Welcome to Jewish Americans for Obama


Watch Video "This time - in this election - it's time for fundamental change in Washington. To make that change, we need to draw on a spirit that is deeply embedded in the Jewish tradition - a view that says we all have a responsibility to do our part to repair this world; that we can take care of one another and build strong communities grounded in faith and family; that repairing the world is a task that each of us takes up every day. That is how we are going to meet the challenges we face." — Barack Obama
Rodeph Shalom Synagogue, Philadelphia
April 16, 2008



Barack Obama on Key Issues of Concern to Jewish Americans
As a community organizer, a law professor, a parent, a state senator, and a United States Senator, Barack Obama has embodied the Jewish community's strongest values. Barack Obama knows our history as Jewish Americans – one of persecution and immigration, of resilience in the face of tragedy and difficult odds, of hard work and our devotion to education, to strengthening community, and to our country. Barack, whose name comes from the same root as the Hebrew word Baruch, or "blessed," has traveled to Israel and witnessed Israelis' determination in the fight against terrorism and their yearning for peace with their neighbors. His commitment to Israel's security, to the U.S.-Israel relationship, and to Israel's right to self-defense has always been unshakable. Demonstrating his personal connection to Zionism and understanding of Israel as the homeland Jews longed for, Senator Barack Obama has stated that it must be preserved as a Jewish state. He will work tirelessly to help Israel in its quest for a lasting peace with its neighbors, while standing with Israel against those who seek its destruction.

Barack Obama stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Jewish Americans on the issues that our community has consistently fought to defend, including choice, civil rights, health care and church-state separation. Endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice America, Barack Obama is a steadfast supporter of a woman's right to choose. As President, he will make available a new national health plan to all Americans. Barack Obama, whose grandparents helped raise him, is opposed to privatizing Social Security, and he will help make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors. His belief in a separation of church and state, as well as his championing of pluralism and equality, places him squarely aligned with our community and our values. As a father of two young daughters, Barack has promised to work to achieve energy independence and to fight global climate change, so that all our children's birthright will be a cleaner and safer world.

We hope you will explore the site and read about Barack Obama, his story, his values, and his plan for America. We hope you will join us in helping to elect a President who will stand up for what Jewish Americans believe in both at home and abroad.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/jahome

Hmmmm.....anyone who is Jewish should know better than to vote for Obama.

ESPECIALLY if they have had family that died in the Holocaust.

Would these be the same Rabbis that kissed Ahmadinejad when he came to NY? Are these the same Jews that don't believe Israel should have a right to exist right now?

I know several Orothodox Jews who are furious with this group. And I know Orthodox who do NOT like Obama.

Listen to a Jewish billionaire woman who had donated millions to the Democrats.

This is a video of what her experience was via an Obama supporter. Who also parrots Jeremiah Wright who Obama has said is his spiritual advisor.

Unfortunately...she still has a little faith in Obama. But I pray God will help her to see what he is really about before the election.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYf_xSrRSPE

Some key people that Obama has listened to for years are anti-semetic to the core and are looking for a way to put the blame on the Jewish people.

It takes a small group to spout the same rhetoric and hate that the Nazis did....to go from a brush fire to a blazing forest fire.

All this should set alarms going off inside of you my friend.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


<H1 class=titre>Anti-Semitic Bigots Behind Barack?</H1>Friday 11 April 2008, by admin


The Barack Obama campaign is filled with leading supporters that would make David Duke blush. Rev. Jeremiah Wright is one one wrong in the campaign.

Here is Los Angeles we have another, named Rev. Lee. Click on this URL and see an interview, with a Los Angeles billionaire, who happens to be Jewish. This lady is a really big Democrat donor. The interview is with Roger Simon of Politico.

Hear what happened to her, from her own lips. Then decide if Obama has to clean house, or is this the house he lives in?

If David Duke supported McCain, you could be sure the Senator would be protested at every venue. Yet, Barack Obama has leading supporters and fund raisers who are filled with hatred, bigotry and anti-Semitics, like the religious leaders Wright and Lee. He has apologists for Hamas and the PLO in his camp.

Please I urge you to watch this YouTube interview, then pass this message along to all your friends, especially your Democrat friends who are truly tolerant and open. Let them know the fleas in Obama’s bed.

Never thought there were so many bigoted, hate filled people in this nation. Now I know different. It is time for Obama to kick Lee, Wright and the rest of the Duke clan out of bed.

