Dear Mr. Fahrenkopf and Mr. Kirk:
Joe Biden and I are looking forward to participating in the upcoming debates, and I appreciate the hard work you and your team have put forth to bring them about. They promise to be some of the best opportunities for the voters to assess the candidates and their views prior to Election Day.
I want to raise one issue, and ask for your assistance. Due to the schedule set by the Commission and presented to the campaigns, the first debate falls on Friday night after the Jewish Sabbath has begun. Unfortunately, that means many Jewish Americans will not have the opportunity to watch the debate live. Because I know there is strong interest in this debate in the Jewish community, and to be as inclusive as possible, I ask for the Commission’s help in encouraging the television networks covering the debate to rebroadcast it on Saturday night after the Sabbath has concluded.
Perhaps he doesn't really hate Jews after all and he wants to make sure all get to watch him crush Senator Mccain in the debates. It shows a level of thought and caring from the Obama Campaign to our oh so dear Orthodox Jewish Communitty
9 comments:
If McCain said the same thing you would've been actually appreciative, not sarcastic. I think this speaks directly to the bias question. Taken at face value, this is a very beautiful acknowledgment to the Jewish community.
Not to mention that your insinuation that Obama hates the Jewish community is totally bizarre. Would you like to back that up with facts?
Mordy, I don't think your being fair to steven. I think he is being serious, not sarcastic. Further, I think Obama is actually is sincere about his request. What I would like to note is how Obama refers to Jews: "ewish Americans" and not "American Jews".I don't know if this is intential, but I think there is a signifcant diffrence between the two phrases.
That's fair, Daniel K. But then: "Perhaps he doesn't really hate Jews after all and he wants to make sure all get to watch him crush Senator Mccain in the debates. It shows a level of thought and caring from the Obama Campaign to our oh so dear Orthodox Jewish Communitty" has some things that need answering. What does "oh so dear" convey? Why is he assuming that Obama hated the Jews? Why would wanting Orthodox Jews to see Obama "crush" McCain in the debates be an indication that Obama doesn't hate the Jews? (Etc.)
Also, I call myself a Jewish American. I think it's how the terms are used. Like African American, Italian American, Irish American, etc.
On second reading, Daniel, I think you're right. This is meant sincerely, I just don't understand a few of the comments in it (like why one would assume Obama hates Jews, or why this is indication that he doesn't).
Among the many lessons here is one about how hard it sometimes is to convey tone -- I read Steven's "perhaps he doesn't really. . . " phrase as sarcastic. Steven will weigh in and set us all straight. But a reminder -- always assume your interlocutors are communicating in good faith. I'm happy, for example, to see Mordy soften his tone, and graciously admit to a possible misreading of the post. But he begins with an accusation: "if McCain had said. . ." There's no way for Mordy to know that, of course. And, since this is a beating-up-a-bit-on-Mordy post (I told you that everyone will get a turn), why take the statement at face value? No one here seems to have considered the possibility that there may (also) be political calculus at work.
Right, that was definitely a misguided comparison of mine, and I was responding less to Steven than to an ongoing campus argument I've been having with people (about the relationship between Obama + the Jewish community).
And feel free to beat up on me all you'd like! I can take it. :)
why take the statement at face value? No one here seems to have considered the possibility that there may (also) be political calculus at work.
It just seems to me that even if he did make the statement for political value, it was still a nice, considerate thing to do. Sometimes political expediency overlaps with the right choice. Doesn't pointing out that it was just politics make us into cynics of the political system and alienate us from it? If every action a politician makes (a good or bad one) is calculated for political gain, then there's really no point in participating to begin with, right?
(Apologies to Steven that I'm monopolizing this thread.)
I think the way Steven phrased it "oh so dear" was meant to be a mockery of the view held by most McCain supporters that Obama hates Jews or is a secret Muslim. I'm fairly certain that Steven doesn't believe such fallacies, so he must have been mocking them, although it was kind of vague in writing.
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