The wonder, of course, is that he ever had it.
(And here I thought that Jews were supposed to be smart.)
Has Obama lost the Jewish vote?
By Gabriella Schwarz, CNN
September 20, 2011
An awkward meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in May followed Obama's controversial speech.
Washington (CNN) -- Jewish voters, a typically reliable bloc for the Democratic Party, are now the focus of Democrats intent on keeping their support and Republicans who see an opportunity to pull them in after New York's recent special congressional election.
Longtime New York Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf said the election, in which a Republican won the historically Democratic district, was in part a reaction to the president's approach to Israel. Sheinkopf said the contest served as a "liberating device" for Jewish voters and not just Orthodox Jews, who tend to be more socially conservative.
"It is very unlikely he gets large portions of the pro-Israel community back; it's too late. Something extraordinarily miraculous would have to occur," Sheinkopf said. "There is a general sense of betrayal that this guy just doesn't understand who these Jews are.
"He got his first warning," Sheinkopf added.
Signs of tension between the president and Jewish supporters surfaced before the New York election and are heightened with the spotlight on the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, in which Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to submit an application for statehood to the Security Council.
The Obama administration has vowed to veto the submission, affirming its longstanding backing for Israel, America's strongest Middle East ally.
But many Jews were angered over President Obama's May speech in which he suggested that Israel return to pre-1967 borders with land swaps agreed upon by Israelis and Palestinians. The pre-1967 borders refer to Israel's territory before the Six-Day War that year, in which Israel captured Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and other territory from neighboring countries.
Israelis argue that returning to the former configuration would leave population centers vulnerable and displace settlers.
The president's statements were followed by an awkward meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which Netanyahu seemingly lectured Obama in the Oval Office, vowing that Israel would never return to the 1967 lines.
Full story: http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/20/politics/obama-jewish-vote/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
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