Shame on the media for not doing a better job of vetting Senator Obama. Oh, did I mention his neighbors and life long friends, Bill Ayres and his wife Bernadine Dohrin? both were leading members of a terrorist group called the Weather Underground. Both supported the bombing of buildings and killing of police officers. These folks have regular BBQ’s with the Obama family. Barack has appeared on a few panels with Ayres. Not once do he say, in public, that Ayres and his wife are a disgrace to humanity and he is ashamed of those who support terrorism.

Go here to see the startling and disturbing interview.

Pass this to your friends.

To see this whole story click on the URL below.

http://www.capoliticalnews.com/s/spip.php?article616

http://www.christian-forum.net/index.php?s...st&p=246069

Nothing like voting!



Pray that we make the right decisions concerning the next US PREZ.

Obama for America






Jewish Americans

Missouri

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Watch Joe Biden LIVE in Liberty, MO

Thursday, October 09 2008 02:10 pmJ

Joe Biden will be speaking live from Liberty, MO at approximately 2:45 PM today. The stream below will go active once he's ready to take the stage. Please feel free to discuss Joe's speech in the comments below, and be sure to check the sidebar to your right to see if he's headed to a town near you.


http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/mohome

I've heard about all I want to hear from Biden and Obama.

Now if McCain was near by....you bet I would be there.

Two live-blogs of Obama call with 900 rabbis, wishing L’shana tovah

Here’s a great live-blog, by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, of the conferene call Senator and Democratic candidate for president Barack Obama had on Wednesday, September 17. Here’s one (by a rabbinical student who supports Obama) of many entries by Jewish bloggers that reveal their feelings about the call and Obama. Here’s Jake Tapper’s take on ABC’s blog, Political Punch (I love that he relies on Rabbi Ruttenberg’s live-blog so much!). And here’s another rabbi’s take as he live-blogs (I think he’s a rabbi from how he phrases the post but I could be wrong):

I have the honor of joining 900 other rabbis from across North America on a conference call with Senator Barack Obama. He is speaking as I write and so want to convey the immediacy of his message. This call was arranged by the Obama Campaign’s Jewish Outreach professionals. One of the arrangers, the New York Board of Rabbis, is trying to get Senator John McCain on a call with rabbis as well.

He was introduced by Rabbi Sam Gordon (Reform), co-chair of Rabbis for Obama and Rabbi Elliot Dorf (Conservative), who presented one of the most moving sermons about the state of our country I ever heard (and certainly on a conference call!)

Jews loved Bill Clinton. I have to say, Obama goes even further. This is a man who knows us and loves us.

…

After 56 minutes, Obama wished us all a Sweet New Year and said that at this critical election in our country’s history, “we’re at a defining moment in our history and we need to get it right.”

That was an historic moment. 900 rabbis signed off.

You can see why it’s difficult for Jews like myself who support Obama and know so many other Jews who support Obama to understand how another Jew can say, “I don’t know how you can support Obama!”

After the jump is the letter authored by Jewish Outreach Coordinators for the Obama campaign, about the conference call.

Dear Friends,

On Wednesday, September 17, Senator Barack Obama participated in a historic national conference call with over 900 Rabbis representing all the major denominations in American Jewish life. He extended to the Rabbis his personal New Year’s greetings as they prepare to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with their communities later this month. Never before have so many of America’s Rabbis come together to hear a major Presidential nominee reflect on his relationship with the Jewish community and share his vision for a better future.

Senator Obama discussed the pressing issues at stake – for both Jewish Americans and all Americans – in the upcoming election. He asked that, as we think about the coming New Year, we also reflect upon our common vision for America’s renewed promise.

Several leading Rabbis spoke and posed questions to the Senator, including Rabbi Jeffrey Wohlberg, of the Rabbinical Assembly of Conservative Judaism; Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb of the Orthodox Union; Rabbi Eric Yoffie of the Union of Reform Judaism; and Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Introducing Senator Obama were Rabbi Sam Gordon of Congregation Sukkat Shalom in Wilmette, Illinois, and Rabbi Elliot Dorff, Vice-Chair of the Conservative Movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards and Professor at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, California. Rabbi Gordon, along with Rabbi Steve Bob, is co-founder of Rabbis for Obama, a grassroots group of nearly 500 Rabbis from every corner of the country, who have publicly declared their support for Senator Barack Obama to be the next President of the United States.

