Flordia Jews Do Their Best West Virginia Voters Impression

Narghile said:

Hillary/Paul '08.

hk85 said:

a few more years of climate change and the capital of FLA will be one lone mangrove tree somewhere near Jacksonville.

coyotemike said:
The only thing that can make this worse is if Hillary decides to run as an indepedent and activly splits the vote

FearTheRopers said:
I think the good people of Kentucky beat everyone.

Wendy said:
Obama is an issue among Florida Jews for a lot of reasons..one of them Tony McPeak, and another the fact that Obama served on a board that funded the American Arab Action Network. Bush's recent speech at the Knesset in Israel and his comments about appeasement will be the first round of showing Jews worldwide what a mistake it will be to vote for Obama. They paid great attention to Bush's speech in Israel and will continue to pay attention.

More Jews would vote for Clinton that would vote for Obama. I'm not saying I'd prefer Clinton, I'm just saying that when it comes down to it, Obama will not get the Jewish vote. Not because his name rhymes with "Osama" or his middle name is Hussein or whatever. This is because he is thought, in Israel anyway, to not have a fucking clue about foreign policy (I'm a little bit sure that a few Americans feel this way too, no?) and this will be his downfall among Jews, in the end.

Then again, so many Jewish democrats vote solely on abortion anyway. So we'll see how it goes.

smithers_jones said:

Your conclusion that "Obama will not get the Jewish vote" is hard to reconcile with the polling data that has Obama with a 2:1 lead in the Jewish vote.

Subrosa said:
Also, while Jews "worldwide" may have had a favorable view of Bush's speech in Israel, Jews back in America pretty much feel the same way the rest of us do about Bush, in general. Which is to say, we all think he's full of shit and one of the worst presidents of all time. His speech fell on deaf ears, mainly. As it should have.

In other words, I don't think Obama's got nearly as much of a "Jewish problem" as some are making it out to be.

FearTheRopers said:

Also, I'd love for her to tell me how many people served on the "board" with Obama, how many times a year they met and how much they gave the "American Arab Action Network" - as well as what was known about the Network at the time.

Then that absurd fact can be put into perspective.

OhSoOrdinary said:

i've been reading up on this AAAN and other than being pro-Palestine , it seems like they do a lot of great community work so I can't be mad at Obama for raising money for them, if he did.

If their sole existence was being pro-Palestine then I could understand. But that doesn't seem to be the case.



Their website
Wiki (not much information there, though)

The Arab American Action Network (AAAN) was established in 1995 as a non-profit, grassroots, community-based organization working to improve the social, economic, and political conditions of Arab immigrants and Arab Americans in the Chicago Metropolitan area. The AAAN does this through adult education, social services, mediation and crisis intervention, youth programs, cultural competency trainings, and working in coalitions with other like communities. All AAAN programs include community organizing, activism, and leadership development components.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAM
Linguistic, religious, and cultural barriers have limited the capacity of organizations in the broader domestic violence community to provide effective services to Arab and Muslim survivors of domestic violence. The goal of AAAN's domestic violence program is to provide prevention and intervention services to individuals and families in the Arab and Muslim communities of the greater Chicagoland area. It is our vision to reduce the problem of violence against men, women and children in our community. We are currently focusing on community outreach, education, and direct services to survivors of domestic violence. As our funding and capacity increases, we envision a more comprehensive program that would service Arab and Muslim men who abuse. The main components of the current program are:

Community Outreach/Education: AAAN organizes forums and workshops in Arab and Muslim communities to raise awareness about family violence, build community support, and inform community members that there are services and other resources available to survivors of abuse. We aim to create a public discourse in the Arab and Muslim community, which states that violence in the family is not a private matter, and that strong collaboration is needed to reduce this problem in our families and our community.

Cultural Awareness Trainings for Mainstream Institutions and Service Providers: AAAN has sponsored cultural awareness workshops provided by Arab and Muslim domestic violence professionals on the dynamics of domestic violence in the Arab and Muslim community. These workshops also facilitate our collaboration with service providers in the greater Chicagoland area whose Arabic-speaking or Muslim clients are in need of culturally sensitive counseling, advocacy, and case-management services.

Direct Service: Our Arabic-speaking domestic violence staff members are trained advocates and counselors and have worked with survivors of domestic violence for several years. They provide services such as court, housing, and public-aid advocacy; case management; counseling; transportation assistance; translation and interpretation; and referrals.
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AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM
Throughout the regular school year, the AAAN operates an After-School Program, funded by a Chicago Department of Children and Youth Services Community Development Block Grant, which comprises of staff, interns, and volunteers providing homework assistance, tutoring, and mentoring for elementary and high school students. The program allows over 50 Arab, Black, and Latino students enhance basic skills and improve academic scores and grades. It also provides a positive environment for the youth, and a place where they meet powerful role models, experience strong encouragement, and enjoy a myriad of activities, such as arts and crafts and structured recreation. AAAN staff build relationships with parents, teachers, school administrators, social workers, and other youth programs in the city to provide a comprehensive youth development initiative. High school students also receive assistance in filling out college and financial aid applications, and are counseled with regard to higher education and career opportunities.

coyotemike said: