‘A president for Israel or the U.S.?’

I came to this country from Australia in 1963.

I was a member of the Labor Party there.

Naturally, I drifted toward the Democrats irrespective of what FDR did not do for the Jews during World War II.

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I lived with my green card for a few years until I became a citizen after Nixon resigned.

My family and I voted for Hillary Clinton in the recent primaries. We all thought she had more experience as a first lady and senator than the young senator from Illinois.

I listened to all the rumors about Obama – that he was: A. a Muslim; B. a secret undercover Islamist; C. a friend of an anti-Semitic, anti-American minister in his church.

For months I debated with my family and friends whether Obama had more experience than that peanut farmer from Georgia or that governor from the impoverished state of Arkansas, both of whom became presidents.

Should I vote only for the Democrats in the House and the Senate but not for a Democratic president?

After all, did Obama kiss the Kotel and place a kvitel between the ancient stones? Did he really eat falafel on Ben Yehuda Street in Tel Aviv or dip his toes into the Sea of Gallilee? And did he wear a yarmulke at Yad Vashem? Aren’t these all requirements for a candidate for the presidency of the U.S.?

Was I to elect a president for Israel or the United States of America?

I watched the two conventions to help me make up my mind, and even saw a prominent bearded Bergen County Jew on the floor among the Republicans and, of course, the nebbish Lieberman on the stage with Sen. John McCain.

My choices were the young black senator from Chicago against the once-imprisoned Navy pilot senator from Arizona with lots more experience and more years in the Senate.

That Obama was black never bothered me.

But he spoke about help for the middle class to which I belong – so unlike McCain, who together with Bush, Paulson, and Bernanke must have known for years about the bankers’ mortgage swindles.

Who knew then what would happen on Wall Street a few weeks later?

And now McCain and his running maid from Alaska are trailing in the polls even in the red states.

This is now the time for the Nixon-Rove schmutz to be brought into play, something the Republicans are so good at.

The character asassinations have begun and will get worse.

That simple lady from Alaska has become the attack dog for McCain.

Gosh darn, I have made up my mind. I’ll get me a six-pack at our local liquor store where only Hindi is spoken and make a beery toast to Boruch Obama and vote for him.