his leadership a renewed America can help to foster a renewed Israel. Barack Obama is an inspiring American, willing and able to lead this nation and the world to new heights in very perilous times. I will vote for him with enthusiasm. Edgar M. Bronfman is the former president of the World Jewish Congress. He is the author, with Beth Zasloff, of Hope, Not Fear: A Path to Jewish Renaissance (St. Martin's Press, 2008).
http://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/2008/10/22/catholic-groups-launches-pro-obama-web-site/
Catholic groups launches pro-Obama web site
DALLAS - Catholics for Obama has just launched a web site as the Nov. 4 White House race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain enters its final laps.
Catholics, who account for close to a quarter of the U.S. adult population, comprise a key religious group that both sides have tried to woo. In closely contested swing states such as Ohio or Florida the Catholic vote could make a difference.
The web site is sure to stoke controversy in Catholic circles with this statement: “Is Barack Obama really pro-life? The answer is ‘yes.’ Looking through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching, Senator Obama has spent his entire career striving for the common good. He supports health care programs that will cover all Americans, a living wage for working families, and solutions that allow distressed families to stay in their homes.”
It goes on to say that Obama, a strong advocate like his party of abortion rights, will reduce the number of abortions by promoting health care for pregnant women and infant care.
Why I Support Israel and Obama
I am a strong supporter of Israel (though sometimes critical of specific policies). I am also a strong supporter of Barack Obama (though I favored Hillary Clinton during the primaries). I am now getting dozens of emails asking me how as a supporter of Israel I can vote for Barack Obama. Let me explain.
I think that on the important issues relating to Israel, both Senator McCain and Senator Obama score very high. During the debates each candidate has gone out of his and her way to emphasize strong support for Israel as an American ally and a bastion of democracy in a dangerous neighborhood. They have also expressed support for Israel's right to defend itself against the nuclear threat posed by Iran which has sworn to wipe Israel off the map and the need to prevent another Holocaust.
There may be some difference in nuance among the candidates, especially with regard to negotiations with Iran, but supporters of Israel should not base their voting decision on which party or which candidates support Israel more enthusiastically. In the United States, Israel is not a divisive issue, and voting for President is not a referendum on support for Israel, at least among the major parties.
I want to keep it that way. I want to make sure that support for Israel remains strong both among liberals and conservatives. It is clear that extremists on both sides of the political spectrum hate Israel, because they hate liberal democracies, because they tend to have a special place in their heart for tyrannical regimes, and because they often have strange views with regard to anything Jewish. The extreme left, as represented by Noam Chomsky, Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney, Norman Finkelstein and, most recently, Jimmy Carter has little good to say about the Jewish state. But nor does the extreme right, as represented by Pat Buchanan, Robert Novak, Joseph Sobran and David Duke. When it comes to Israel there is little difference between the extreme right and the extreme left. Nor is there much of a difference between the centrist political left and the centrist political right: both generally support Israel. Among Israel's strongest supporters have always been Ted Kennedy, Harry Reed, Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The same is true of the centrist political right, as represented by Mitt Romney, George W. Bush, Oren Hatch and John McCain.
Why then do I favor Obama over McCain? First, because I support him on policies unrelated to Israel, such as the Supreme Court, women's rights, separation of church and state and the economy.
But I also prefer Obama to McCain on the issue of Israel. How can I say that if I have just acknowledged that on the issues they both seem to support Israel to an equal degree? The reason is because I think it is better for Israel to have a liberal supporter in the White House than to have a conservative supporter in the oval office.
Obama's views on Israel will have greater impact on young people, on Europe, on the media and on others who tend to identify with the liberal perspective. Although I believe that centrists liberals in general tend to support Israel, I acknowledge that support from the left seems to be weakening as support from the right strengthens. The election of Barack Obama -- a liberal supporter of Israel -- will enhance Israel's position among wavering liberals.
As I travel around university campuses both in the United States and abroad, I see radical academics trying to present Israel as the darling of the right and anathema to the left. As a liberal supporter of Israel, I try to combat that false image. Nothing could help more in this important effort to shore up liberal support for Israel than the election of a liberal president who strongly supports Israel and who is admired by liberals throughout the world. That is among the important reasons why I support Barack Obama for president.
Alan M. Dershowitz is a Professor of Law at Harvard. His most recent book The Case Against Israel's Enemies: Exposing Jimmy Carter and Others Who Stand In The Way of Peace which has recently been published by Wiley.
From an early voter in Cincinnati...if this doesn't inspire you to help get people to early vote...
