And when it does, I hope my grandchildren are around to challenge me on it. This is basic golden rule ethics.
[FYI, this was originally in response to a comment that has since been removed. Sorry about the lack of contest. — Eds.]
I know most Floridian Jews are white. I’m willing to bet that old, white, Floridian Jews favor Obama more than other old, Floridian whites. I find the focus on Jews disconcerting.
Matt, I thought it was obvious that the focus on Jews was a matter of self-identification by Sarah Silverman and whoever else is being thegreatshlep.com
I have two friends schlepping down to Florida for Obama. They were thinking of going to Ohio, but they switched to Florida for exactly the reasons Silverman describes. They made their decision before seeing the video, but it sealed the deal for them.
And they may steal some of her material.
“Yo- Oy”
oy.
“I thought it was obvious that the focus on Jews was a matter of self-identification by Sarah Silverman and whoever else”
In a context where the importance of Jewish votes is regularly exaggerated and where Jews’ willingness to vote for Obama is bizarrely but regularly questioned in the media, I can’t really take it as just that.
Bubba, that was because of a lot of things. Jewish votes (notebaly, Jews who accidentally voted for Buchanan) were among them. What about the rest of Florida, though? What about Catholics in Ohio? There’s a lot of other groups who were even more important in that outcome.
I agree: if you can swing 500 votes those are important votes.
I mainly agree with Matthew Kuzma that Sarah Silverman’s concerned with Jews because they’re her culture and her shtick. I don’t think she’s honestly taking an empirical position that the Jewish vote is the most important factor although she says she’s blaming the Jews in the video: her bits largely involve her playing a delusional narcissist who is unaware of the terrible offence she causes via her ignorance. How to turn that into a political message is an interesting problem: do you want Homer Simpson endorsing your candidate?
Working class whites and old jews: two groups the dem. leadership has to worry about regarding Black Obama.
Silverman:
“Get down to Florida and tell your Bubbe to vote for the schwartze! She won’t listen to anybody else!”
Simple. Good call. Honest, and nicely done.
Matt, assuming you’re still around:
Silverman is a Jew talking to other Jews. Here’s what she’s saying, to Jews of her own age:
“We Jews are all going to vote for Obama, right? Wrong. There are a bunch of Jews who are afraid of the black guy with the Arab name. They’re your grandparents! So, you guys, get down to Florida and change their minds!”
Why you think this has something to do with non-Jewish white Floridians is beyond me. I’ve already worked pretty hard on my own mother (I’m a generation older than Silverman) and I’ve changed her mind. I don’t see how I can have any effect on an elderly voter I’m not related to.
“Silverman is a Jew talking to other Jews. ” Yeah, I get that. And I get that a few votes, from wherever they come could make a difference. “There are a bunch of Jews who are afraid of the black guy with the Arab name.” Are you sure? Because it seems to me there are a lot more non-Jews who feel that way, and that’s why I wonder about the focus on Jews. Sure, there’s a far higher percentage of elderly, Floridian Jews than liberal, white Manhattanites who think Obama has a scary, Arab name – but that’s not really a fair comparison, is it?
So I wonder if it isn’t partly a response to antisemitism in the way the Jewish vote has been reported – a belief that Jews will be blamed for not voting for Obama – as much or more than that Jews feel elderly Jews will not uphold Jewish values in the election. The real sticker is that we might get blamed even if we do vote for him, if only 68% or so of us do. Take a look at that link in comment #21 and tell me that it makes any sense if it turns out, as I completely expect, that elderly Jews are actually more likely to vote for Obama than any non-black, age-comparable group.
Matt, Sarah Silverman is not running a poll. No doubt you’re right that elderly Jews are more likely to vote for Obama than other old white people are. That’s not the point. The point is that old Jews are less likely to vote for Obama than young Jews are. Therefore, young Jews can make a difference by persuading old Jews to vote for Obama. Why is this so hard for you to understand?
{ 27 comments }
Bloix 09.29.08 at 2:13 pm
Sarah Silverman is so sweet she makes my teeth hurt. She’s almost as cute as Eszter. Happy New Year, Eszter!
Massalien 09.29.08 at 4:16 pm
only in America !
can’t happen anywhere else !
Right on Sarah !
Matthew Kuzma 09.29.08 at 6:02 pm
And when it does, I hope my grandchildren are around to challenge me on it. This is basic golden rule ethics.
[FYI, this was originally in response to a comment that has since been removed. Sorry about the lack of contest. — Eds.]
Matt 09.29.08 at 8:13 pm
Anyone seen a poll comparing old, Floridian Jews with old, Floridian whites?
Eszter Hargittai 09.29.08 at 8:14 pm
Thanks for the good wishes.
Matt, most Jews in Florida are White, that’s an interesting way of putting the question.
Found this reply to The Great Schlep video: BubbesForObama:)
Matt 09.29.08 at 8:23 pm
I know most Floridian Jews are white. I’m willing to bet that old, white, Floridian Jews favor Obama more than other old, Floridian whites. I find the focus on Jews disconcerting.
Seth Edenbaum 09.29.08 at 8:26 pm
“Matt, most Jews in Florida are White, that’s an interesting way of putting the question”
No Jews aren’t white, they’re passing.
Quoting an old Likudnik in Florida, after Rodney King:
“I feel sorry for the blacks. They can’t hide”
Matthew Kuzma 09.29.08 at 9:03 pm
Matt, I thought it was obvious that the focus on Jews was a matter of self-identification by Sarah Silverman and whoever else is being thegreatshlep.com
Seth Edenbaum 09.29.08 at 9:26 pm
I have two friends schlepping down to Florida for Obama. They were thinking of going to Ohio, but they switched to Florida for exactly the reasons Silverman describes. They made their decision before seeing the video, but it sealed the deal for them.
