Comments on: Bubbe, Call Your Grandkid for Obama

By: Gershom Gorenberg

Gershom Gorenberg — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:55:02 +0000

Joe, perhaps in my rush to write this post before Shabbat I wasn’t sufficiently clear.
My point is that the Republican position of banning abortion is intrinsically a violation of freedom of religion – precisely because religions disagree on when human life begins. The Republicans’ readiness to use the power of the state to impose their religious views should be just as worrisome to Orthodox Jews as it is to other Jews.

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 05:51:02 +0000

Gershom, I’m really disappointing in you for arguing that religious Jews ought to consider how the Republican platform on abortion is out of sync with Orthodox theology. I agree with most of what you write, but this really peculiar for you.

Jews have every reason in the world not to vote for McCain. However, nobody should be voting based on how well policy positions comport with religious dogma, especially on a question as arcane and abstract as when a human body comes to posses a “soul”, whatever that is. Isn’t the usual name for this “identity politics”? What’s next? Asking for McCain’s stance of transubstantiation? Who cares?

Maybe you could clarify whether you actually think religious Jewish voters should align their votes based on theological compatibility, or whether you were just making suggestions from a purely tactical perspective.

By: Yisrael Medad

Yisrael Medad — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 22:25:42 +0000

I can’t recall the last time Steve’s polling was correct.

By: ly_yng

ly_yng — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:57:43 +0000

Well, I’m the target of the Great Schlep – liberal youngin’, conservative Bubbe and Zayde, and I have to say I find the whole thing to be a little bit ridiculous.

Like any self-respecting Jewish grandparent would let them be talked into any vote by their grandkids! I’d have an easier time parting the Red Sea than convincing them to vote for Obama! Jews are an opinionated bunch, and things like “being opinionated” don’t exactly fade with age.