World

Election Central

Obama fires up supporters in Farmington Hills while SAJE hosts political experts.

Keri Guten Cohen

Story Development Editor

T

he community received a double
dose of presidential politics
Monday night.
Early in the evening, Democratic presiden-
tial candidate Barack Obama conducted a
town hall meeting in the North Farmington
High School gym. Later, national political
experts squared off over the candidates'
positions on Israel and more at the Jewish
Community Center in West Bloomfield.
Though Obama's Farmington Hills town
hall meeting was to focus on the economy,
the first question he fielded from the crowd
of nearly 1,000 was about his stance on Israel
— an issue often debated in the Jewish com-
munity
"Examine the record," he said."I've been
a staunch ally of Israel since the Senate and
before. When I was in Israel, they were clear
about my track record. Israel is an important
ally, and I'm steadfast about a secure Israel
... Joe Biden wouldn't be my running mate
if I weren't:
He said he believes in maintaining Israel's
security and in a two-state solution where
Palestinians and Israelis live side by side in
peace and security. He pledged to work to
restore the peace process.
Israel also was a main focus at the
JCC's SAJE (Seminars for Adult Jewish
Enrichment) program co-sponsored by the
Federation's Alliance for Jewish Education
and the Jewish Community Relations
Council.
Washington insiders Dr. Ralph
Nurnberger, a professor at Georgetown
University and an Obama supporter, and
Dan Cohen, a lobbyist for U.S. Oncology who
supports McCain, discussed the candidates'
stands on Israel.
"When Jews looks at the election, they
look first at how a candidate will be for
Israel, then at other issues;' Nurnberger
said. He added that Presidents Bill Clinton
and George W. Bush are both strong allies
of Israel, but with very different approaches.
He likened the current candidates to them.
"McCain is good for Israel; Obama is a friend
of Israel. Look at other issues and let yourself
be guided by that"
Steven Migliore of Commerce Township
said, "The best part of the program was that
both speakers took Israel out of the picture

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September 11 • 2008

for both candidates. The community can rest
assured each is a friend of Israel:'
Before his stump speech, Obama extended
his condolences to Congressman Sander
Levin on the recent death of his wife,
Victoria.
Then the Illinois senator took his
Republican rival John McCain to task for try-
ing to reinvent himself as an agent of govern-
mental change to distance himself from the
Bush presidency.
Change has been Obama's slogan through-
out his campaign.
As he ticked off issues such as education,
the economy, health care and foreign policy,
he said, "John McCain is not offering change,
but more of the same ... they tried for eight
years and it's not working.
"McCain voted 90 percent of the time with
Bush, but I don't want to take a 10 percent
chance on change ... how do they have the
nerve to say they are change agents?
"We need a 100 percent guarantee things
will change and we're not going to get it from
John McCain, not because he doesn't care,
but because he doesn't know.
"I'm not perfect',' he said, then someone
in the crowd yelled,"Yes, you are Obama
smiled and countered, "Ask Michelle, she'll
tell you."
He expressed admiration for McCain,
saying he found his biography "compelling;
then took a pot shot at Republican vice
presidential candidate Sarah Palin, saying
her biography was compelling, too."She's a
mother, a governor, a moose shooter — and
that's cool stuff,' he said with a smile.
Relaxed and confident, displaying his
characteristic personable style, Obama
fielded questions about civil liberties, the
Supreme Court and education.

Aiding Automakers
Regarding Michigan's automotive industry,
Obama said, "I have laid out a plan with Gov.
Granholm and Sens. Levin and Stabenow to
rebuild the industry — to retrain workers
and re-equip plants to build the energy-effi-
cient vehicles of the future.
"A strong and stable auto industry using
clean energy is the key to the renaissance
of the Midwest. You can't have an economy
that is based on two coasts; but you need a
sturdy, stable manufacturing base for new
fuels, solar and wind power, high-speed
rail. You gotta be creative and bold, and it
won't happen overnight. I want to create

As Michigan shapes up to be a crucial state in the presidential election, Democratic

candidate Barack Obama appears at North Farmington High in Farmington Hills.

a new economy that looks forward, not
backward."
Those in the partisan crowd seemed
satisfied with Obama's answers.
"He said a lot of what I'd heard before,
but I liked that he ticked off issues one by
one that all went together for a game plan:'
said Frank Hoffman of Farmington Hills.
"He was very relaxed. I think he needs to
prepare himself for the attack [from the
Republicans] that's coming."
NFHS sophomore Michael Siegel, 17,
of West Bloomfield was at his school's
gym with this mom, Rochelle, and sister
Hayley, 13, for the campaign experience.
"I watch MSNBC every night;' he said
of his first real interest in politics. Hayley
added, "He won't change the channel so I
watch, too."
Though Obama spent little time talk-
ing about the vice presidential candidates,
Biden and PalM did come up at the JCC in
a question about how they will affect the

race.
"Usually a vice presidential candidate
has very little impact, but this year it's
totally different," Nurnberger said. "Biden
is a brilliant selection because it's the first
chance [for Obama] to show the nation his
judgment. It shows he feels secure enough
to take someone people feel is his superior
[in experience] so if something happens
to him, he can step in."
Cohen countered that Biden "won't do
anything that will cause people here to
vote for or against Obama."
"Palin changed the scenario:' Cohen
said. "Palin [who appeals to the
Republican's conservative base] let McCain
move to the middle of his party, and that
will have a significant impact. This is the
most exciting election since my first when
I worked for Bobby Kennedy in 1968." LT

Arts Editor Gail Zimmerman contributed
to this report.