In his opening remarks, the Senator thanked all of those who joined the call and shared his thoughts on the nature of Rosh Hashanah.

“I know that for rabbis this is the busiest time of the year as you prepare for the High Holy Days. So I am grateful for a few minutes of your time. I extend my New Years greetings to you and to your congregations and communities. I want to wish everybody a Shana Tovah and I hope that you will convey my wishes to all of those you pray and celebrate with this Rosh Hashanah. The Jewish New Year is unlike the new years of any other cultures. In part because it’s not simply a time for revelry; it’s a time for what might be called determined rejoicing. A time to put your affairs with other people in order so you can honestly turn to God. A time to recommit to the serious work of Tikkun Olam―of mending the world.”

The Senator’s remarks included a discussion of key policy issues on the minds of many voters in the Jewish community this election season. From the economy to health care, foreign policy to support for America’s seniors, Senator Obama shared his view of where we stand and how to move America forward to repair this country and the world.

“We have a severe financial crisis in this country that is having an impact worldwide. We also have an economy that, even before the problems on Wall Street, has been putting families and communities across the country under enormous strain. People are working harder for less; we have had 600,000 people lose their jobs since the beginning of the year; we are seeing wages and income flat for the average American at a time when the cost of everything from health care to college education are skyrocketing. …Bin Laden is still on the loose; Iran is issuing vile threats against Israel and developing nuclear weapons. So it’s a challenging time. Our security is at risk; the security of Israel is at risk and even the planet is in peril.

“…Repairing all of that is a task that is beyond any one man or one woman. It can be daunting and I do not presume that I can, as President, repair all of this on my own. I am absolutely convinced that when we come together with determination we can make the situation better. I know that one of the most profound Jewish teachings is that you are not required to complete the task but neither are you free to desist from it. That, I think, is what we have to do: we have to begin the hard task of repairing our economy and our foreign policy and that is, in my mind, what this election is all about.”

Senator Obama also reiterated his “unwavering” support for the State of Israel and the deep ties between our country and Israel. Promising to restore America’s role as an “effective partner,” the Senator repeated his call for active engagement in the peace process and a strong stance against Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“I think that it’s also important to recognize that through out my career in the State Legislature and now in the U.S. Senate I have been a stalwart friend of Israel. On every single issue related to Israel’s security, I have been unwavering, and will continue to be unwavering. My belief is that Israel’s security is sacrosanct and we have to ensure that as the sole democracy in the Middle East, one of our greatest allies in the world, one that shares a special relationship with us and shares our values, we have to make sure that they have the support – whether it’s financial or military – to sustain their security [amid] the hostile environment. And its also important that we are an effective partner with them in pursuing the possibilities of peace in the future, and that requires not only active engagement and negotiations that may take place with Palestinians, but it also requires that we stand tough and with great clarity when it comes to Iran and the unacceptability of them possessing nuclear weapons.”

Concluding the call with a reflection on one of the Rosh Hashanah’s most significant rituals, Senator Obama expressed a deep sense of hope and optimism for the future.

“I know that the Shofar is going to be blown in your synagogues over Rosh Hashanah, and there are many interpretations of its significance. One that I have heard, that resonates with me, is rousing us from our slumber so that we recognize our responsibilities and repent for our misdeeds and set out on a better path. The people in every community across this land [who] join our campaign, I like to think that they are sounding that Shofar to rouse this nation out of its slumber and to compel us to confront our challenges and ensure a better path. It’s a call to action. So as this New Year dawns, I am optimistic about our ability to overcome the challenges we face and the opportunity that we can bring the change we need not only to our nation but also to the world.”

In the spirit of the echoing shofar, the call to action Senator Obama describes, we encourage you to forward this recap of his conference call with America’s Rabbis, to your congregation’s Rabbi, your friends, family, colleagues, community lay leaders, and fellow-congregants. May the New Year be filled with health, hope, and happiness.

Shana Tovah U’Metukah,

Eric Lynn
Middle East Policy Advisor & Jewish Community Liaison
Obama for America

Dan Shapiro
Senior Policy Advisor & Jewish Outreach Coordinator
Obama for America

http://www.writeslikeshetalks.com/2008/09/...g-lshana-tovah/

by Danya · Wednesday, September 17th, 2008

I was just on the same call as the good R. Bachman, who just posted, below. I think we might have slightly different notes (there was a lot to follow) so for those of you who want to read both versions, mine are below the cut.