"Upon arriving at the Hamilton County Board of Elections in Cincinnati to vote early today I happened upon some friends of my mother's -- three small, elderly Jewish women. They were quite upset as they were being refused admitance to the polling location due to their Obama T-Shirts, hats and buttons. Apparently you cannot wear Obama/McCain gear into polling locations here in Ohio.... They were practically on the verge of tears.After a minute or two of this a huge man (6'5", 300 lbs easy) wearing a Dale Earnhardt jacket and Bengal's baseball cap left the voting line, came up to us and introduced himself as Mike. He told us he had overheard our conversation and asked if the ladies would like to borrow his jacket to put over their t-shirts so they could go in and vote. The ladies quickly agreed. As long as I live I will never forget the image of these 80-plus-year-old Jewish ladies walking into the polling location wearing a huge Dale Earnhardt racing jacket that came over their hands and down to their knees!Mike patiently waited for each woman to cast their vote, accepted their many thanks and then got back in line (I saved him a place while he was helping out the ladies). When Mike got back in line I asked him if he was an Obama supporter. He said that he was not, but that he couldn't stand to see those ladies so upset. I thanked him for being a gentleman in a time of bitter partisanship and wished him well.After I voted I walked out to the street to find my mother's friends surrouding our new friend Mike -- they were laughing and having a great time. I joined them and soon learned that Mike had changed his mind in the polling booth and ended up voting for Obama. When I asked him why he changed his mind at the last minute, he explained that while he was waiting for his jacket he got into a conversation with one of the ladies who had explained how the Jewish community, and she, had worked side by side with the black community during the civil rights movements of the '60s, and that this vote was the culmination of those personal and community efforts so many years ago. That this election for her was more than just a vote ... but a chance at history.Mike looked at me and said, "Obama's going to win, and I didn't want to tell my grandchildren some day that I had an opportunity to vote for the first black president, but I missed my chance at history and voted for the other guy."-
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Now get in your car and drive some college students or any other "Obama-type"voter without a car to the early voting site; use your imagination; many want to be a part of history; they just need a little help...just like those three small, elderly Jewish women helped Mike...just like they were a part of history in the '60s...and again today.
“The commander in chief doesn’t just need to know how to lead the military, he needs to understand what war does to military families.” --Michelle Obama
Michelle's focus group: Military families
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14733.html
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Once portrayed as unpatriotic, Michelle Obama has quietly carved a niche on the campaign trail as a sounding board for military families, taking up a cause that could define her agenda as first lady. Every few weeks, Obama meets with military spouses in swing states, where she presents herself as a kindred spirit and Barack Obama as the best choice for their families. She attended the two debates with military family members. And at the Democratic National Convention, she led a day of service on behalf of Blue Star Families for Obama, a two-month old group with the tagline: “Pro-Military, Pro-Obama.” Obama aides say her work with military families has nothing to do with the controversy created by her February comment suggesting that the presidential campaign made her proud of the United States for the first time. But the effort could be viewed as an exercise in counterprogramming, serving as a rebuttal to criticism from Cindy McCain and others for a comment that Michelle Obama insists was misinterpreted – and the notion that her husband, a Democrat with no military service, cannot peel off voters from John McCain, an ex-Navy pilot and war hero. “Barack and I know that too often it feels like you are alone, on your own,” Obama told military spouses last month in Santa Fe, N.M. “I know you become everything. In a small way, I have experienced that over the course of this campaign, but in no way does it compare to what you are going through.” Michelle Obama's focus on military families puts her at the leading edge of the Democratic nominee's campaign to reclaim some of the military vote from Republicans – an effort that brought Barack Obama here Sunday for a rally near Fort Bragg, where a military wife introduced him and he touted his endorsement from Colin Powell, the retired four-star general and President George W. Bush's first Secretary of State. Since the start of the campaign, Michelle Obama says she has focused on three things: keeping life normal for her young daughters, electing her husband, and discussing the work-life balance with women around the country. The spouses of service members captured her attention during a roundtable with working mothers, and she later hosted her first military-focused event in Fayetteville in May, a day before the North Carolina primary.She will hold her seventh military spouses meeting Tuesday in Pensacola, Fla., following similar events in recent months in states heavily impacted by deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, including Virginia, New Mexico and Pennsylvania. At each roundtable, she sits on stage with several spouses, delivers prepared remarks and opens a discussion. The roundtables draws local media coverage, and she answers questions about her involvement when asked by national reporters, as she did during an interview with CNN at the Democratic convention. “Mostly I am here to listen and to do a lot of learning and then to transfer that information into the heart and mind of my husband as he moves forth,” Michelle Obama said in Norfolk, Va., in August. “The commander in chief doesn’t just need to know how to lead the military, he needs to understand what war does to military families.” Her work in this area offers a hint at what could dominate her time in the White House. “If she becomes first lady, this will be her cause,” said Amanda McBreen, 47, a Marine wife who participated in the Norfolk roundtable and helps coordinate 24 state chapters of Blue Star Families for Obama.Michelle Obama pledged to do so in the Oct. 27 issue of U.S. News and World Report, when she explained what she would do if her husband became president: “I would work daily on the issues closest to my heart: helping working women and families, particularly military families. … I'd continue these conversations with working women and military spouses, and I'd take their stories back to Washington to make sure that the people who run our country know how their policies touch their constituents' lives.” But Kathy Roth-Douquet, a founder of Blue Star Families and a Marine spouse who supported Hillary Rodham Clinton in the primary, said she wishes more voters knew about Michelle Obama’s work. “She is probably the most motivating figure in the military family community,” Roth-Douquet, 44, said. “We like Obama, but we love her. She gets what we are getting.”
