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June 19, 2013

Peter Grier and Harry Bruinius: In the end, NSA might not need to snoop so secretly after all

Howard LaFranchi: Taliban peace talks hold glimmer of hope, but also unanswerable questions

Warren Richey: Supreme Court: For right to remain silent, a suspect must speak
Meredith Cohn: Leeches are making a comeback as medical helpers

Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.: How to pick the healthiest breakfast cereal

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: Spicy Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

June 17, 2013

Rabbi Simcha Weinstein: Black to the Future: American Apparel Gets Biblical

Patrik Jonsson: Minnesota Nazi: How did Nazi hunters miss Michael Karkoc?

Kate Irby, Ali Watkins, Trevor Graff and Kevin Thibodeaux: All the ways you're being watched
Don Lee: G-8 meeting will test NSA leaks' effect on U.S. influence

Patrik Jonsson: Fort Hood shooting: Judge nixes Nidal Hasan defense strategy. What now?

Stacey Burling: Why the stigma for migraine sufferers?

The Kosher Gourmet by Lisa Abraham: Does it work? 5 new kitchen gadgets put to the test

June 14, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: A spiritual budget: Religious economics and being a ruler

John P. Martin: Hitler insider's missing diary found

Matt Pearce: NSA surveillance disclosure could affect court cases
Peter Tinti: US bounties changes strategy on (Wild, Wild) West African jihadis

Daniel Pendrick, M.D.: Memory loss? Old age may be the least of it

Lauren F. Friedman: But it's all natural! Should we have an instinctive preference for herbal remedies?

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Streisand and Alicia Keys in Israel; "Girls" Stuff; Mel Brooks, Another TV special; Superman (who is Jewish) returns --- Israeli plays his mom

The Kosher Gourmet by Sharon K. Ghag : Bored with salad? Bling it up a bit (4 effortless recipes that will result in a 'WOW!')

June 12, 2013

Stephanie Hanes: Little girls or little women? The Disney princess effect

Fred Weir: In tweak to US, Russia would 'consider' asylum for Snowden

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: What's so special about Omega-3 supplements?
Morgan Housel: What newspapers were saying when you should have been buying

Pete Spotts: How cockroaches evolved so as to bypass 'roach motels'

The Kosher Gourmet by Anjali Prasertong: Deep-dish cookie: Warm, gooey and a little over the top

June 10, 2013

Joseph A. Slobodzian: Faith healing and third degree murder: Thorny legal case
Lindsay Wise: Few options for online users to avoid spying, experts say

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: There are plenty of nutritional food bargains out there
Harvard Health Letters: Can bariatric surgery control diabetes?

Zach Murdock: Superglue helps doctors save infant's life

The Kosher Gourmet by Celebrated chef Mario Batali : As good as grilling gets: Rib eye with dry mushroom spice rub

June 7, 2013

Rabbi David Aaron: Beating jealousy

Caroline B. Glick: Wounded . . . and dangerous

Clifford D. May: Al Qaeda vs. Hezbollah
Harvard Health Letters: Fighting back against allergy season

Kimberly Lankford: Grandparents who use FSA to cover grandkid's braces and other must-know info

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom:J ewish Tony Nominees/Tony Awards; Jewish Teen Actor In Sci-Fi Flick; Jewish singer in "Voice" finals

The Kosher Gourmet by Anjali Prasertong: A tart filling so good it might not make it to the crust

June 5, 2013

John Rosemond: Mom, Dad: Talk More and listen less

Kristen Chick: Egypt court sentences 43 pro-democracy workers to prison

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: Mushrooms Have Medicinal As Well As Culinary Value
Morgan Housel: Why you never learn from your investment mistakes

Don Lee: In China, kindergarten rivalry takes deadly turn

The Kosher Gourmet by Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan: 30-Minute Coq au Vin isn't a dream

June 3, 2013

Molly Hennessy-Fiske: Military judge to consider letting Fort Hood shooting defendant represent himself

Richard A. Serrano: Pvt. Bradley Manning's WikiLeaks trial also a test for government

Mark Trumbull: Have degree, driving cab: Nearly half of college grads are overqualified
Kim Lankford: What to do when long-term care insurance premiums rise

Deborah Netburn: Study: Adults' mouth bacteria may help babies

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Contestant on 'The Voice'; Will Smith's 'Jewish movie family'; Bravo Gives Long Island Jews the Jersey Shore Treatment; Magicians and More

The Kosher Gourmet by Bill Ward: How to be as refined as the wines at a wine tasting

May 29, 2013

Andrew Connelly and Helene Bienvenu: The Little Synagogue that Refused to Die

Dennis Prager: The 'Muslims-Killed-by-the-West' Lie

David Clark Scott: Open war on teachers?
Morgan Housel: If you know only five things about investing, make it these

Sara Reardon: AGenome detectives change the donation game

Deborah Netburn: A one-way ticket to Mars? 78,000-plus and counting apply by video

The Kosher Gourmet by Bev Bennett: CHEDDAR AND CHERRY MUFFINS --- your mouth is already watering

May 24, 2013

Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb: When I didn't so 'humbly disagree'

Caroline B. Glick: Thank you, Hafez al-Assad

Diana West: From the Brooklyn Bridge to London
Morgan Housel: Why spotting bubbles is so much harder than you think

Environmental Nutrition editors: NuVal labeling to the rescue?

