Obama will address Reform Jews next week
Another story, this one from the A.P., on the emerging political debate over Israel, which has Republican hopefuls and Obama trying to out-Israel one another. It’s a fight for donations, even A.P. acknowledges; and the good risk here is that this “fiery debate,” staged this week at the Republican Jewish Coalition and a Reform Jewish gathering, won’t be limited to a Jewish constituency. No– other Americans will get to participate in the forming of public opinion on a matter that involves us all.
The fiery debate will probably continue Wednesday when the GOP presidential candidates attend a Washington forum hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition.
Obama campaign officials say they will be ready to respond. And the next day, Jewish leaders will be at the White House for briefings on Israel and a Hanukkah party, followed by an Obama speech next week to an expected audience of nearly 6,000 at a conference of the Union for Reform Judaism.
Such attention is all being paid in recognition that Jewish voters, though comprising only 2 percent of the electorate nationwide, are an important part of Obama’s base and could make the difference in battleground states including Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Nevada in a close election. Moreover, the Jewish community is an important source of donations, and Obama campaign supporters want to maintain that support as much as Republicans want to chip away at it.
“Such attention is all being paid in recognition that Jewish voters, though comprising only 2 percent of the electorate nationwide, are an important part of Obama’s base and could make the difference in battleground states including Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Nevada in a close election. ”
One of many reasons why we should go to a popular vote system.
“Moreover, the Jewish community is an important source of donations, and Obama campaign supporters want to maintain that support as much as Republicans want to chip away at it.”
The reason for public campaign financing, getting special interest money out.
i hope we see a continuation of the glaring meme in wapo’s headline (“Obama, GOP candidates scrap over Israel as they fight for Jewish support heading into 2012″) throughout the election season. americans need to understand how much politicians pander to this one segment of our society and realize how much support for israel is costing us and how much it threatens our democracy.
“americans need to understand how much politicians pander to this one segment of our society ”
I agree. Let’s change our Cuba policy.
Hophmi
Duh, like Annie is going to agree with US policy re Cuba.
You guys really don’t have much in the locker do you.
It’s like the “whataboutery” Hasbarists on the Guardian. “But what about what the UK has done in Iraq, Afghanistan”.
YES we were on the streets protesting AGAINST that. We’re fucking embarrassed by our governments. Dufus…
“Debate” might be the wrong word. In a debate, there are two opposing viewpoints with equal talking time.
What goes on here is not a debate, but a choir where the audience gives cash bonuses to the singer who sings the loudest.