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Military Trifecta
Jewish Studies Scholars in Support of Obama
Over 200 scholars in Jewish Studies have signed a statement supporting Barack Obama for president. The signers, who include some of the most prominent people in the field, argue that "Senator Obama shares many of the values and positions held by the majority of American Jews." They point out that his positions on domestic and foreign issues, including Israel 's security, are in agreement with those of most Jewish voters.
The scholars urge American Jews to vote with the "minds as well as their hearts" and to overcome the fears of an Obama presidency stoked by false rumors circulated in the Jewish community.
"Senator Obama," they write, "has dedicated himself to promoting racial and religious tolerance and coexistence, speaking out against anti-Semitism and bigotry of all kinds. He embodies the Jewish hope for a society in which race, ethnicity, and religion are not barriers to achievement."
The signers include faculty members and independent scholars in regions of the country, as well as American scholars living in Israel , Canada , and Great Britain . They teach, research, and lecture on all aspects from Jewish history, culture, and religion, from the Bible to modern times.
The full statement and signers list follows.
JEWISH STUDIES SCHOLARS IN SUPPORT OF BARACK OBAMA
As Americans we support Barack Obama for president because we believe that he is the best person to lead our country through these difficult times. Senator Obama's firm grasp of the issues, his ability to work with diverse groups of people, and his humane and progressive social vision will bring a welcome change from the governing style and policies of the last eight years.
As scholars of Jewish Studies, we are concerned that distortions of Senator Obama's record and biography have caused undue anxiety among American Jews about what an Obama presidency would mean for Israel and the Jewish community here.
We urge Jewish voters to see through the partisan attacks and recognize how much they have in common with the senator. Jewish Americans have long played an important role in efforts to achieve a more just society not only for themselves, not just for other minority groups, but for all Americans.
The Obama candidacy offers us the chance to play such a role once more. In fact, Senator Obama shares many of the values and positions held by the majority of American Jews:
Senator Obama supports policies which promote equality of opportunity and social justice:
--the defense of social security against attempts to privatize it.
--a fairer tax system, including tax cuts for the elderly.
--expanded health coverage and defense of Medicare.
--aid to education at all levels.
He calls for energy independence through the development of renewable and environmentally friendly energy sources.
He is consistently pro-choice and pro-civil liberties, resisting attempts to blur the boundaries between church and state.
He opposed the misguided Iraq war from the beginning, understanding it as a distraction from the true war on terror. Most importantly,
Senator Obama has dedicated himself to promoting racial and religious tolerance and coexistence, speaking out against anti-Semitism and bigotry of all kinds. He embodies the Jewish hope for a society in which race, ethnicity, and religion are not barriers to achievement, a dream shared by African Americans.
We urge Jewish voters to vote with their minds as well as their hearts, and not to allow themselves to be misled by pernicious lies concerning the candidate's religious and ethnic background. We know that most American Jews realize the danger presented by such lies. The truth is that Senator Obama is a strong friend of Israel , a position recognized by many Israeli leaders during his visits to that country. They understand that Senator Obama's foreign policy is more conducive to Israel 's security than is the bellicose Bush-McCain approach. The Jewish Americans who know him best, those in the Chicago community, also count him as a longtime ally and friend. They know that the rumors that have been circulating among Jews for months - that Senator Obama is a Muslim who would be hostile to Israel and Jewish interests - are patently false attempts to play to Jewish fears.
Finally, we are concerned about the possibility that John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, might become president. Not only has she has shown herself to be unready to take over should something happen to Senator McCain, but she shown herself to be at odds with the values of most American Jews throughout her political career: She supports the teaching of creationism in the public schools, failed to acknowledge the human role in climate change, and opposed the right to an abortion even in cases of rape or incest.
The stakes are high in this election. Hillary Clinton got it right in her convention speech: We can move forward, or we can have four more years of the disastrous Bush policies of war, economic crisis, and cronyism. We hope that Jewish Americans, and all Americans, will choose to move forward by electing Barack Obama president.
