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Political Insiders from page A15

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McCain volunteer Ezra Drissman
of Farmington Hills

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A16

October 2 d 2008

McCain volunteer Shira Drissman of
New York

"If you don't do anything to help out,
you have less of a right to complain about
it later on." - Ezra Drissman

"I like her because of her strong
values and ideas, rather than because
she's a woman:' Drissman said. "She
represents middle America."
While the brother-sister duo is on
the same side of the political fence
regarding their choice for president,
Shira says they don't always see eye
to eye.
"If you start breaking things down
to specifics, we have differences of
opinion:' she said. "But, in general,
we basically have similar ideologies.
We're on the same page."

Too Close To Call
The young Jews working on the
McCain and Obama campaigns
seem to be a microcosm of the
larger community. Both sides have
equally strong convictions; both
sides are equally passionate. That
could explain why the presidential
candidates are locked in such a tight
race. Polls continue to show the two
men virtually tied in key battle-
ground states like Michigan. That
also explains why the young staffers
and volunteers are working at such
a frenzied pace in the last few weeks
leading up to Election Day.
"In the last two presidential elec-
tions, we tend to be a state that's
almost equal parts Republican and
Democratic," says McCain supporter

Sandler. "We tend to have a lot of
independent voters. For Obama or
McCain to win, they really need to
win the Michigans of the country"
With a little more than four weeks
to go until Election Day on Nov. 4,
both sides are making their final
pitches and hoping they stick in peo-
ple's minds all the way to the polls.
They say every day and every hour
counts, as does every last vote.
"He's the only person who can
move our country forward:' Obama
supporter Ellman tells family mem-
bers and friends. "I think he'll make
an incredible president?'
"I believe John McCain will keep
the United States a leader in the
world at large and keep us safe at
home:' insists Shira Drissman. "I also
believe he'll support Israel?'
Regardless of the outcome of this
historic election, the young Jews who
are so engrossed in the process say
it's an experience of a lifetime.
"I've met a lot of people who will
be influential on these issues for
years to come," says Obama policy
intern Schram. "But the point is to
win."
"I think we won't know who wins
until very early in the morning after
Election Day:' predicts Sandler. "The
polls shift a little bit every couple of
days. It's just that close?' Ei