900 rabbis are, as I type this, on a conference call with Sen. Obama. A few people have been designated as question-askers. (I’m posting now a couple of moments after getting off the phone, but this post was written as the call went on, so it might read more like notes than a regular post, and is mostly, I think, in the present tense.)

We’re starting with comments from Rabbis Sam Gordon and Elliot Dorff of Rabbis for Obama. As R. Dorff puts it, his supporting Obama “is a case of both ahavat Mordechai and sinat Haman” (love of Mordechai and hate of Haman).

Sen. Obama is on now, has wished us a shana tova (Ashkenazi pronunciation), and namedropped the phrase tikkun olam. He’s talking about the economic crisis, the war in Iraq, Iran, climate change, Bin Laden is still on the loose, etc. There’s a lot to fix. “I do not think, as president, that I can repair all this on my own, but that perhaps together,” we can. He quotes Rabbi Tarfon (not by name), “You are not free to complete the work, but neither may you desist from it.” He talks about restoring America’s promise to care for the vulnerable, provide health care, care for children and aging, invest in alternate energy sources and create green jobs, to create an economy for all, not just for the rich. He wants to get back to “I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper” as a value in the country.

He talks about his deep ties with the Chicago Jewish community and partnerships with them, and emphasizes that he has been a “stalwart friend of Israel” and says that he thinks “Israel’s security is sacrosanct.” He talks about both supporting Israel’s security and being an active partner in peace, standing tough with Iran.

He talks about how the new year is a time not just for celebration but for reflection and hard work. “I think it’s time for us all to turn the page… and complete the work of Creation.” He talks about the shofar as a way to rouse us from our slumber and help us repent for our misdeeds, chart a better path, as a call to action.

With that, he finished his remarks, and four rabbis (one from each of the major denominations) were invited to ask him questions.

Rabbi Jeffery Wohlberg, president of the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly, asked him to reflect on some of the conversations that he had in the Middle East.

Obama says that he spoke with Livni, Barak, Olmert, Peres, and Netanyahu, and that they of course all had different perspectives, but that a common theme in the conversations included identification of Iran as a huge threat, and all agreed that Iran should not get a nuclear weapon. Obama says that the US has made a mistake in not focusing on this, that Iran has benefited from the war in Iraq both by eliminating an enemy of Iran and by diverting our attention. He talks about Iran divestment as a way to exploit weakness in Iranian economy and to ratchet up the pressure. In terms of peace talks, he talks about the importance of not starting from scratch with a new Israeli PM and new American president. Too often, he says, the Americans wait until late in 2nd term to start talking about Israel, and Obama wants to send envoys to start working on this soon after election.

Rabbi Tzvi Weinreb, of the Orthodox Union (I think he’s executive VP) said that he’s concerned that Obama’s education proposals don’t help K-12 faith-based private schools do secular studies better, that they only help public schools.

Obama says that he opposes voucher programs, but supports faith-based funding for Head Start-like programs, summer learning, after school programs, that sort of thing. Under No Child Left Behind, he says, faith-based schools are eligible for funding.

Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz, president of Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, wants to know how people of all faiths and people of no faiths can both speak from where they are (in their respective belief systems) and also come together.

Obama says, “none of us should be obliged to leave our faith and beliefs and religious language behind in making claims for the greater good.” He cites Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln as two people whose religious language added power to their work. There is, he says, a moral component to questions of poverty, health care, even whether or not we should go to war. Religious organizations can do profound good, and he says that they should receive funding as long as they’re not proselytizing or exclusionary. At the same time, Obama is a big believer in the importance of the 1st Amendment, and does not want a theocracy that forces people to comply with beliefs not their own. This also, he says, helps religious institutions not feel obliged to censor their views to receive government funding. He’s always looking for ecumenical opportunities.

Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of Union of Reform Judaism asks, how can we address the economic needs of most without forgetting the needs of the poor in our midst?

