I do, however, believe he misread my intent when I discussed the Middle East. It is only one issue, and I make my decision based upon many. I agree that there are a lot of factors that come into play when working on Middle East peace, which should be the ultimate goal. Placating the extreme factions of Iran, or Israel for that matter, are not first and foremost. But the President of the United States must be careful not just in his dealings with foreign leaders, but in the message he or she sends the rest of the world in how or with whom they choose to deal at all.

As to Matthew’s comments, well I believe they speak for themselves.

http://www.economist.com/vote2008/

Why this country’s foreign policy continues to be driven by our misplaced role in the centuries-old battle between the warring superstitious tribes of this region–be they Muslim, Christian or Jewish–is a mystery to me, but I find it chilling that it could be the deal-maker for as articulate and thoughtful individual as the commenter above. All three tribes seem more than happy to keep the caravan merrily chugging along towards armageddon, so any sort of real diplomacy is counter-productive to that ultimate goal, I guess. As an atheist, I thank those who believe in magic instead of reason for threatening to make such decisions for the rest of us, based on such a shaky premises.

Next Tuesday, I’ll be voting for the candidate who believes in evolution, a woman’s right to choose, and finding forward-thinking energy solutions so we can finally extricate this country from the tribal battles of a region we have no business being involved in. I’ll be voting for the candidate who considers gay rights to be a matter of civil rights, who has half a clue about what to do with the economy, and who will solve disputes through diplomacy, not via the apocalyptic doctrine of George W. Bush, Tony Blair, Ehud Olmert and John McCain’s neocon-cabinet-to-come. These issues are far more important to the future of this nation than how the next President will soothe Israel while the country engages in an endless game of one-upmanship with the likes of Iran and Palestine.

When I make my choice for President next Tuesday, I will be looking very hard at ALL of the issues, and making a decision not based upon personal likes or dislikes of the VP candidate, “$150,000.00 GOP sponsored clothing, “emotional blackmail” and McCain’s lack of the oratory excellence that one can attach easily to a likable and charismatic figure like Barack Obama. Come to think of it, Hitler was an excellent and captivating speaker too, and boy did he know how to motivate a country! (Will critics mischaracterize this statement to say that I’m comparing Obama to Hitler, which I’m clearly not?)

Oh, but that does bring something else to mind. As a Jew, I find Obama’s stand on Israel and the situation in the Middle East as troubling, at best. Researching various Israeli newspapers and sources, I found overwhelming support for John McCain in the form of condemnation of Obama and his pro-Palestinian views. Personally I support a two state solution, but that cannot be achieved if a president allows Iran and other anti-Israel powers to take an active lead at the negotiating table. There are other foreign policy issues at play here, too numerous to mention, but ones that I’ve been studying for the past several months.

For all of the supposed failings of Sarah Palin mentioned in this editorial, most of which are just Democratic talking points, we are not voting for “Mr. Congeniality” or “Ms. Wasilla.” Nor are we voting for the best contestants on “Political It’s Academic”. We must make a tough choice between two formidable candidates, and that choice must be made with the utmost care and consideration, not by peer pressure, popularity, or emotion. As a lifelong Democrat, I find that many of my political peers are making this choice based not on the “Bush factor,” the “Palin factor”, or the “Obama factor”, but solely on the vitriolic factor — their unabashed hatred for George W. Bush and his administration. This speaks volumes when it comes to selecting a president that should be of unquestionable strength and character, as well as experience.

When I go to the polls on November 4th, I’m going to have to consider all of these factors before I activate the touchscreen and help select our leader for the next 4 years. I take my vote seriously; seriously enough to do the homework. Let’s hope we all don’t make a huge mistake based on our personal feelings, pro or con, for either of the candidates, but rather make our decision a fully informed one.