Walk in the footsteps of JFK

Clarifying Barack Obama's stance on Israel is secondary to figuring out how he understands the world. As the Obama Phenomenama grows, many who are not completely starry-eyed fear his foreign policy may be too starry-eyed. The 46-year-old senator's foreign policy can best be summarized in two words: "Leave Iraq."

Echoing the 1960s' get-out-of-Vietnam movement, this approach risks perpetuating the delusions of the Clinton 1990s he usually rejects, ignoring the ugly realities facing post-9/11 America.

As a former community organizer, Obama cares most about domestic issues. His experience overseas is limited - beyond his oft-distorted Indonesian sojourn when young. Like most Ivy League-educated idealistic Americans, he assumes compromises can be found for every foreign conflict, while viewing "evil" as a right-wing Republican spectre not a force in today's world. And considering how high he has soared with his charisma and eloquence, he naturally assumes he can handle any world leader, one on one.

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Why I am a moderate

I am a moderate. I embrace my centrism proudly, assertively, passionately, unapologetically - but not violently, intolerantly, or fanatically, of course.  I dislike extremism, zealotry, orthodoxy, and partisanship. I abhor all or nothing, take it or leave it, approaches. I believe life is more complicated than the black-white, red-blue, Ebert & Roeper film critics' thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down approach so prevalent today. I seek balance, temperance, alternative viewpoints, middle paths, syntheses, synergies, unlikely alliances, even paradoxes, creative tensions and shotgun marriages, especially in politics. 

"What’s a moderate to do," I often wonder as I read shrill blogs and increasingly angry books from the left and the right, as I watch the maneuvering in Congress and the screaming in the Knesset. Those of us who define ourselves as moderate or nonpartisan get hit from both sides. Too many people need to imprison everyone in neat little partisan boxes, and resent those who see complexity, acknowledging flaws and strengths on both sides. Today, for too many people, too many of the differences line up all too neatly, toxically - politically, religiously, sociologically, culturally - dangerously reinforcing each other. In America the "reds" tend to be more conservative, religious, moralistic and angry. The "blues" tend to be more liberal, secular and libertine - yet still angry. Similarly in Israel, the differences pile up dangerously with the "orange" camp, as the more conservative, religious and moralistic types facing off against the liberal, secular, libertine "blues." The mirror-image mutual contempt is palpable, unproductive, toxic.

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