My one Orthodox coworker is pretty firm that McCain is "better for Israel" (I don't know what she means specifically, because I refuse to engage), so I'm sure he's just trying to shore up that opinion.
I confirm this popular, almost baseless belief.
You see, most of the people here are convinced that without state-of-the-art military experience you're incapable to lead this country. When it comes to leaders of other countries, they believe they can't understand the Israeli position without that experience, and that the other leaders may tilt towards the Palestinian POV, God forbid (see how every time Israel agrees to stop the building in the settlements, it continue doing so, and act very surprise every time its been asked to stop it).
Personally, every time people tell me they prefer McCain, I ask them if they read the candidates' platforms, listened to debates, etc.. Answer's always "no". They just "know it's true" because "that's what everyone says". I ask them who are those "everyone", and they start to stutter. Not that it's helping to change their minds, but I just love to research people's unbased (is that a word?) choices and opinions.
It only took six months but I finally mistakenly grabbed my iPod thinking it was my iPhone.
Gonna be a lonnnnnng day.
Personally, every time people tell me they prefer McCain, I ask them if they read the candidates' platforms, listened to debates, etc.. Answer's always "no". They just "know it's true" because "that's what everyone says". I ask them who are those "everyone", and they start to stutter. Not that it's helping to change their minds, but I just love to research people's unbased (is that a word?) choices and opinions.
This is less concerning when it's people who aren't actually voting in the US election, but of course we have plenty of those people here, too.
Mac keeps waking up toward the end of my sleep cycle (bad dream/wet bed) and it makes my body want eleventy billion more hours of sleep.
I skipped the debate - I just don't have the stamina for them any more (it occurred to me - McCain was tortured so now he's returning the favor?).
And, for Loki.
My one Orthodox coworker is pretty firm that McCain is "better for Israel" (I don't know what she means specifically, because I refuse to engage), so I'm sure he's just trying to shore up that opinion.
Very generally speaking in America, Reform Jews vote Democrat, Orthodox vote Republican, for exactly the reasons Shir outlines. (I'd say that makes Conservative Jews the swing voters, but it's such a tiny little demographic I'm not sure anyone's actually fighting for it.)
There's also the need to be Strong On Israel for the sake of that slice of the Christian right wing for whom Israel features prominently in their Rapture plans.
"You know, a lot of you remember the tragedy of 9/11."
GRRRRRR.
From what I could see on the CNN percepto-thingy, the most positive audience responses were from whichever candidate answered the question more directly. McCain's "Everything is important and priorities are for pussies!" response got no traction compared to Obama's "Energy, healthcare, entitlements in that order." And I suspect he could have put them in any order as long as he was answering the question instead of evading it. I don't know what that says in terms of actual votes, but I hope somebody from both campaigns was watching.
Puppies!
One IRWS (6 month old pup) meets some very fluffy baby goldens.
Well, I know that's not Nutty, but it almost looks like a court of some kind, if not necessarily for squash: [link]
unbased (is that a word?)
Baseless
You see, most of the people here are convinced that without state-of-the-art military experience you're incapable to lead this country.
The problem with this argument, which people also make here, particularly in terms of which candidate would deal better with terrorism, is that McCain has typewriter military experience in an internet world.
McCain at one point said something to the effect of "Only I have a plan that will fix this crisis." I was yelling, "Quick, tell somebody. I don't think we can wait until January."
The problem with this argument, which people also make here, particularly in terms of which candidate would deal better with terrorism, is that McCain has typewriter military experience in an internet world.
The other problem being that, by all accounts, when McCain was in the military
he wasn't any good.
Courageous, okay. And he certainly paid a price for it. But the man went from near last in his class at the academy to having to rely on connections to force his way back into the cockpit long after it was clear he had no business in a plane. I don't mean to take away from what he did go through, but it frustrates the hell out of me that there's no qualitative component to this. There are good people in the military. There are great people in the military. There's also Gomer Pyle.
