Josh Keller's Blog

Interesting column in Haaretz on Obama

Josh — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:50:54 EST

This puts Obama's record on Israel straight.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/949364.html

Obama on Anti-semitism in African American community

Josh — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:06:36 EST

This is an excerpt from Obama's speech in Atlanta on Sunday. I believe it's important for Jewish supporters of Obama to read this. It suggests that he isn't afraid to challenge ANY community on the issue of unity.

For most of this country's history, we in the African-American community have been at the receiving end of man's inhumanity to man. And all of us understand intimately the insidious role that race still sometimes plays -- on the job, in the schools, in our health care system, and in our criminal justice system.

And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we're honest with ourselves, we'll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King's vision of a beloved community.

We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity.

Executive Experience: Lets turn to real research on managers

Josh — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 18:56:51 EST

One of the ironic aspects of the mainstream media’s debate about Clinton vs. Obama or Clinton & Obama vs. Republicans is that they frame the choice as change vs. experience without looking at actual empirical research on executive tenure. The best example is David Broder’s piece that talks about the Dem’s lack of executive experience.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/01/dems_lack_the_executive_experi.html

I am a PhD in Management and have finally decided I had enough of people making claims that aren’t true. This is what the Management literature (where they actually conduct empirical research on firms) says:

A. The impact of CEO tenure (a proxy for Brody’s “Executive experience”) on firm performance is mixed—some good, some bad, some depending on context.

B. Diversity and International/Cross-cultural experience is now being treated as a key positive.

Obama and Tikkun Olam

Josh — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 09:52:57 EST

The typical discussion American Jews have on politics is about:

1. Israel

2. Anti-semitism

3. Separation of Church and State

But going to the Obama rally in Austin made me think differently about what it means to be an observant Jew and the type of politics that represent our values more generally. The following is a blurb from the Nation. I am using the blurb because I couldn't remember the speech word for word and this seems to jive with my own recollection.

Obama ended by recalling, as he often does, Martin Luther King Jr.'s prophecy that "the arc of the moral universe...bends towards justice." Yet as his speech reached a crescendo, there was a palpable sense that he believed, perhaps more than ever before, in his own message. "Here's the thing, young people, it doesn't bend on its own, it bends because you put your hand on that arc and you bend it in the direction of justice," Obama boomed. "Think about all the power that's represented here in all of you.... If you all grab that arc, then I have no doubt, I have absolutely no doubt, that regardless of what happens in this presidential year and regardless of what happens in this campaign, America will transform itself."

This obviously has strong biblical meaning, and rooted in Judaism. It corresponds to the idea of Tikkun Olam (to repair the world) and that g-d's will is revealed through human spirit and action. And this is what Jews celebrate on Pesach every year. It also has deep roots in the African American churches, who saw the story of Exodus as speaking deeply to them.

So in simple words, this movement can represent a new politics in America, but also a return to ancient views of justice.

Must see Barack in person!

Josh — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 19:28:59 EST

I went to the rally in Austin. I waited in a long line and I was far away from the stage. But it turns out that there was this walkway into the crowd and Barack Obama was at that end, so he was really only several yards away from me. It was quite serindipidous. Yes, it rained for much of the wait and for some of his talk, but nobody paid any attention.

His style of speech is like no other. For most of the speech, it was completely silent in the crowd-- I can even hear the ambulances in the background. People actually want to listen to him. He only talked about a few key policy areas--- 1) Health Care, 2) Education, 3) the War. But he talked a lot about the importance of people making the world a better place--- he framed it in quite biblical terms. He said that the world's morality is a long arc, but it leans towards justice, and only with peoples' action can it lean further towards justice. It was quite poetic.

I do believe that he means it when he talks about a more participatory form of government-- one that isn't so top-down and filled with cronies.

At the end he said "lets get to work". So I guess that's what I need to do.

Obama coming to Austin on Friday!!!

Josh — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 20:38:47 EST

I am so excited about Obama coming to Austin on Friday. I promise to provide details about the event.