The country is divided. The demographic blocs that voted for each candidate tells the story. Social and religious conservatives favored Romney and the social and religious liberals favored Obama. The popular vote was almost evenly divided. It appears that we are headed down a socially liberal track. Is that good for the Jews? In some cases it is. And in other cases it isn’t. Too big a topic for this post to go into detail. Perhaps another day.
I would like to address the Obama haters. Please get over it. He won. And he is not the devil you all portray him to be. The venom I sometimes see coming out against him by normally sane, rational, and intelligent people is shocking. And it is reprehensible. I don’t know what causes such hatred of the man.
The “reasons” I have heard for this hatred are either completely untrue, or extremely exaggerated. To the point of being ridiculous: He is a Muslim. He is a socialist or even a Marxist. He is a liar. He was not born in America. He’s anti Israel. He’s pro Arab. He is a closet anti Semite because of his relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright… and so on. None of that is true.
I truly do not understand this hatred at all. One can disagree without being disagreeable. The visceral hatred I sometimes see for this man is so irrational you would think we were talking about Yassir Arafat… or Karl Marx… or worse! During the Presidential campaign the anti Obama rhetoric was so over the top you would think that a 2nd Obama term would be a precursor to another Depression or Holocaust.
Those of you who think living in America under a 2nd Obama term is the end of the world… well you don’t have to live here. I’m sure Israel would love to have new Olim (immigrants). What better time than now to do so with a depression or Holocaust in the offing?! (Of course we should all be thinking about making Aliya. But certainly not because we want to run away from Obama. But that is a different conversation.)
Please. Some of the rhetoric is so bad it is a Chilul HaShem. Especially when it comes out of the mouths of religious Jews. Let cooler heads prevail. Let us give the man the 2nd chance he deserves. And the respect that the leader of the free world deserves. Anything less is unacceptable.
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