Obama says: the stronger the economy, the easier it is to lift people out of poverty. His overarching economic policy involves freeing from dependence on foreign oil, investing in alternative energy that can create jobs and strengthen the US infrastructure, making college more affordable, improving education, investing in science and technology (something, he notes, that this administration has neglected) and changing the tax code to “value not just wealth, but work.” That will help, but there is no silver bullet that will help people in extreme poverty. There, he says, you can make a huge difference in early childhood education, health care for all Americans, making public schools more effective by improving teacher corps, paying teachers better, expanding after-school and summer programs, etc., and helping link people with jobs. Changing the tax code can help people to earn a living wage, and housing programs can help get a roof over people’s heads. He says that it’ll cost money, but that it’s a relatively modest sum when looking at the overall budget.

He concluded by wishing us a happy, sweet new year.

WHY do you support him Voice?

You can understand what associations someone has with anti-semites can mean about that person.

I don't understand why at other times you speak out against anti-semetism with extreme tenacity.

But in this case...you are not making the connections.

Are we playing devils advocate again? (not calling you that...you know what I mean)

I like to do that too once in awhile because I think its good to question things from time to time to make sure we are on the right track.

But you have a LOT of evidence to show you a side of Obama that is not right.

What does this kind of thing remind you of?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N3R0eWlkL8

Or this....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTm5rp8r6fE

Looks like the liberals are brainwashing their little children to follow a man? What does this remind you of?

Don't tell me you believe in Socialism.

Shalom

Barack Obama claims Jewish "kinship"

His racial makeup, his middle name and "scurrilous e-mails" about him are partly responsible for the discomfort some people have with him, Barack Obama told Jewish leaders during a private meeting in the Philadelphia area today.

He also told his audience of about 75 people at a synagogue that he feels a sense of "kinship" with the Jewish community, and that he has been influenced in his life by Jewish writers, philosophers and friends.

"There is a kinship and a sense of shared community that predates my political career and will extend beyond this particular election," Obama said, according to the pool report from the closed-door event. "Know that I will be there for you, just as I believe that you will be there for me."

Stressing the point, he added: "My links to the Jewish community are not political. They preceded my entry into politics."

Before Obama showed up, several of his supporters spoke to the assembly at Rodeph Shalom synagogue, according to Larry Eichel, the Philadelphia Inquirer reporter who filed the account for the traveling press corps.

All of the speakers offered assurances that Obama is a friend of Israel and of the American Jewish community.

Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) told the group that Obama "unequivocally rejects the Palestinian right of return" because he understands that Israel must remain a Jewish state, according to Eichel's report.

Also from the report:

• Obama was asked why he favors meeting with Iranian leaders but criticized President Carter's recent meeting with Hamas. He responded: "Hamas is not a state, Hamas is a terrorist organization ... so I think here is a very clear distinction."
• Asked under what circumstances he'd use force against Iran, he declined to specify.
• He pledged to continue the U.S. practice of vetoing anti-Israeli resolutions at the U.N. and said that he would be "uniquely positioned" to do so due to his background. "That kind of blunt talk is something I can deliver with more credibility than some other presidents might," he said.
• Asked if he ever talked to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright about his ex-pastor's controversial remarks, Obama said he had done so privately. He also said that there was nothing in his own background that shows anything but a love of country and an understanding of the importance of the relationship between blacks and Jews.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/04/barack-obama-cl.html

RE Barack Obama:

Bruce Orenstein a producer of documentary films
who worked with Barack Obama for a year and a half
when both were community organizers in Chicago
in the 1980s. He has just produced the video
at the link below.

This video addresses questions about Obama
that have been raised in the Jewish community
and beyond.

http://my.barackobama.com/JFOvideo1

These are the same folks that supposedly KNOW God's word and yet don't believe in Christ....and you want us to allow them to sway our votes.

I dont see how that proves Obama is insane......actually on the contrary I believe he is very smart.......But to many blacks they only see his,,,color thus are happy that something might be done that never has in time,,,,a black president.....I dont like either canidate,,,and personally since were under prophecy can care less who wins......

I'm getting there too Brian....not yet, but on the way. For the reason you give and what I've learned from Annie...none of us should care but something in me still gets angry when I think about Bill Ayers, Rev. Wright, etc....and I don't really like McCain either. I agree with what the Republicans supposedly stand for but...

It's going to be what God wants it to be...so, I guess I'll go plant some potatos in the garden.

Romans 11: 28-32

28As concerning the gospel, they are opposed to it for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes. 29For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

30For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

31Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

32For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.