Signers*
Robert H. Abzug, University of Texas at Austin Phyllis Albert, Harvard University Rebecca Alpert, Temple University Mark M. Anderson, Columbia University Joyce Antler, Brandeis University Dianne C. Ashton, Rowan University Alan Astro, Trinity University Monique R. Balbuena, University of Oregon Lawrence Baron, San Diego State University Lewis M. Barth, Hebrew Union College - Los Angeles Judith R. Baskin, University of Oregon Adam H. Becker, New York University Ruth Behar, University of Michigan Mara Benjamin, St. Olaf College Sarah Bunin Benor, Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion Michael Berkowitz, University College London Lila Corwin Berman, Pennsylvania State University David Biale, University of California - Davis Lori Gemeiner Bihler, University of Rhode Island Lisa Bloom, University of California -- San Diego Linda Borish, Western Michigan University Oded Borovsky, Emory University Ra'anan Boustan, UCLA Steven Bowman, University of Cincinnati Daniel Boyarin, University of California - Berkeley Jonathan Boyarin, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Ben Braude, Boston College Alisa Braun, Hebrew College David Brenner, University of Houston Marcy Brink-Danan, Brown University Phil Brown, Brown University Stephan Brumberg, CUNY Matti Bunzl, University of Illinois Janet Burstein, Drew University Andrew Bush, Vassar College Marc Caplan, The Johns Hopkins University Nina Caputo, University of Florida Jules Chametzky, University of Massachusetts - Amherst Robert Chazan, New York University Julia Phillips Cohen, Vanderbilt University Mark R. Cohen, Princeton University Shaul Cohen, University of Oregon Steven M. Cohen, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Robert L. Cohn, Lafayette College Lynn Davidman, University of Kansas Natalie Zemon Davis, Princeton University Nathaniel Deutsch, University of California-Santa Cruz Maureen Dewan, Fairfield University Hasia Diner , New York University Leonard Dinnerstein, University of Arizona Lois Dubin, Smith College Deborah Dwork, Clark University John Efron, University of California-Berkeley Peter Eisenstadt, Rochester , NY Judith Laikin Elkin, University of Michigan Todd Endelman, University of Michigan Marc Michael Epstein, Vassar College Amir Eshel, Stanford University Sidra DeKoven Ezrahi, Hebrew University Ayala Fader, Fordham University Marcia Falk, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley Amy Feinstein, Colgate University Marjorie N. Feld, Babson College Yael Feldman, New York University John Felstiner, Stanford University Kirsten Fermaglich, Michigan State University David Fishman, Jewish Theological Seminary Hilene Flanzbaum, Butler University Daniel E. Fleming, New York University Harriet Freidenreich, Temple University Lewis Fried, Kent State University Kathie Friedman, University of Washington Jay Geller, Vanderbilt University Judith Gerson, Rutgers University Abigail Gillman, Boston University Amelia Glaser, University of California - San Diego Susan Glenn, University of Washington Ann Goldberg, University of California , Riverside Judith L. Goldstein, Vassar College Lynn D. Gordon, University of Rochester Michael Gottsegen, Brown University Lisa D. Grant, Hebrew Union College Deborah Green, University of Oregon Cheryl Greenberg, Trinity College Daniel Greene, The Newberry Library Frederick E. Greenspahn, Florida Atlantic University Atina Grossmann, Cooper Union Janet Hadda, UCLA Mitchell Hart, University of Florida Rachel Havrelock, University of Illinois at Chicago Joel Hecker, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Kathryn Hellerstein, University of Pennsylvania Ronald Hendel, University of California -- Berkeley Deborah Hertz, University of California - San Diego Daniel Herwitz, University of Michigan Susannah Heschel, Dartmouth College Marianne Hirsch, Columbia University Anne Golomb Hoffman, Fordham University Joshua Holo, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Paula Hyman, Yale University Tali E. Hyman, Hebrew Union College Miriam Isaacs, University of Maryland - College Park Susan Jacobowitz, Queensborough Community College , CUNY Jack Jacobs, The Graduate Center , City University of New York Matthew Jacobson, Yale University Robin Judd, Ohio State University S. Tamar Kamionkowski, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Brett Ashley Kaplan, University of Illinois Marion Kaplan, New York University Samuel D. Kassow, Trinity College Ira Katznelson, Columbia University Ellie Kellman, Brandeis University Ari Y. Kelman, University of California -- Davis Carole S. Kessner, SUNY Stony Brook Ann Kirschner, Macaulay Honors College , CUNY Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblet, New York University Rebecca Kobrin, Columbia University Madeline Kochen, University of Michigan Ross S. Kraemer, Brown University David Krikun, SUNY-New Paltz Hartley Lachter, Muhlenberg College Lisa Lampert-Weissig, University of California , San Diego Berel Lang, Wesleyan University Lisa Moses Leff, Southwestern University Erica Lehrer, Concordia University Paul Lerner, University of Southern California Jeffrey Lesser, Emory University Mark Leuchter, Temple University Adriane