Bagels & Ballots: The Trouble Down South
What’s the Matter With Florida? Jewish Democrats aren’t doing well in … South Florida? What’s up with that? It’s a sign of the times, the Forward’s Washington correspondent Nathan Guttman suggests. “Trailing in the polls is probably the only thing the two Jewish Floridians have in common.” (MitzVote)
Mama Obama Raises the Vote: After a few campaign stops, Michelle Obama released a video promoting the Democratic National Committee’s raiseyourvote.com, a site that explains the how’s and what’s of voting. She concludes, “We can get this done. Yes we can.” (YouTube)
42 Gives it a Shot: Former President Bill Clinton sent an e-mail out to the Democratic Governors Association, in which he asked for donations of $25. “After being governor of Arkansas and chairing the DGA, I also know firsthand the crucial difference they can make in winning governors’ races,” he wrote. “But if they don’t receive the resources to support our candidates – well, just take a look at recent history.” (Politico (PDF))
The Double X Factor: How do genders come into play in the midterms? The Los Angeles Times tells us how it shakes out within California: “As their party’s first female nominees for governor and U.S. Senate, Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina have run campaigns premised in part on the belief that they could attract women voters who typically brush aside the Republican Party. But new polls indicate that, if anything, women are treating their candidacies more harshly than are men.” (The Los Angeles Times)
The Big Apple’s Unpleasant Polls: Election day is one week from today. Plan on voting in New York City? Well, good luck. The Board of Elections, in the words of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, had a “royal screwup” during the September primary as it released new polling machines. Indeed, New York faces more poll troubles than other locales. Some claim the malfunctions are designed to prevent non-party loyalists from voting. (AM New York)
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
