A Light Unto Reindeers (Funny and Informative)

The American Prowler ^ | 27 Jun 02 | Judd Magilinick

[MoJo2001]

As a political conservative and a Jew, I have a new, if unlikely post-9/11 role model: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. The hero of one of our most popular ballads, this mythical caribou is born with a famous disfigurement -- a shiny nose -- that initially causes humiliation and social ostracism. Then, due to global climate change, his "difference" becomes an invaluable asset to rescue the group's mission. As someone who has also recently experienced a shift in sensibilities, I know the pride that Rudolph must have felt when the other reindeers suddenly treated him with strange new respect. But now is no time to enjoy being right -- the tough part lies ahead.

Like Rudolph's, the first act of my story is all ridicule. As a "Clinton hater," I repeatedly had my sanity questioned, and then, for the sin of calling Joe Lieberman a good man with misguided politics, my tribal loyalty impugned. At home, my wife and I have had to counsel our crestfallen children when they returned from mock elections at their Jewish day school with Gore beating Bush 22-1. After the polarizing Florida counting debacle, I had seriously begun to fear that our libertarian conservatism would somehow handicap these kids' marriage prospects, not to mention the social mobility of their parents. Then, one foggy eve, …well, you know the rest of the story.

Who would have thunk -- just nine months ago -- that my liberal Jewish friends would tell me they've discovered this insightful cable commentator who is a great defender of Israel… Alan Keyes? Don't they know that Ambassador Keyes has already retired the liberal trophy for "anti-choice madman"? From the "mindshare" -- not to mention affection -- he is attracting among Jews, you would never know that his MSNBC show is drawing such a tiny audience, even by cable standards. And what about Tom DeLay, whom the Democrat hit squads, aided by a willing press (and his Texas demeanor) had demonized as a mean-spirited, heartless ghoul, a.k.a. "The Hammer"? Suddenly he's an honorary Maccabee, the toast of liberal Jews at last month's AIPAC convention. And those yarmulkes in synagogue with "Lieberman" stitched in Hebrew that were so popular after the Democratic convention? They're now about as common as a Harold Stassen button at my Lincoln Club meetings.

As we reel from the horrors of this new world war, it would be cheeky and glib to trumpet this opinion shift as a "silver lining." Still, I think it's all right to acknowledge that, even from unspeakable evil, some good can flow. More importantly, now is the time for serious conservatives of all faiths to try to broaden this wedge into a fundamental change of the attitudes and political perceptions amongst the substantial Jewish political middle.

Specifically, how we move from the exceptionalism of the moment (low visibility requiring Rudolph's shiny nose = let's not bash conservatives who support Israel) to a permanent change of attitude (Rudolph is a really good reindeer = maybe we should hear out the conservatives on domestic issues).

[MoJo2001]

Click on the URL to read the rest of the article!!

I just thought this was kind of funny and rather informative. Hope you like it!

[DoughtyOne]

the Case of the Freeper FRiva Feva is under scrutiny - super-sleuths are welcomed
come resolve the way to yesterday's Target Post, you're not out of the running yet
win your registration fees to the FRive Las Vegas Conference if you dare

[rmlew]

bump

[SauronOfMordor]

It's going to require a fundamental mental change in a lot of Jews. At the moment, their concern for Israel sits higher in the priority scale than their Leftist politics. Once the MidEast gets a little more settled, they may revert