Leveen, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Andrea Levine, George Washington University Daniel Levine, The Johns Hopkins University Michael G. Levine, Rutgers University Laura S. Levitt, Temple University Rhoda G. Lewin, Minneapolis , MN Andrea Lieber, Dickinson College Olga Litvak, Clark University Maud Mandel, Brown University Barbara Mann, Jewish Theological Seminary Jessica Marglin, Princeton University Mary McCune, SUNY-Oswego Ezra Mendelsohn, Hebrew University Keren R. McGinity, University of Michigan Tony Michels, University of Wisconsin-Madison Joel S. Migdal, University of Washington Nancy K. Miller, City University of New York Deborah Dash Moore , University of Michigan Regina Morantz-Sanchez, University of Michigan Leslie Morris, University of Minnesota Kenneth Moss, The Johns Hopkins University Andrea Most, University of Toronto David N. Myers, UCLA Stanley Nash, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Anita Norich, University of Michigan Saul M. Olyan, Brown University Annelise Orleck, Dartmouth College Avinoam Patt, University of Hartford Ilan Peleg, Lafayette College Derek J. Penslar, University of Toronto Noam Pianko, University of Washington Annie Polland, Lang College , The New School Riv-Ellen Prell, University of Minnesota Dana Rabin, History, University of Illinois Sanford Ragins, Occidental College Marc Lee Raphael, College of William and Mary Michael A. Riff, Ramapo College Meri-Jane Rochelson, Florida International University Aron Rodrigue, Stanford University Jordan D. Rosenblum, University of Wisconsin-Madison Dale Rosengarten, College of Charleston Michael Rothberg, University of Illinois Joel Rubin, University of Virginia David Ruderman, University of Pennsylvania Marina Rustow, Emory University S.I. Salamensky, UCLA Jack Salzman, Hunter College , CUNY Seth L. Sanders, Trinity College Marianne Sanua, Florida Atlantic University Ray Scheindlin, Jewish Theological Seminary Ellen Schiff , Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Jonathan Schofer, Harvard University Esther Schor, Princeton University Joshua Schreier, Vassar College Seth Schwartz, Jewish Theological Seminary Naomi Seidman, Graduate Theological Seminary Robert M. Seltzer, Hunter College , CUNY Ann R. Shapiro, Farmingdale State College Jeffrey S. Shoulson, University of Miami David Silver, University of Delaware Jonathan Skolnik, University of Massachusetts - Amherst Mark Slobin, Wesleyan University Mark S. Smith, New York University Naomi Sokoloff, University of Washington Gerald Sorin, SUNY-New Paltz Daniel Soyer, Fordham University Michael F. Stanislawski, Columbia University Arlene Stein, Rutgers University Richard L. Stein, University of Oregon Sarah Abrevaya Stein, UCLA Michael P. Steinberg, Brown University Michael Steinlauf, Gratz College Elsie Stern, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Michael Stern, University Of Oregon Shelly Tenenbaum, Clark University David A. Teutsch Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Ellen M. Umansky, Fairfield University Agnes Veto, Vassar College Val Vinokur, Eugene Lang College/The New School Suzanne Wasserman, Gotham Center/CUNY Graduate Center Chava Weissler, Lehigh University Gary Weissman, University of Cincinnati Beth Wenger, University of Pennsylvania Stephen J. Whitfield, Brandeis University
Press Release Angie Morgan ~ Communications Director, Blue Star Families for Obama 571-235-4956 amorgan@leadstar.us www.bsf4o.com Blue Star Families Launch Video: Why We are Pro-Military, Pro-Obama Blue Star Families for Obama launched a video today that articulates why Senator Barack Obama can count on military families for their votes on November 4th. The video features eight military spouses who share their reasons for voting for Sen. Obama over Sen. McCain. One Blue Star family member shares: McCain claims to work for us. His actions don't always agree. He campaigned against the new GI Bill, Voted against troop safety equipment, against vets health care, has a 20 percent rating from the Disabled American Vets. Another Blue Star adds: Barack Obama shows he understands today's military. Obama will help reservists and military families, and he's frontlined mental health care, co-sponsored the GI Bill. As Cindy McCain and Governor Sarah Palin leverage their Blue Star status to parlay votes for Senator John McCain, BSF4O has been actively educating and informing the military community on why Sen. Obama is the right presidential candidate and would make the best Commander in Chief for our country. BSF4O is a grassroots organization created by Army and Marine spouses who have a Pro-Military, Pro-Obama message. As a membership organization, BSF4O communicates with thousands of military family members through outreach programs and is active in 24 states. Never before has the military family community shown their overwhelming support for the Democratic candidate. BSF4O are inspired and impressed by Sen. Obama's voting record and support of Veterans and the military family community. They also believe that Sen. Obama projects the most attractive American values across our country and our globe. For more information on BSF4O, visit www.bsf4o.com.
