So much is wrong about the New York Times’s coverage of Jewish issues and Israel in particular. As John points out, this morning’s broadside against the funding of Jewish charities in the West Bank is an especially egregious example of the way this newspaper’s editorial agenda on Israel is allowed to distort the news pages.
But along with the avalanche of the bad, there is, every now and then, some good, such as Edward Rothstein’s column in today’s Arts section. Given the way things usually go at the Times, one might expect his essay reviewing two new books on anti-Semitism to stick to deploring the anti-Semites of the past while leaving out of the argument contemporary Jew-haters, especially those in the Muslim world and others who single Israel out for special treatment. But to Rothstein’s great credit, he hones in on the way criticisms of the state of Israel veer into traditional anti-Semitism: “There is a wildly exaggerated scale of condemnation, in which extremes of contempt confront a country caricatured as the world’s worst enemy of peace; such attacks (and the use of Nazi analogies) are beyond evidence and beyond pragmatic political debate or protest. Israel’s autonomy — its very presence — is the problem.”
Even better, after rightly analogizing the upsurge in anti-Semitism in the Islamic world to the history of the Nazis, Rothstein goes after Hannah Rosenthal, President Obama’s special envoy to combat anti-Semitism. Last week in a speech in Kazakhstan, Rosenthal claimed that anti-Semitism and Islamophobia were similar straits of hatred. But, as Rothstein points out, not only are they not the same thing, the latter is a concept invented to defend Islamists against the consequences of the hatred that they have propagated:
Islamophobia is a concept developed within the last two decades by those who wish to elevate Islam’s reputation in the West; anti-Semitism was a concept eagerly embraced and expanded by haters of Jews. One was constructed by a group’s supporters, the other by a group’s enemies. Moreover, much of what is characterized as Islamophobia today arises out of taking seriously the impassioned claims of doctrinal allegiance made by Islamic terrorist groups and their supporters. Anti-Semitism, though, has nothing to do with any claims at all.
Wisdom and frank talk about Islamist hate are rare these days. They are even more so at the Times.
Since the dems are the favortes to win the Presidency, the post-convention bad poll numbers have to be depressing. We will hear increased background noise–why didn’t we nominate HRC.?
The Obama campaign has not made a single good decision under legitimate pressure. Not one. Could this change? I see no reason why it will without a bit of luck. This is the good news.
The downside is that they will figure out a way to neutralize Palin soon enough. It will therefore be important for McCain to again call the tune for the next movement of the campaign. He has called every one up to now. McCain has run the best national campaign in my lifetime. Up to now.
JPod’s explanation of what a tracking poll measures–three day rolling average–is important to remember. There may be a bit more good news to come on the polling front. But again, the good news is only REALLY good if McCain begins to hit 50%. He cannot be stuck with a ceiling of 47-49% after a great convention.
Another polling point to make. As important as these national numbers–probably more so–will be some of the state polls that will be published. One problem about many of them is that polling on the state level is where the greatest unreliability occurs among pollsters. So, when they do come out, the organization that does the poll is more important than ever to know, as will be the margin of error, sampling size and party ratios.
The major pollsters were interviewed on Friday and stated that the full impact of the RNC Convention will not be shown until this coming Tuesday.
The main things that matter in this campaign from here on out are:
1. Major world and domestic events no candidate has control over
2. Ability to get voters to turn out and vote
3. Ability to monitor against and stop abuses at polling stations
The selection of Sarah Palin is the fatal dagger to the heart of the Obama campaign. Kryptonite. Checkmate. Twenty-one. Walk-off Home Run. Ace.
Myriad are the reasons, many not yet apparent.
In retrospect, Saddleback was the occasion that brought all of today’s events about. Who woulda thunk it? The man who begins his bestselling book with the assertion that “It’s not about you” meets the man who is certain that it is all about him and knocks him off of his pedestal.
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.