will We Ever Know?

Lieberman's candidacy spurred
pride, optimism — and letdowns.

MICHAEL J. JORDAN

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

New

A

Above: Republican
presidential candidate
Texas Gov. George W Bush
kisses his mother, Barbara,
as wife, Laura, looks on
during Bush's arrival in
Detroit on Oct. 18.

StE OUR WEB SITE:

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nd down the track .
they come, neck
and neck, with no clear
sign of a "Lieberman
Factor" influencing the
race one way or the
other.
Not until Nov. 8 will
America find itself with
its first Jewish vice presi-
dent — or a footnote for
history books.
Perhaps the public will
never know if the
Democratic nomination
of Joseph Lieberman for
vice president played a
decisive role — especial-
ly in a campaign now
dominated by the per-
sonalities of the two
presidential candidates.
After all, would any-

one admit to not voting
for Al Gore exclusively
because he had a Jewish
running mate? Or would
a Jewish Republican
confess to swinging the
other way for the thrill
of seeing a Jew next in
line for the White
House? And how many
religious conservatives
are so enthralled with
Lieberman's espousal of
religious values that they
would desert the GOP?
Nevertheless, for the
Jewish community, the
ground-breaking choice
of one of their own -
clearly enlivened the last
three months of the
campaign. His selection
stirred pride, fear and
optimism — in addition
to an apparent surge in
fund raising for the
Democratic coffers.

Big Issues

Vouchers, gay rights and same-sex
marriages face the voters.

GAYLE HORWITZ
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Washington
ifornia and
ichigan are not just
high-stakes states for
presidential hopefuls.
Jewish groups, teachers
and education reformers
are all also focusing on
their school voucher bal-
lot initiatives.
"The school choice
movement has had a hard
time coming together to
push nationally," said
Dane Waters, president
_ of the Initiative and
Referendum Institute, a
nonprofit, nonpartisan
educational resource
organization based in
Washington. "Passage in

M

either state will definitely
bring the movement
together."
Vouchers would give
federal money to parents
who choose to send their
children to a different
public, private or
parochial school.
The voucher issue,
which opponents say vio-
lates the separation
between church and
state, is one of several bal-
lot measures of interest to
Jewish voters this season.
A handful of other ini-
tiatives deal with the civil
rights of gays and lesbians
and restrictions on abor-
tion.
According to a poll by
Zogby International, con-
ducted between Dec. 14,

The pride came as
many proclaimed that
America, and American
Jews, have "come of age."
Jewish grandmothers in
Florida levelled over the
choice while younger Jews
suddenly found "it's cool
to be a Jew." And Gore-
Lieberman kipahs were an
ephemeral craze.
Meanwhile, standing
by Lieberman's side was
a wife with the very
Jewish name Hadassah,
who also happened to be
the daughter of
Holocaust survivors.
His nomination also
sparked fear, as some wor-
ried that the prospect of a
Jew "a heartbeat away
from the presidency"
would flush anti-Semites
out of the closet. Indeed
there were a few out-
bursts, but they were
quickly denounced.
And his selection
spurred optimism that
this senator known as a
beacon of morality and

LIEBERMAN on page 24

1999 and Feb. 7, 2000,
61 percent of Jews are
pro-choice on the abor-
tion issue.
Jews are more divided
over vouchers.

Two Views

Some Jews support them
as a possible way of mak-
ing Jewish education
more affordable. Others
believe that vouchers
unconstitutionally direct
state money to religious
purposes. Voucher pro-
grams have been enacted
in Milwaukee, Cleveland,
Florida and Maine.
The Ohio Supreme
Court struck down the
Cleveland system last year,
citing the separation of
church and state, but the
state legislature enacted a
similar program in June.
Unlike the Cleveland
and Milwaukee pro-

ISSUES on page 24

11/3

2000

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