Press Release Angie Morgan ~ Communications Director, Blue Star Families for Obama 571-235-4956 amorgan@leadstar.us www.bsf4o.com
Blue Star Families Launch Video: Why We are Pro-Military, Pro-Obama
Blue Star Families for Obama launched a video today that articulates why Senator Barack Obama can count on military families for their votes on November 4th.
The video features eight military spouses who share their reasons for voting for Sen. Obama over Sen. McCain.
One Blue Star family member shares: McCain claims to work for us. His actions don't always agree. He campaigned against the new GI Bill, Voted against troop safety equipment, against vets health care, has a 20 percent rating from the Disabled American Vets.
Another Blue Star adds: Barack Obama shows he understands today's military. Obama will help reservists and military families, and he's frontlined mental health care, co-sponsored the GI Bill.
As Cindy McCain and Governor Sarah Palin leverage their Blue Star status to parlay votes for Senator John McCain,
BSF4O has been actively educating and informing the military community on why Sen. Obama is the right presidential candidate and would make the best Commander in Chief for our country.
BSF4O is a grassroots organization created by Army and Marine spouses who have a Pro-Military, Pro-Obama message. As a membership organization, BSF4O communicates with thousands of military family members through outreach programs and is active in 24 states.
Never before has the military family community shown their overwhelming support for the Democratic candidate. BSF4O are inspired and impressed by Sen. Obama's voting record and support of Veterans and the military family community. They also believe that Sen. Obama projects the most attractive American values across our country and our globe.
For more information on BSF4O, visit www.bsf4o.com.
Military donations favor Obama over McCain
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. soldiers have donated more presidential campaign money to Democrat Barack Obama than to Republican John McCain, a reversal of previous campaigns in which military donations tended to favor GOP White House hopefuls, a nonpartisan group reported Thursday.
Troops serving abroad have given nearly six times as much money to Obama's presidential campaign as they have to McCain's, the Center for Responsive Politics said.
The results also are striking because they favored Obama, who never has served in the military. McCain meanwhile, is a decorated war veteran who spent nearly five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. The Arizona senator graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and had a 22-year career as a naval aviator.
Obama has opposed the war in Iraq and says he would withdraw combat troops within 16 months. McCain has been a steadfast supporter of the war, saying he would withdraw the troops only when conditions on the ground warrant it.
"Obama will work tirelessly to uphold this nation's sacred trust with its veterans, to ensure they are not forgotten after they return home and he will provide our troops with the leadership they deserve, as well as the support they and their families need," Obama spokesman Nick Shapiro said.
McCain's campaign played down the significance of the donations.
"John McCain has been endorsed by more retired admirals and generals than Barack Obama has military donors," McCain spokesman Michael Goldfarb said in a statement.
"We feel confident that many U.S. troops stationed overseas will support John McCain in the election this fall, but we suspect most are too busy doing the important work of defending this country than to make political contributions," Goldfarb said.
Among soldiers serving overseas at the time of their donations, 134 gave a total of $60,642 to Obama while 26 gave a total of $10,665 to McCain.
The report tracked donations of $200 or more. It found that 859 members of the military donated a total of $335,536 to Obama. McCain received $280,513 from 558 military donors.
(CNN) — No, hell has not frozen over, but a Buckley is backing a Democrat for president.
Christopher Buckley, the son of the late conservative icon William F. Buckley, said Friday he's decided to back Barack Obama's White House bid, the first time in his life he will vote Democrat.
“It’s a good thing my dear old mum and pup [sic] are no longer alive. They’d cut off my allowance," Buckley, a columnist for the conservative National Review, wrote on the Web site The Daily Beast Friday.
Buckley, who praised McCain in a New York Times Op-Ed earlier this year and defended the Arizona senator's conservative credentials against wary talk-radio hosts, said McCain is no longer the “real” and “unconventional” man he once admired.
"This campaign has changed John McCain," Buckley wrote. "It has made him inauthentic. A once-first class temperament has become irascible and snarly; his positions change, and lack coherence; he makes unrealistic promises, such as balancing the federal budget 'by the end of my first term.' Who, really, believes that?
"Then there was the self-dramatizing and feckless suspension of his campaign over the financial crisis," Buckley added. "His ninth-inning attack ads are mean-spirited and pointless. And finally, not to belabor it, there was the Palin nomination. What on earth can he have been thinking?"
But Buckley made clear he's not just voting against McCain, praising Obama for his "first-class temperament and first-class intellect.
"Obama has in him—I think, despite his sometimes airy-fairy 'We are the people we have been waiting for' silly rhetoric—the potential to be a good, perhaps even great leader. He is, it seems clear enough, what the historical moment seems to be calling for," Buckley wrote.
http://www..thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-10-10/the-conservative-case-for-obama/
Obama offers best way out of economic disarray The Charlotte Observer
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/406/story/225909.html
From Hugh McColl Jr., former chairman and CEO of Bank of America:
In 49 years of living in Charlotte, I've seldom offered my opinion in writing and never submitted a piece such as this. The condition of our country compels me.The economic disarray threatening our community and nation poses critical challenges but also presents opportunity. We can observe the presidential candidates in the crucible of crisis.
