Rational (Jewish) Voter 11: oy-McCania! the final schlep

I couldn’t make it to Florida myself, but proudly carry my Great Schlep tote bag to and from all manner of daily and campaign-related activities, and have been distributing as many Jews for Obama buttons and stickers as I can.  Our home has seen a steady stream of out-of-town volunteers – one lovely graphic designer is here for a two-week stay.  Sons and husband are scheduled for weekend canvassing, and there’s preparation for poll watching next week.

What else can a Jew do?

1. Help recruit people for our Get Out the Vote Efforts by encouraging them to sign up for shifts here (link)
2. Help recruit attorneys for voter protection/poll watching by having them sign up here (link)
3. Encourage people to join us for Jewish canvassing – they will be going door-to-door in predominately Jewish neighborhoods. Direct people to this website so they can find their local field office (link)
4. Help engage undecided voters either through house parties or any other way you reach them (if you know people who live in apartment complexes/faciliteis with Jewish seniors this is your best bet).
5. Continuing to help us refute the smears against Senator Obama that will be stepped up in the coming weeks – you should be actively telling people the truth and also driving people to this link (here)
6. Join the Jewish Outreach Team (here)
7. Donate funds to the campaign (yes, again)

And take time to view – and share – this bit of Yiddish theatrical song  … to revive yourself for the final push through Election Day, November 4th.

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Rational Voter 10: believing in the power of small voices

Music and the Obama campaign have occupied me entirely for weeks.
There’s been chant and sacred music in synagogue for the spate of services for holidays that fill the Jewish calendar at this time of year (Selichot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah to come), and choral rehearsals for an imminent series of performances Berlioz’ dramatic symphony, Romeo et Julette (1839).  And there have been long hours in the campaign phone bank, recruiting legal professionals and others to volunteer as poll monitors on election day, and hours and hours of data entry alongside friends and family to generate the lists for other phone bank and canvassing efforts.

Sometimes the rush of the schedule eclipses the basics.  What a special surprise to be reminded why I fill each day this way when I recently crossed paths virtually with an old friend, one with whom I share both musical and political commitments.   Jim Papoulis, a friend from high school (so long ago), is a musician and composer in NYC working in and recording a wide variety of musical idioms in his studio at Amphion Music.  With his late wife, Stephanie Martini, Jim established the Foundation for Small Voices, through which his music has contributed to the empowerment of children internationally.  Jim and musical colleagues big and small have produced an anthem in support of Barack Obama that captures the importance of political participation even – and especially – for children, whose young voices communicate powerfully their need for the change the Obama campaign represents.

Jim’s work includes numerous inspirational songs for children, gospel-infused anthems like Stand Together and When I Close My Eyes, dance-inspired works like Oye, and complex pieces like Panta Rhei (“all things are in flux”), based on the philosphy of Heraclitus (also a favorite of mine) (listen here to the performance by the Young People’s Chorus of New York on PBS’s From the Top ). Visit Jim’s Listening Booth to hear these and more, and consider making contribution to the Foundation for Small Voices, to continue the peacebuilding work of its founder Stephanie Martini.

Thanks Jim (and Caryl, Claire and Demitri), for sharing your special vision of the change we can believe in.

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Rational (Jewish) Voter 9: changing partners for peace?

If Israel’s security is on the top of your agenda, what do you need to know make an informed choice in the upcoming presidential election?

Wouldn’t knowing something about the views of some of Israel’s most respected military and intelligence experts about the impact of the Bush/McCain foreign policy on Israel, the need for the United States to engage directly with Iran, and Senator Barack Obama help?

Well, thanks to the Jewish Council for Education and Research, we all have the chance to hear what some Retired Generals of the Israeli Defense Forces and high-ranking Mossad officials on Barack Obama have to say about who will be Israel’s best partner in the White House and why (or here also).

It might also be helpful to review Barack Obama’s speech at AIPAC.

Shouldn’t we help Israeli military and security experts get the diplomatic change they want?

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Obama Kippah: a cap for community organizers!

To make your own knitted, felted and embroidered Obamulke (or Obamakah, if you prefer), start with CozyColeman’s basic pattern (available here) and add either a Hope logo or the Jews for Obama Magen David logo.  More on this Obamulke here.

And for a nifty review of the history of presidential relationships with the American Jewish community, have a look here.

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Rational Voter 8: maverick shmaverick?

With only a month left before the general election, it’s more important than ever that we acquire some real information on which to base our decision.  Soundbites and political spin just aren’t good enough.  It’s about time for real information, a bit of real reading, even more real thinking.

So what about McCain’s background and qualifications?  He claims our votes because he is a “maverick”.   “Free Ride: The Media and John McCain” (Anchor Books, 2008) by David Brock and Paul Waldman has been available for a while, and thoroughly vets McCain’s political record (here’s an exerpt).

Then there’s the latest Rolling Stone investigation into McCain’s background, which one dear to me recently described , “scurrilous? scabrous? or just clean fun…if we hadn’t suffered such a fraud as Bush, I might be more inclined to doubt.”

Though on the long side, this article is well worth reading:  Make Believe Maverick.

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Rational Voter 7: recipe for change

Maybe it’s time for a taste of something different, something besides a cookie cutter candidate.

How about a batch of Hope-ful sugar cookies, “Barackolate Chip Cookies”, or a Barack Obama cookie cake?

Mighty nice Barackolate cookie recipes are available here or here.  Support the candidate and bake a batch for the volunteers at your local campaign office!

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