And they may steal some of her material.
“Yo- Oy”
oy.
ogmb 09.30.08 at 2:29 pm
And after we convinced them to vote for Obama, don’t we have to teach them which hole to punch?
Matt 09.30.08 at 2:36 pm
“I thought it was obvious that the focus on Jews was a matter of self-identification by Sarah Silverman and whoever else”
In a context where the importance of Jewish votes is regularly exaggerated and where Jews’ willingness to vote for Obama is bizarrely but regularly questioned in the media, I can’t really take it as just that.
Righteous Bubba 09.30.08 at 2:42 pm
where the importance of Jewish votes is regularly exaggerated
The state-certified vote count, Florida 2000:
George W. Bush (W) 2,912,790
Al Gore 2,912,253
Matt 09.30.08 at 3:34 pm
Bubba, that was because of a lot of things. Jewish votes (notebaly, Jews who accidentally voted for Buchanan) were among them. What about the rest of Florida, though? What about Catholics in Ohio? There’s a lot of other groups who were even more important in that outcome.
Righteous Bubba 09.30.08 at 3:47 pm
What about the rest of Florida, though?
I agree: if you can swing 500 votes those are important votes.
I mainly agree with Matthew Kuzma that Sarah Silverman’s concerned with Jews because they’re her culture and her shtick. I don’t think she’s honestly taking an empirical position that the Jewish vote is the most important factor although she says she’s blaming the Jews in the video: her bits largely involve her playing a delusional narcissist who is unaware of the terrible offence she causes via her ignorance. How to turn that into a political message is an interesting problem: do you want Homer Simpson endorsing your candidate?
seth edenbaum 09.30.08 at 3:51 pm
Working class whites and old jews: two groups the dem. leadership has to worry about regarding Black Obama.
Silverman:
“Get down to Florida and tell your Bubbe to vote for the schwartze! She won’t listen to anybody else!”
Simple. Good call. Honest, and nicely done.
Matt 09.30.08 at 3:59 pm
I certainly agree that there’s a terrible (perhaps interesting) problem of reading Silverman in this case.
KCinDC 09.30.08 at 4:17 pm
Mark Warner doesn’t seem to mind being endorsed by George Constanza.
Seth Edenbaum 09.30.08 at 4:47 pm
Matt, your refusal to understand is getting close to dishonesty.
Matt 09.30.08 at 7:25 pm
Huh? What is it I’m refusing to understand?
CR 09.30.08 at 8:10 pm
Matt,
Exactly.
millie wink 10.01.08 at 3:23 am
Reminds me a lot of this take on the topic, especially seth @ 3:51:
“express contempt for rural white ignorance, and give elderly jewish ignorance a pass“
J Thomas 10.01.08 at 5:10 pm
“where the importance of Jewish votes is regularly exaggerated”
The state-certified vote count, Florida 2000:
George W. Bush (W) 2,912,790
Al Gore 2,912,253
Is there any particular reason to think that a few thousand more votes for Gore would have made any difference to the result?
Bloix 10.01.08 at 5:39 pm
Matt, assuming you’re still around:
Silverman is a Jew talking to other Jews. Here’s what she’s saying, to Jews of her own age:
“We Jews are all going to vote for Obama, right? Wrong. There are a bunch of Jews who are afraid of the black guy with the Arab name. They’re your grandparents! So, you guys, get down to Florida and change their minds!”
Why you think this has something to do with non-Jewish white Floridians is beyond me. I’ve already worked pretty hard on my own mother (I’m a generation older than Silverman) and I’ve changed her mind. I don’t see how I can have any effect on an elderly voter I’m not related to.
Matt 10.02.08 at 2:17 pm
“Silverman is a Jew talking to other Jews. ” Yeah, I get that. And I get that a few votes, from wherever they come could make a difference. “There are a bunch of Jews who are afraid of the black guy with the Arab name.” Are you sure? Because it seems to me there are a lot more non-Jews who feel that way, and that’s why I wonder about the focus on Jews. Sure, there’s a far higher percentage of elderly, Floridian Jews than liberal, white Manhattanites who think Obama has a scary, Arab name – but that’s not really a fair comparison, is it?
So I wonder if it isn’t partly a response to antisemitism in the way the Jewish vote has been reported – a belief that Jews will be blamed for not voting for Obama – as much or more than that Jews feel elderly Jews will not uphold Jewish values in the election. The real sticker is that we might get blamed even if we do vote for him, if only 68% or so of us do. Take a look at that link in comment #21 and tell me that it makes any sense if it turns out, as I completely expect, that elderly Jews are actually more likely to vote for Obama than any non-black, age-comparable group.
Bloix 10.02.08 at 11:21 pm
Matt, Sarah Silverman is not running a poll. No doubt you’re right that elderly Jews are more likely to vote for Obama than other old white people are. That’s not the point. The point is that old Jews are less likely to vote for Obama than young Jews are. Therefore, young Jews can make a difference by persuading old Jews to vote for Obama. Why is this so hard for you to understand?
Matt 10.03.08 at 2:26 pm
I think you may be having difficulty understanding me, Bliox.
shtove 10.04.08 at 11:29 pm
Does it matter who the next president is?
The White House is about to be levelled in the coming storm.
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