Only one of them demonstrates the needed intellect, fortitude and temperament. That is why I have decided to publicly support Barack Obama.
What is needed in Washington is sound judgment and exceptional leadership. Through the years that I've been a businessman and before that an officer in the Marine Corps, I saw what qualities make effective leaders. I see them in Obama: a sharp intellect, stiff spine and steady hand.
Obama's economic plans will restore market confidence and provide a blueprint for a better future. His pragmatic, intelligent economic plan will stop our financial slide and restore the expansion and confidence we knew in the 1990s. Obama's tax relief plans for small businesses and the middle class should provide much-needed economic stimulus.
Obama also has an energy plan that makes sense. He will shift energy use from foreign oil toward alternative, domestic sources. This will create millions of "green collar" jobs and enable us to capitalize on alternative energy. These cleaner energy solutions will protect the planet for our children and grandchildren and free us from depending on hostile nations.
We could not have built Bank of America into the leader it has become without a highly educated workforce. Obama proposes to invest in education to ensure we remain the most productive and efficient in the world. We must take these steps to stay globally competitive.
I greatly respect all that John McCain has done for our nation. But it is Barack Obama whom we need now.
EARLY VOTING...in all its glory...
"What I Saw When I Voted Today"...great story from Columbus voter......
"I headed down to the Hamilton County Board of Elections and saw the most beautiful thing ever - a line of people registering to vote at one end of the office and a line of people waiting to vote early at the other end of the office. It was an amazing sight!!As an African-American woman in her 20s, let me just to tell you how beautiful it was to see 90% of the crowd be African-American - and the majority of the rest were young college students. Single mothers with their children, older women with tears in their eyes and a mentally challenged man standing in line asking who we were voting for. "Obama, right?" he said. "Obama ya'll!" ....It was a beautiful sight and it was the one time in my life I was happy to stand in line."
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'How 1 Early Vote = 10 votes on election day'
by scimitar
I encourage EVERYONE who supports Obama to vote early. And here's why:
Come on, Ohio!!!...do you realize what a advantage we have, that other critical states like Michigan can only dream of? Please don't waste it. It's not enough to just early/absentee vote yourself, REACH OUT to help others early vote.
18 offices-- http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/inoffices
Find your countys' early-voting location/hours-- voteforchange.com
Look at ALL the students who would HAPPILY vote now if they have a ride to avoid long lines in Nov. during EXAMS!!!--
Ohio State University 59,568
University of Cincinnati 36,415
Kent State University 34,056
University of Toledo 22,336
Miami University of Ohio 20,126B
owling Green State University 18,980
Cleveland State University 15,664
Wright State University 15,985
Youngstown State University 13,157
University of Dayton 10,426
Cuyahoga Community College
Let the mudslinging begin!...what to do/not to do...constructiive ideas
McCain can't win on the issues, so the mud's gonna fly; brace yourselves; gird your loins; but for God's sake don't "chicken-little" us by partaking in a flood of emails that will clog up our listservs and cause people to unsubscribe at the timewe need them most. Reply to the PERSON, not the GROUP; tell them to get a grip; knock on some doors, make some calls, and not clog up your inbox. Let's promise ourselves not to send/reply to a group "look what they're saying"email unless we have a constructive suggestion to help each other. Here are mine--
"It's the TAXES, stupid."
KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL...THE ISSUES, knock on doors, drive peopleto early vote, take food and water to the volunteers at your office, and we will win. If we let them distract us, they will win. Period.
Don't wake up on Nov.5th and say,
"I wish I had done more.
I wish I had registered just one more person.
I wish I had knocked on just one more door.
I wish I had phoned just a few more voters."
Don't do it.
