Long Post about Obama, Judaism, and Israel

[froborr]

A couple of weeks ago, Kirsten asked me how I can support Obama and still consider myself Jewish and an Israeli

Comments

[froborr]

I understand where you're coming from on the Obama trustworthiness thing. He's a consummate politician. He plays the game and plays it well. But I *don't* get the impression that he'll say or do anything to get elected, the way McCain-Palin's endless stream of easily debunked lies shows they're willing to do.

The thing is... his record is far from perfect from my perspective. He's very clearly a moderate, not a liberal. But the U.S. is simply not going to elect a liberal President any time soon. A moderate is vastly preferable to a neo-con opportunist or a lunatic fringe, far-right zealot.

Anyway, one thing I've seen in looking at his record and his past: he has a surprisingly good track record for, once he's in office, actually attempting to do the things he said he would do in the election.

I'm still furious about FISA, though.

[mullenkamp]

Amusingly enough, as a Christian, I'm voting Obama more or less for the same reasons as you, minus the focus specifically on Israel. One of the basic principles that shows up repeatedly in Jesus's teachings (the one which it seems EVERYONE FORGETS) is that it's better for us to suffer than to allow others to suffer. And us oppressing anyone else? Completely goes against everything Jesus was trying to get across.

Thus, people like Palin make me want to punch them in the face. Which also isn't very Christian, but yeah.

[froborr]

Israel isn't all that high on my list of priorities in American elections, honestly. I mean, I definitely care what happens in Israel, but I honestly believe it is wrong for Israel's affairs to be a major issue in American politics. However, that's how the question was posed to me, so I included my thoughts on the subject.

[pristis]

...why would there be any conflict between voting for Obama and being a Jew? What would that mean?

[froborr]

That is an excellent question, which I will answer at some length as soon as I am out from under the Hatch Act. I am making this comment only to remind myself to do so.

The Hatch Act is an excellent law, it really is. It is absolutely right and proper that it should be illegal to use government resources to campaign for a particular party. It's just really, really frustrating to be subject to it.

I am seriously feeling sick from writing this.

[froborr]

I'm going to warn you straight up: We are going to be delving deep into a VERY twisted view of the world. We're talking serious Twilight Zone stuff here

Re: I am seriously feeling sick from writing this.

[froborr]

Now, the Iraq War (according to right-wingers) is a vital part of Project Kill All the Arabs (they generally neither know nor care that most Iraqis are not Arab, because as Iraqis they are Muslim and therefore Arab; likewise, they neither know nor care about Jewish and Christian Iraqis, because as Iraqis they are Arab and therefore Muslim). If you oppose the Iraq War, you oppose Project Kill all the Arabs, and therefore you are an enemy of Israel and therefore you are an anti-Semite.

Therefore, Obama is an anti-Semite. It doesn't matter that Palin "supports Israel" because she wants to see the Jewish people brutally slaughtered for "rejecting Christ"; she supports Project Kill All the Arabs and therefore she's an ally of Israel and the Jews.

Plus, Obama's middle name is Hussein, which is Arabic. Arab = Muslim, so Obama is a Muslim and therefore a supporter of terrorism.

[truebluejay]

the first and second sentances echo my personal feelings EXACTLY. I could have written them myself. My reasons are very different, but with the common theme of judaism vs. christian nation. I won't go into them here, but...
Brilliantly worded. I have not thought of all those things myself, and perhaps never would have. But you said them, and they are ALL true, and I know that. Thank you.

[froborr]

Thank you. I'm actually blushing a little.

[truebluejay]

Seriously, this is the kinda thing mom used to send to my email with the subject line "FWD: FWD: FWD: FWD: Important jewish/political thingie"--with one exception. I actually read this one. ;) Seriously, though--can I repost this? I think it's something a lot of people would benefit from reading.
The only change I'd make is to say "someone asked me." And I'll credit you, I promise.
Have a good one!

[froborr]

Yeah, go ahead, just credit me (with my real name) as the writer. And yeah, I think changing it to "someone asked me" is a good idea.

Billy

[richardashtear]

It's Billy I know you probably don't care to hear from me but I just wanted to say I respect all of what you are saying and agree with pretty much all of it. Myself, I'm probably going to vote for Obama, when in the past I have always supported the republican party. I am "mostly" Christian, I have many views that differ from that of the church, but still go to christian church(Melkite Greek Catholic to be exact) and worship with them. Even though I am christian I do not believe that religion and politics should not be mixed it any way. I do agree that Mcain/Palin will radically further this country's decent into the hatefulness that has become of christianity. Looking back on what I've written I understand I have have responded to your post with nothing but tangents but hey what can I say i have trouble staying on topic.

~William Moskowitz