2008 Presidential Race

    Before Super Tuesday and the subsequent caucus gatherings, John Edwards, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton were the Democratic candidates.  At that time, Micaiah ben Malachi and I were discussing possible outcomes of this year's election.  We thought, then, that Obama would not get a lot of votes at the Caucuses because he's Black.  After all, most of America is White, and we felt that America was not ready for a Black president.  That being the case, America would have been left to focus on Hillary Clinton or John Edwards for the delegates to vote for.  Since there are still a lot of Americans who are not quite certain about having a woman for a president, it would've definitely been possible for John Edwards to end up on the running ticket.  If, on the other hand, most wanted Hillary Clinton, then, of course, she would've been on the running ticket.  Well, what a surprise!  Not only did Barack Obama pull off a lot of votes on Super Tuesday and the subsequent caucus gatherings, but John Edwards, for whatever reason, dropped out of the race.

    Not only is America now faced with choosing Obama or Clinton, but all of us have to ask ourselves the jackpot questions:  Are we ready for a Black or female president?  If so, which of the two kinds of presidents do we prefer?  Which of the two kinds of presidents do we feel can do the job as a good leader for the next four to eight years?  I say four to eight years in the last question because people have to look at the possibility that the person elected in November could end up being reelected in 2012.  Just because someone who voted for Clinton in 2008 doesn't want her reelected in 2012 doesn't mean that that voter will get his/her wish.

    I cannot speak for everyone in America, but my feeling is that voters and the delegates will choose Hillary over Barack to be on the ticket.  Both campaign well, but I believe that the fact that he's Black is going to be the stumbling block.  Obama could stand at as many podiums as possible and promise America the world, but many Americans have no respect for Black males.  As it is, people are trying to dig up dirt on Obama, but he's not yet on the ticket.  even if Obama was to end up on the ticket, I believe that most people will choose a Republican while a minority vote for an Independent even if they were originally going to vote for a Democrat.  I call this "the lesser of two evils" type of voting. I would like to see Obama win the election, but there's one thing that concerns Micaiah and I.

Micaiah ben Malachi and I remember what happened to Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, when he was speaking out against segregation and pushing for racial and economic equality.  He ended up getting assassinated.  He was, conveniently, not protected by the local police department against snipers when he went out there on the balcony to speak to the public.  If it can happen once, then it can happen again.  If Barack Obama ends up on the ticket, there's a high probability that he could get assassinated before Election Day.  If he was to win the election, there's certainly a greater possibility that he could get assassinated.  I would like to vote for Obama in my attempts to create change and to give him a chance, but the above concern stops me in my tracks.  If he was to win the election and got assassinated, I would feel horrible and guilty.  I would feel as though I led him to his death even though I wasn't the one pulling the trigger.  Yet, if I voted for an Independent just to avoid the possibility of Obama winning only to be assassinated, I wouldn't be true to myself.

    The other concern that Micaiah ben Malachi and I have about Barack Obama becoming the President of the United States is how the United States Senate and the House of Representatives might treat him.  Would the United States Senate and the House of Representatives be willing to assist him in passing landmark legislation that could change a majority of American's lives?  If they aren't willing to help him pass his legislation, many of his campaign promises will go unmet, resulting in the public refusing to follow his lead.  In short, not only would the public mistrust him, but they would feel that he is a weak President.  In being a weak President, he would, in affect, be a Lame-Duck President during his first term.  If this became the case, then Barack Obama would become a household joke, similar to the joke that was made about Dan Quail, when he couldn't spell "potato".  He would look like a fool.  The unfortunate part of this scenario is that most of White America, though it may profess a new era of change, has not changed.  Obama would be a replay of B.W. Griffin's "Birth of A Nation".  In the movie, southern Black legislators were shown to be in the Senate looking and acting like monkeys.  They were peeling and eating bananas, and throwing the peelings onto the floor.  They were also shown to have their feet up on the desk and appeared to have little idea of how a Senator or legislator should act.  They would be perceived by Blacks as an "Uncle Tom" or "Field Nigger", and by Whites as irresponsible.  Obama would fair no better.  Again, if I voted for Obama, I would feel as though I had subjected him to being publicly humiliated.

Makedah bat Leah.

Two State Solution

President Bush's two state solution will not work.  There are too many outside forces influencing both the Israelis and Palestinians.    It is not secret that Israel is largely dependent on Jews living in the Diaspora.  She depend on the United States of America and Europe for financial and intellectual capital.  In addition, Israel depend on these same governments to come to her aid in the event of attack.  Likewise, the so-called Palestinian Arabs are dependent on Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia and other Muslims for financial assistance,intellectual capital and  passive if not covert support in the event of being attacked by Israel or her supporters.  Israel must survive no matter what.  She was created to be, and is, a shining light on the hill for Jews whether in Yisrael or the Diaspora in times of need.  The Arab nations and a majority of their populations are determine that there will never be a Jewish nation in their "backyard".  Israel has withdrawn from the West Bank largely and it is the home of the Palestinians.  In addition, Israel has relocated entire Jewish settlements and turned them over to the Palestinians.

However, not matter what steps she has took, to improve relations between herself and the Palestinians, the response from the Palestinians has remain the same.  Rockets are fired from the Palestinian West Bank into Israel sometimes wounding and or killing Israeli civilians.  Suicide bombers with explosives strapped and hidden on their bodies detonate killing and wounding Israeli citizens.  The Palestinians have been lead to believe that the entire land that Israel occupy is their land.  Neither they and their supporters will rest until Israel is destroyed and is Jewish inhabitants are once again slaughtered. 

 

Today there are fewer and few places in which Jews can feel safe.  Whether it be in Israel or the Diaspora.  The destruction of Israel would lead to the destruction of almost all Jews.  I say almost because there are isolated exceptions.  No all Arabs hate Jews just as not all Jews hate Arabs.  There will be individuals who do not follow the dictates or policies of their respective governments.  Makedah and I do believe in peace. However, we do not think swapping land for peace is the solution.  We do not feel that Israel should be playing the Palestinian Authority ( Abbas), off the Hamas lead government in the West Bank.  Israel should divide the monies she has been collecting over the years in half and give it to each Palestinian governments.  Let them decide what they will  do with the monies.  If they wish to buy arms and use them against Israel then so be it.  If they use it to improve the living conditions of the average Palestinian on the streets, then so be it.  Israel cannot and should not become involved with the dispute between the two Palestinian governments.  If there is to be a recognition of the Nation of Palestine, then let them act as a government.

 

It is our belief that having a Palestinian nation next door to Israel, without a buffer zone for early warning of attack is "fool" hardy.  In the real world, we know that such an arrangement will have to take place.  But, it does not mean Israelis should lower their guard. Jerusalem should not become the capital of the New Palestinian State.  It should be a independent city belonging to no one and shared equally by all.  The Palestinians and their government must recognize Israel's right to exist.  It must stop any and all attacks on Israel and any overseas entities of Israel, such as embassies,synagogues and other place Jews might gather in.  Without such basic agreement there can be no two state solution.  George Bush may mean well in his desire to see a two state solution and peace in the Middle East.  But to date the evidence points to more upevil and death.   We believe that many Jews both in Israel and the United States of America want peaceful co-existence with the Arabs and their government.  Yet, it is not Jews trying to exterminate the Palestinians, Syrians, Egyptians, Jordanians or Lebanese.

to gain a state, it is they who are trying to destroy us.