There are too many offices open in our state to guide us-http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/wioffices
There are too many resources to help us talk to our neighbors-
http://my.barackobama.com/page/votercontact/details
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/harperlee/gGgmcc
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/harperlee/gGgYGf
There are too many resouces to help us register people to vote-http://www.voteforchange.com/?source=WI
There are too many ways to help folks vote early so they don't have to stand in long lines-http://www.voteforchange.com/?source=WI
There are too many young people in our state we can register-
UW-Madison 42,041
UW-Milwaukee, 29,205
Marquette University 10,000
Voter registration deadline October 15 (by mail). Election Day (in person)
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3605249,00.html"Obama good for Israel", say former Israeli generals
WASHINGTON - Seven prominent figures of the Israeli defense establishment have voiced their support of US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.All seven have given short interviewes featured on an online endorsement video, in which they praise Obama's Middle East policies.The video "stars" former Mossad Director Ephraim Halevy, former IDF Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, past head of the National Security Council, General (Res.) Uzi Dayan, Amram Mitzna - former chief of the IDF Central Command, and Brig.-Gen. (Ret.) Giora Inbar, who headed the IDF's Lebanon Division.Also featured are past IDF Gaza Sector Commander Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Shaul Arieli, Brig.-Gen. (Ret.) Shlomo Brom of the Air Force Intelligence and former Mossad official Yossi Alpher.'The right man for the job'The video was produced by the Jewish Council for Education and Research (JCER), which has joined the Obama campaign in an effort to relieve some of the concerns expressed by the Jewish voters in the US - many of whom believe the democratic candidate's views may prove dangerous to Israel."It would take an extraordinary effort to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and 2009 is the last year in which that may be achieved," says Ephraim Halevy in the video. "Obama is a "breath of fresh air" and he has great communications skills, which are very important in negotiations, the former Mossad chief adds."Lipkin-Shahak is quoted as saying that after listening to Obama he "trusts him," and that he welcomes anyone who "might try to deal with the axis of evil in a different way" than that of the Bush administration.Dayan, on his part, voiced objections to Republican presidential candidate John McCain's views of Iran, saying that "an American president has to be involved in the Iranian issue... the US has to negotiate with Iran because at the end of the day, you have to stop them from getting nuclear capabilities."Brig.-Gen. Inbar said he "would vote Obama in order to help Israel," Shlomo Brom is quoted as saying that "eight years of the Bush administration have been detrimental to Israel's interests. McCain's views are too close to Bush... that's not in Israel's best interest."Yossi Alpher warned that McCain would continue Bush's failed policies, Brig.-Gen. Arieli said that "Obama is the right man for the job," and Amram Mitzna noted that "four more years of indecisiveness would harm Israel. It is important that our greatest friend be involved (in the Mideast peace process)."Best Regards,Jack Lieberman
VIDEO LINK-- http://www.vimeo.com/1882159
Please forward to your friends in 5 "critical" towns--
DETROIT
PHILADELPHIA
MIAMI
WEST PALM BEACH
LAS VEGAS
Direct link to make copies- http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v254/giveupdefunk/Barack-Hat2-Colorado.jpg
The Jewish Council for Education and Research is sponsoring "The Great Schlep".
http://www.thegreatschlep.com/site/index.html
"The Great Schlep" aims to have Jewish grandchildren visit their grandparents in Florida,
educate them about Obama, and therefore swing the crucial Florida vote in his favor.
As an added incentive to Bubbe and Zayde, the JCER provides pledges for the grandkids
to sign promising to call more often during an Obama administration.
http://www.jcer.info/
Don’t have grandparents in Florida? Not Jewish? No problem!
You can still become a schlepper and make change happen in 2008,
simply by talking to your relatives about Obama.
Other critical "battleground" areas you should visit your grandparents:
It's MORE SPECIFIC than "the economy"; it's about if their taxes will increase. Half of voters now believe in the daily McCain refrain that Obama will raise their taxes. If you doubt that the big lies are sticking, look at the Washington Post/ABC News poll. If we talk to ANY undecided voter without talking about taxes, we will lose that vote. They may not mention the issue even if we ask what their concerns are because they may think it's selfish. We can't say the truth about taxes enough.
The most effective, lethal smear tactic in this campign is not about religion or flag pins; it's about raising taxes.
We have to talk about taxes EVERYDAY because McCain lies about it EVERYDAY...because it's working.
When I talk about TAXES I refer to the chart the campaign made that shows how much $ the different income brackets will SAVE w/Obama, COMPARED to McCain, so I ask what their yearly income is, then tell them EXACTLY how much they save...COMPARED to McCain.
They LOVE that and I NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT when I phonebank OR canvas--
...you can copy just the chart from here--
http://i379.photobucket.com/albums/oo235/gorunwin_2008/tax_comparison.jpg
...click to enlarge to correct size.
Here's the full flyer setup so you're prnting two at a time--
When talking about TAXES, don't let the conversation end without explaining
"Young women are the least likely to be registered and the least likely to vote."
Change that: Time to GET OUT HER VOTE!
http://www.feministcampus.org/vote/default.asp
The Feminist Majority Foundation's massive Get Out HER Vote Campaign (GOHV) is the nation's only student voter education and registration initiative aimed at significantly increasing registration and voting by young women. GOHV legally targets young women and students of color because they are traditionally underrepresented Here's your chance to get involved!
The Feminist Majority Foundation has compiled an action Tool Kit and this website to help you launch a successful Get Out Her Vote (GOHV) campaign on your campus. With these materials on-hand, your FMLA/affiliate is empowered to get out the feminist vote. Remember – your national campus organizers are available and more than willing to help!
Feel free to contact us with any questions! --
The Campus Team can also be reached via email at campusteam@feminist.org.
Call the