But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.
Galatians 6:4


Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
2 Corinthians 13:5

U.S. rabbis: McCain attacks on Obama creeping toward 'hate speech'


A group of liberal American rabbis have denounced Republican presidential candidate John McCain's campaign as leaning toward "hate speech" in its treatment of Democratic rival Barack Obama.

"The manner in which Senator McCain, Governor [Sarah] Palin and their supporters refer to Senator Obama is creeping toward hate speech," Rabbis for Obama said in a statement on Thursday.








"As leaders of the Jewish community we are well aware of the dangers of using inflammatory political language to marginalize individuals and groups. Increasingly those speaking on behalf of the McCain campaignhave been demonizing Senator Obama as not being like us."

According to the rabbis, the McCain campaign has deliberately stressed Obama's middle name - Hussein - as if to insinuate the candidate's Muslim background, a contentious rumor circulating since the start of the campaign.

"They [the McCain campaign] recently used a uniformed sheriff to warm up the crowd at a rallyby emphasize the senator's middle name," the rabbis wrote. "At another event Senator McCain seemed shocked when one of his supporters stated that Senator Obama was an 'Arab.' That false belief is the fruit of the McCain campaign's emphasizing Senator Obama's middle name."

The rabbis also accused Vice Presidential candidate Palin of asserting that "Senator Obama pals around with terrorists," a claim that denounced as "false" and "built on three distortions and a lie."

"In twenty-first century America, no word is more emotionally loaded than 'terrorist,'" they wrote. "Republican operatives who managed to convince American to believe the lie that the government of Iraq was connected to Osama bin Laden, think they can now convince Americans of another big lie, that 1960s campus radical William Ayers is connected to contemporary terrorists and that he is a close, influential friend of Senator Obama."

The liberal group also lashed out at their opponents in the Republican Jewish Coalition, which it said "falsely labels Senator Obama as
'reckless on Israel.'

"They [Republican Jews] know that in the Jewish community this is the moral equivalent of crying fire in a crowded theater," the liberal rabbis said, adding: "The RJC approach harkens back to the classic Republican red baiting tactics of Joe McCarthy and Richard Nixon from the early fifties."

"We have put our credibility as rabbis who love Israel on the line to publicly endorse Senator Obama for President because of the smears and lies coming from the other side," wrote the rabbis.

"Never before in the history of the United States has a group of rabbis come together on this scale to work on behalf on a candidate for president."

An annual survey published last month by the American Jewish Committee on Thursday revealed that American Jewish voters Obama over McCain for U.S. president by a margin of 57-30 percent.

The surprising figure to emerge from the survey was the unexpectedly large number of undecided voters, at 13 percent.

Though the percentage of Jews in the U.S. is merely 2 percent, 4 percent of the votes in the presidential elections are generally cast by American Jews. In certain states, such as Florida, the Jewish vote is considered crucial.

In addition, more than 40 percent of American Jews contribute to presidential campaigns, comprising one fifth of all campaign contributions.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages...?itemNo=1029326

Survey: American Jews favor Obama over McCain


An annual survey published by the American Jewish Committee on Thursday revealed that American Jewish voters favor Senator Barack Obama over Senator John McCain for U.S. president by a margin of 57-30 percent.

The surprising figure to emerge from the survey was the unexpectedly large number of undecided voters, at 13 percent.



Though the percentage of Jews in the U.S. is merely 2 percent, 4 percent of the votes in the presidential elections are generally cast by American Jews. In certain states, such as Florida, the Jewish vote is considered crucial.

In addition, more than 40 percent of American Jews contribute to presidential campaigns, comprising one fifth of all campaign contributions.

Therefore, it came as no surprise that Obama appealed to the debate committee on Thursday, asking them to rebroadcast his upcoming debate against McCain, scheduled for Friday evening, at a time when observant Jews can watch without violating the laws of the Sabbath. Obama's campaign has invested much time and energy courting the Jewish community, but despite their efforts, 13 percent of American Jewish voters are still undecided.

According to the survey, 56 percent of American Jews define themselves as Democrats, 17 percent as Republicans and 25 percent as Independent.

While Obama leads McCain by 27 percentage points in the survey, his numbers pale in comparison to those received by Bill Clinton, Al Gore and John Kerry. Some claim that fraudulent rumors and e-mails suggesting Obama is Muslim have affected his standing. However, Republicans prefer the theory that since the September 11, 2001 attacks, American Jews have begun to rethink which policies are safer for them and for Israel.

