State of the Union speech: Obama misses some Jewish priorities

[oberliner]

WASHINGTON (JTA)—Civility? Check. Clean energy? Check. Health care? Check. Immigration? Check. Education? You bet.

Isolating Iran? That’s in there.

Poverty, guns, reproductive rights? Israel? Ummm …

President Obama’s State of the Union speech Tuesday night was as notable for what it excluded as what made it in.

Obama abjured the traditional checklist and delivered a speech centered on a grand theme, American renewal, after an election that left government splintered, with a Democratic White House and Senate and a Republican House of Representatives.

“What comes of this moment will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight, but whether we can work together tomorrow,” the president said. “We will move forward together, or not at all, for the challenges we face are bigger than party and bigger than politics.”

That was a recipe for stirring rhetoric, but it left out the manna for groups that watch the speech to cheer on their special interests.

“What NCJW missed?” the National Council of Jewish Women tweeted on the Internet within seconds of the speech’s conclusion. “Mention of poor, middle class, reproductive rights, gun violence prevention—to name some.”

http://heritagefl.com/2011/01/27/state-of-the-union-speech-obama-misses-some-jewish-priorities/

[JuniperLea]

1. Ah jeez...

He didn't mention all my issues either.

This is getting beyond ridiculous.

[frazzled]

2. Well, I don't think "poor, middle class, reproductive rights, and gun violence" ...

are ridiculous. But I do expect he will address all of these things in other venues. He's often talked about the poor and middle class, he spoke in defense of reproductive rights just recently, and he's promised to give a speech on gun violence soon.

[JuniperLea]

3. I think people were expecting too much of this SOTU...

And expecting that there would be far more covered in such a short span of time.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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[Uzybone]

dupe

nt

[Uzybone]

4. he didn't say my safe word either

so I was tortured all night long. The bastard.

Why are people so hung up on specific words?

[phleshdef]

5. Hehe, aren't you suppose to say the safe word anyway?

[boppers]

6. I got lucky.

"Salmon" is a great safe word.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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[madmom]

9. Hey he missed atheist too, but they're supposed to suck it up because they were

mentioned in prior speeches:eyes:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=599583&mesg_id=599583

[DFab420]

10. Maybe they should suck it up

because Athesits should be grown up enough to not need a shout out about their beliefs....

[madmom]

12. So the others don't have to be grown up? Ah I see how it works now!

[Starbucks Anarchist]

13. Did he mention Rastafarians?

[madmom]

16. NO and they should be very upset too. After all he had what, an hour? The

people who are complaining that he didn't mention....(whatever) really need to realize they and their pet interest is not the only one there is.:eyes:

[oberliner]

19. Poverty, guns, and reproductive rights are "pet issues" ?

I would imagine that these issues that are important to the American Jewish community are also important to lots of other Americans as well.

[madmom]

22. EVERYBODY thinks their issue is the most important, bar none!

[Arkana]

15. I'm an atheist, but somehow I don't have a problem with not being mentioned.

The entire atheist mentality should be "Leave me the hell alone." Those who go around screaming in religious folks' faces that they're WRONG and their God is FICTION and YOU'RE STUPID AND A SHEEPLE are no different than the revival tent clowns or the fanatics.

[madmom]

17. I only used that reference because of the other thread that told

the atheist to suck it up. Why would one interest group have to suck it up any more than any other interest group?

[Leithan]

11. It's true: He did NOT pledge eternal, whateveryoudoisallright fealty to Israel

Monstrous!

[leftynyc]

21. Try READING next time

There are many issues American Jews care about. Stop your frothing at the mouth and learn something.

[Arkana]

14. What the hell?

So because he didn't pledge undying and everlasting support for Israel, now ANOTHER loudmouthed lobby has got a problem.

[oberliner]

18. Poverty, guns, and reproductive rights

Those issues that were not brought up at all in the speech, in addition to any mention of Israel at all.

These are just some of the many issues that the American Jewish community identifies as being important.

[leftynyc]

20. Did you even fucking read the OP?

Other issues that has traditionally been championed by American Jews are poverty, guns reproductive rights. None were mentioned in the SOTU. But leave it to the Israel bashers to see only what they want to see. Pathetic.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

24. Daft in about three separate directions.

The OP doesn't even mention Israel

American Jewish opinion is divided on Israel

Most American Jews care far more about many other issues - like, for example, the ones they're complaining about in the OP!

Obama has pledged undying and everlasting support for Israel on many occasions; many Jews like me think he shouldn't have.

Your post is, frankly, shameful.

[karynnj]

23. There were plenty of direct and indirect programs to help the poor and the middle class

Not to mention - getting the economy back in gear in one thing that will help many - though obviously not all. He spoke of healthcare, education and jobs. Even before the speech, it was deliberately leaked that he would have a speech just on gun violence. That sounds a lot better than throwing in a line or two backing bills in the House and Senate on it. A speech of its own could really deal with it.

As to reproductive rights, why should abortion, which is what they mean be mentioned? Do we have to be the mirrow image of the Republicans, who almost immediately are working on a bill to make it harder to afford one? A better idea is to simply defeat it in the Senate or have Obama veto it.

This was a one hour or so speech, there is NO need to include every issue under the sun.

Spoken as a Jewish woman who feels the National Council of Jewish Women is nit picking.

[RichGirl]

25. Some people always look for a dark cloud behind every silver lining!!

It was a speech...not a mini-series...for God's sake!!!

[Ter]

26. He's the President of AMERICA, not Israel!

Let Benjamin Netanyahu deal with Israel. He didn't mention Italy. As an Italian American, I'm glad he didn't.

[DavidDvorkin]

27. A badly written headline elicits the standard DU cries about

US government fealty to Israel.

Clearing up the confusion doesn't even require reading the article at the link. Just reading the OP itself, beyond the Subject line, would be sufficient.