Regarding Obama's Great Uncle:

[sabra]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/05/of-gaffes-and-p.html

<snip>

Obama's great uncle helped liberate Buchenwald, not Auschwitz, and Obama got it wrong. (Sunlen Miller and Rick Klein have the details HERE.) It's unclear as of now whether Obama just mixed up the names, or he got his facts wrong, or through family lore he'd been told the wrong tale.

And now we know the truth-- his great uncle as part of the 89th Infantry Division helped liberate Ohrdrug, a sub-camp at Buchenwald. (You can read an account by one of his fellow soldiers HERE. Two survivors of the camp tell their story HERE.)

For me there's a tonal issue going on here with some of the Republicans pouncing on the issue and some of the blog coverage.

I suspect many members of the Jewish community wouldn't think this mistake that big a deal. Good for his great uncle for having helped liberate a concentration camp.

...

Obama deserved to be called out for his mistake. But it's also worth noting that despite all the talk about Obama's problems with the Jewish community, he's never mentioned before that his great uncle helped liberate a concentration camp until it came up in North Las Vegas in a conversation about PTSD.

In my opinion ABC's Jake Tapper is spot on with this one. We all hear about Obama's "Jewish problem" - though there really isn't a problem as a recent Gallup poll indicates:



I believe some of the doubts/issue reside in the older Jewish communities who have some preconceive notions and ideas. Obama could have brought up his great Uncle's heroics earlier on in the campaign and probably would have given him some political gain with these folks. He did not. This story was told specifically regarding the subject of PTSD and explored his family's first hand account regarding this illness.

My grandfather lost his mother and father and seven brothers and sisters to Buchenwald and other concentration camps. I thank Senator Obama's great uncle for his heroism, and Obama for not using the story for political gain.

[SwampG8r]

1. well said

k&r

[iamthebandfanman]

2. i dont understand why its an issue

who the fuck cares if he got the name wrong?
were their jews in both camps? yes. were they being murdered? yes. were they controlled by nazis? yes.

am i missing something? just what exactly is the exaggeration or lie? and if there is neither to be found, whats the fucking problem?

i swear, this bullshit 'news' that clinton supporters think is important is driving me fucking mad.

[joeybee12]

3. Nice ageist post...as if older Jewish people can't adapt and have new

ideas...jesus Christ...do you think before you post? Or is the bigotry so ingrained you don't notice it?

As for the gaffe, no biggie, but I doubt it was an honest mistake...Obama knows most people have heard of Auschwitz, but Ohrdug...well, not so many. He wanted to have an impact, so chose to fib.

[Pirate Smile]

4. You are making crap up in your mind with no basis for it.

"I doubt it was an honest mistake...Obama knows most people have heard of Auschwitz, but Ohrdug...well, not so many. He wanted to have an impact, so chose to fib."

These are the kinds of issues that people generally don't bring up within the family just so they can get the details clarified - "Hey, let's ask Uncle Charlie which concentration camp it was that he helped liberate which traumatized him" "OK, why not".

[sabra]

5. "do you think before you post?" - I try, in fact I was thinking about this all night

Did I say all older Jewish Americans have these views - no. But unfortunately there are some, and do say some people who have older school approaches.

Please read this Newsweek article about a new Jewish group forming, kind of the anti-AIPAC:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/138784/page/3

<snip>
Regarding Sen. Barack Obama: Why in your mind are Jewish voters wary of his candidacy? And is J Street working in any way to promote his campaign?
J Street has not yet endorsed in the presidential campaign. However, we can say that the premise of your question and frankly of the news coverage of Jewish support for Obama is flawed. While a small number of primarily older Jews appear to have concerns about Sen. Obama that he is working to address concerns I might add primarily based on campaigns of disinformation online intended to sow fear--it is important not to lose sight of the fact that an overwhelming majority of American Jews, by a factor of 2 to 1 in the recent Gallup Poll, favor Sen. Obama over Sen. McCain. Jewish voters as a whole are not 'wary' of his campaign and it is a mistake for the press to be framing the situation this way based on a small number of anecdotal stories. By any definition in American politics, Sen. Obama enjoys overwhelming support in the American Jewish community and is the choice of the mainstream of the community in a match-up with McCain.

[frylock]

6. why don't just post a list of shit that you find offensive..

that way we can avoid any further manufactured outrage on your part.

[FrenchieCat]

7. Sure he chose to fib. Sure.....

Although this was a story that he could have used to help himself and his candidacy with Jewish voters long ago (if he were the panderer that Hillary has examplified).....and how many Jewish voters are in PR, SD and MT pray tell? :eyes: