By Benjamin Schuman-Stoler
Well, it’s been a few weeks now since Barack Obama was elected, and preliminary indications do not point to a massive restructuring of the fundamental American traditions (besides the ones that said only white people should be president). No, Obama has not nominated Leon Trotsky or Eugene Debs as honorary economic advisers, and former critics are starting to fall in line behind the president-elect.
The Orthodox Union‘s Institute of Public Affairs is one such example. Known for their conservative view on things, the IPA gracefully embraced Obama post-election, and, in a recent post entitled “It Was Only A Matter of Time; We All Love Obama (for) Now”, say that other former critics in the Jewish community have too.
Specifically, they link to an editorial written recently by the editors of The Jewish Press that acknowledges their criticisms of Obama while also overcoming them for a larger purpose:
This page made no bones about our support of Sen. McCain and our discomfort with many of Mr. Obama’s positions and much of his political history. His relationships with some individuals who despise America and Israel and who blame the threats and actions of rogue countries and terrorists on American foreign policy bothered us no end, as did his unconvincing attempts to explain those relationships. We were also made uneasy by his promise to level the international playing field and his blessing the notion of “spreading the wealth” here at home…
We may have backed his opponent, but Barack Obama has been elected the 44th president of the United States and now deserves the support of all Americans. He faces challenges of the sort that few incoming presidents have had to confront. We’re still plenty skeptical, and we certainly won’t hesitate to criticize him, but this is a time of new beginnings, and we wish him well.
No one can argue that our country’s not a mess right now. Statements like this editorial, and the support of organizations like the OU, will go a long way towards bringing us all together, whether you voted for Obama or John McCain. Hopefully, this togetherness will help us fix the economy, restore international esteem, and make peace in the Middle East.