In the previous poll conducted in July among American Jewish voters, Obama garnered 62 percent versus McCain's 32 percent. The current poll shows that both candidates have lost American Jewish support, but Obama lost slightly more.

The survey's respondents said the economy was the most important issue they would like to see the candidates address, with 54 percent saying that tops their list. Eleven percent said health care was most important, while 6 percent felt the war in Iraq, and 5 percent felt energy and terrorism were the key issues to be addressed. Three percent said Israel was their main priority.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages...?itemNo=1024600

ELECTION 2008


Christian website endorses Obama as pro-life


Claims electing Democrat will result in fewer abortions than repealing Roe





A group of Christian supporters of Barack Obama – who has a 100 percent pro-abortion Senate voting record – have created a website touting the Democratic presidential candidate as the most pro-life choice in November's election.

The Pro-Life Pro-Obama website argues that Obama's economic and health care plans and support of programs for the poor will do more for reducing abortions in the U.S. than the positions of his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain.

The site also claims Obama's plans will reduce the number of abortions more than even overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that launched the legalization of abortion across the country.

The site's spokesman, author Douglas W. Kmiec, a former professor and U.S. assistant attorney general under Reagan, writes, "After 35 years, a new approach is needed. Too many unborn lives are being lost as we wait for judges to get it right. Barack Obama's strengthening of support for prenatal care, health care, maternity leave, and adoption will make the difference."

The website cites a Catholics United study that concluded overturning Roe v. Wade would only send abortion law decisions to the states, in which case, the study estimated, at most 16 states would outlaw abortion, leaving it legal in most of the country.

Some pro-life leaders, however, find it impossible to look at Obama's 100 percent rating from Planned Parenthood and endorsement from NARAL and call the candidate pro-life.

In an article on her organization's CitizenLink website, Carrie Gordon Earll, senior bioethics analyst at Focus on the Family Action, calls the Pro-life Pro-Obama website "a desperate attempt to attract pro-life Christian voters to Obama by misrepresenting and redefining the pro-life cause." She calls it "an insult and affront to every true pro-lifer in the country."

"The meaning of pro-life is to protect human life from the single-cell stage to natural death," she writes. "That means opposing public policies that target and destroy innocent human life. From what I can see, not one word of this Web site addresses banning abortion, or even restricting it.

"If Obama wants to reduce abortion, he should support pro-life measures like parental involvement, informed consent and public-funding restrictions. Obama's words and actions do not conform to being pro-life," Earll writes.


Obama's official campaign website does little to persuade pro-life advocates like Earll that the candidate sympathizes with their cause.

The website states, Obama "has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women's rights under Roe v. Wade a priority as President. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in that case."

It also states, "Obama is a co-sponsor of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, which would allow research of human embryonic stem cells derived from embryos donated (with consent) from in vitro fertilization clinics."

As WND reported, Obama has a record from the Illinois Senate of voting against the same Born Alive Infant Protection Act that passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 98-0, prompting columnist and pro-life advocate Jill Stanek to label Obama the most pro-abortion senator in Congress.

Still, the Matthew 25 Network, a group of pastors and Christians who endorse Obama and produce the Pro-Life Pro-Obama website, believes the Democratic candidate would be a better pro-life choice than Republican John McCain.

In a section of the website called "What Barack Obama Will Do," it reads, "An Obama administration will do more than a McCain administration for the cause of life, by drastically reducing abortions through giving women and families the support and the tools they need to choose life. Barack Obama will strive to promote life with dignity for all from the beginning of life to the end – by making sure health care is affordable, combating poverty, providing good paying jobs, and ensuring security in life's final years."

The section then lists Obama's plan for "combating poverty," which includes expansion of government-funded food and nutrition programs for women and children and raising the minimum wage.

The section does not explain Obama's plan for "providing good paying jobs," nor does it define what it means by the statement "from the beginning of life," a sticking point for many pro-life advocates ever since Obama was asked when life begins and answered the question was "above my pay grade."

The Matthew 25 Network now intends to expand its message of advocacy for Obama's "pro-life plans" by running advertisements on Christian radio stations in battleground states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan between now and the election.

"John McCain says he's pro-life, but he has voted against health care for poor children and support for pregnant women," concludes the radio spot. "Let's elect a president who will protect life today – Barack Obama."




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