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Arnold Steinberg

Arnold Steinberg

The Democrats won for the wrong reasons

As an American, I never thought I would say that I find a new French leader, the pro-opportunity, pro-defense Mr. Sarkozy, closer to the American ideal than our own president-elect. In giving President-elect Obama the benefit of the doubt, I hope sincerely that he can grow into the job, and I can revise that assessment.

JFK fans have been there before

But I \”knew\” JFK, and Barack is no JFK. Sen. Obama did not serve in war and has barely served in the U.S. Senate. And, on policy, President Kennedy did not engage in class warfare but reduced income taxes for the highest earning taxpayers, to spur investment and economic growth. And, whatever his failings, he stayed with the learning curve. Near the end of his presidency, he was determined to confront communism, not construct timetables to withdraw from the Cold War.

God, race, and politics

It was the South Carolina debate among Democrats: Barack Obama was trying to establish his solid religious credentials in that state, which he went on to win handily last Saturday.

It\’s wrong for Americans to vote against or for someone based on religion, gender or race. But the hyphenation of America is the modus operandi of Democrats. On a good day, the best that we can expect from them is class warfare. And, now, just as they have campaigned against Republicans, they relentlessly play the gender and race cards, against each other.

Politics of liberal and conservative Jews reverse

Recently, I spoke to Reform rabbinical students in their class on \”Jewish Political Tradition.\” Which is, exactly, what? My expertise, I told them, is politics, not theology. Here was my dilemma: to talk reality or defer to the orthodoxy of Reform Jews, which is to say, political liberalism. (Forget the Reconstructionists, i.e., Jewish Unitarians, who are oxymoronic \”religious\” secular humanists.) How confusing all this, especially for non-Jews, who are further told that Conservative Jews are somewhere between Reform Jews and Orthodox Jews — sort of like the words \”liberal\” and \”conservative.\”

What’s So Bad About Torture?

Suppose your child were kidnapped. She is buried alive with a limited air supply. Police arrest one of the kidnappers. Indeed, he was on a store videotape luring the child and then abducting her. Witnesses saw him put the child in a car. His handwriting is on the ransom note. He admits he knows where she is but remains stubbornly unresponsive.

Jewish Vote Polls Miss Big Picture

A new poll claims 75 percent of Jews favor John Kerry.

Anna Greenberg said her findings prove President Bush has made \”literally no progress\” among Jewish voters.

\”Something smells here,\” responded Matt Brooks.

Democrat Greenberg\’s poll was funded by the pro-Kerry National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC), and the NJDC published her poll. It predictably shows that Jews overwhelmingly back Kerry.

Give Bush a Chance

Mixing religion and politics is bad for conservatives, but okay for liberals. Jews will perish because Gore lost? Come on. Let\’s talk about what survival really means.

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