One can respect Obama for his ambition, his meteoric rise and his rhetorical skills. But his equivocation on issues like Jerusalem, public campaign financing and the success of the surge in Iraq are disturbing, as is his approach to dealing with Iran’s Ahmadinejad. When not scripted, he has spoken of the “legitimate claims” of Hizbullah and Hamas.
Also worrisome is his ultra-liberal voting record in the short time he has served in the Senate — a record that does not fit with someone who claims to be a “unifier.” A unifier might be expected to come from the middle of a party, the place that gave us the constructive and bipartisan Senate Gang of 14 that forged a compromise on judicial appointments. Obama was nowhere to be seen in that group; McCain was a lead member. And it is McCain, not Obama, who has pledged to appoint members of both parties to his presidential cabinet.
Another primary concern is Obama’s meager national security record. Instead of arriving at well-established positions through years of intensive deliberation and consideration, he will have to rely more heavily on a group of advisers — some 300 by his own count. Given both the backgrounds of several of the more prominent people who have counseled him to date and the endorsements he has received from an infamous list of Israel bashers, this is surely not a promising sign.
One speech to AIPAC cannot make up for off-the-cuff remarks that raise serious questions.
If one believes we live in a very dangerous world with unprecedented challenges, the choice for voters should be an easy one. On that fabled Day One, Iran, Iraq, Russia, North Korea, Afghanistan, China, global terrorism, Middle East oil and, almost incidentally, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be at the top of the new president’s agenda.
Given the two candidates’ records, experience, and core values, the choice for Jewish Americans should not be a difficult one: John McCain for president.