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Memorial Day: Jews Serving and KIA in War on Terror; Liberace Bio-Pic; Jew Wins "Survivor"; Shalom, Dr. Brothers; More

The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen: HIDE THESE FROZEN TREATS FROM THE KIDDIES!: Sangria pops; Irish cream pudding pops; mango Lassi pops

May 22, 2013

John Thorne: They launched the 'Arab Spring' but now yearn for the good old days of a strongman

John Rosemond: 'Disciplinary math' adds up to parental successl

Warren Richey: Are prayers before public meetings OK? Supreme Court to decide
Rick Montgomery: Use of ADHD drugs as study aid raises concern on campuses

Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.: 6 convincing reasons you should keep carbs in your diet

Eoin O'Carroll: Scientists examine nothing, find something

The Kosher Gourmet by Carole Kotkin: This soup is made from one of the great pleasures of spring: A wonderful pairing of rosy color and earthy tang

May 20, 2013

Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?

Hannan Adely: Town raises Palestinian flag at City Hall

Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Morgan Housel: When smart investors do stupid things

Sharon Saloman, M.S., R.D.: Hunger games: Eat more, weigh less, without starving

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting


Jewish World Review Dec. 28, 2007 / 19 Teves 5768

Let's put it to a vote

By Mort Zuckerman

Mort Zuckerman
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | A week is a long time in politics, as a British prime minister once said. This is true for our current election season in two senses. First, a week of the same partisan pandering and vacuous sound bites rehearsed for TV makes a week seem like an eternity. Americans are so repelled that roughly 75 percent think the country is on the wrong track.


Second, with deep unhappiness slowly fading over Iraq, anything can change the focus in a few days in '08: a recession, a deeper credit crisis, fears of inflation, a terrorist attack, or something out of left field.


Until then, the candidates are more or less running campaigns based on their personalities and biographies (with deletions, evasions, and double talk to appease the base, notably from Mitt Romney and less so from Rudy Giuliani: They were for it before they were against it). All of them are smart, ambitious, and competitive, with huge egos. But what the public seeks is somebody whose moral values it can respect. Sen. John McCain's late spurt is entirely due to his sticking to his guns while others wobble.


Indeed, this is the year of the wobble. Sen. Hillary Clinton was the odds-on favorite, but the air started to leak from her campaign when she flip-flopped on a plan by the New York governor to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. She still has formidable assets: a unique appeal to women, national recognition, an established political machine, what seemed to be a comprehensive grasp of the issues. But she has yet to overcome the feeling that she is scripted and calculating. She brings to mind the good student, resented because she worked overly hard to achieve.


And then there is the fact that her marital asset, Bill Clinton, became a loose cannon, demeaning the credentials of Sen. Barack Obama, attacking the media for favoring Obama, asserting that he had been opposed to the Iraq war, contrary to everything he had said earlier to so many people.


Dubious endorsement. As bad as it was, it got worse in one of those you-could-not-have-made-it-up moments. Former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young recommended Senator Clinton to the black community by asserting that "Bill is every bit as black as Barack," then following up with: "He's probably gone with more black women than Barack." Who wanted those associations with the White House to be brought back? All this only reminded voters of the Clintonian capacity for negative campaigning and polarization, just when the country was looking for a better message.


Simultaneously, Obama has continued to grow in public standing as he focuses on the need to do things differently. His message has gained traction as he heads into the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries, in part helped by his support from Oprah Winfrey and her popularity with women and African-Americans, crucial demographics in Democratic primaries. Obama is presenting himself as the anti-Clinton, putting forth his ideas in a noncontroversial way and limiting his political attacks. This tone has been well received in both Iowa and New Hampshire.


On the other side, the Republican Party is in a wide-open race with three different candidates leading in four different states: Mike Huckabee breaking through in Iowa because of his ease and humor, combined with religious conservative credentials; Romney in New Hampshire; and Giuliani in Michigan and Florida. Giuliani has long led the national polls, based on his crime fighting and his image as the Gen. Ulysses Grant of the 9/11 tragedy. His campaign has been seriously weakened recently as the media focus shifted to his personal life. He is hoping to survive the early primaries and then do well in Florida and Michigan before hitting the big-state primaries of February 5.


Romney was at first seen to be Giuliani's major competitor. But Romney's campaign has gained little traction. Republicans, especially conservatives, are naturally suspicious of his shameless flip-flopping on a wide array of issues: abortion, stem cell research, gay rights, and an earlier lack of support for President Reagan. Since his conversion to the faithful has come at a time of political convenience — when he decided to run for the presidency — he's being seen as a salesman devoid of any heartfelt commitment. Because of his tactic of pandering to his supposed base at the risk of losing national support, his advantages of movie-star good looks and persuasive speaking style now suggest a kind of plasticity. Party insiders call him "Multiple-choice Mitt."


Fortunately, this depressing and distressing campaign is about to be transformed by actual primary votes. Not a moment too soon, we can all be relieved to know what the people think and not what the media think.


The nation still yearns for a political leader who will let the future in.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

JWR contributor Mort Zuckerman is editor-in-chief and publisher of U.S. News and World Report. Send your comments to him by clicking here.

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