Obama hits the 'G-spot'

It's almost seder night, but Hillary Clinton is still taking her cues from the Scroll of Esther. She is a "great admirer" of the queen, it appears. Not Vashti, who became a feminist icon, but Esther herself, a woman who knew how "to make a decision, to take a chance, a risk." Clinton said this on Sunday evening, during a debate with her rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama.

The debate, focusing on issues of religion and worldview, was held in Pennsylvania, where the two candidates are to spend the remaining week until the April 22 primary vote in this state. On Tuesday night they will meet in a televised debate from Philadelphia.

Obama tried to explain his recent gaffe, the so-called "bitter" flap, which has dominated coverage of his campaign for several days, and will continue to do so until the media tires of it, or it is overtaken by another mistake. But the furor has highlighted (and not for the first time) how central the subject of religion remains in American political campaigns.

Obama, at a San Francisco fundraiser, spoke less than respectfully about the mindset of small-town Pennsylvanians. He said: "It's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them, or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment, as a way to explain their frustrations."

Clinton, jumping at the opportunity, pounded her opponent for his "demeaning remarks," calling him "elitist and, frankly, patronizing."
It's hard to blame her, for Obama managed with one careless statement to blast both important Gs - God and guns. That's the Democratic Party's problem, Clinton said, its inability to communicate with religious people. She reverted to Al Gore and John Kerry, the losers of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, respectively. Both of them were religious people who were not seen as such, she said. This must not happen again.

Anyway, Clinton said, people are drawn to religion and faith not due to "bitterness," but because of the power of tradition. Obama struck back, saying "Hillary Clinton is out there like she's on the duck blind every Sunday. She's packing a six-shooter. Come on, she knows better. That's some politics being played by Hillary Clinton. She knows better. Shame on her. Shame on her."

Obama said he reiterated his regret for his choice of words, saying, "I am the first to admit that some of the words I chose I chose badly, because as my wife reminds me, I'm not perfect." He said his words "were subject to misinterpretation, they were subject to be twisted, and I
regret that."

"But. But. But. When people suggest that somehow I was demeaning religion - when I know that I'm a man of deep faith...then it sounds like there's some politics being played." An Obama campaign broadcast last week attempts to bolster Clinton's image as one who plays "political games" instead of dealing with America's real problems.

A few weeks ago Obama got into trouble for being overly loyal to his church, and to the preacher who had headed it, Jeremiah Wright. This time it's because he is not being loyal enough to that very same church. As Pesach - and the Pennsylvania primary two days after seder night - gets closer, the battle is becoming fierce.

Clinton and her tip of the hat to Queen Esther were perhaps a signal to the Jewish community of Philadelphia's suburbs, which could determine the vote in several precincts. A week and a half ago she gave an exclusive interview to a Jewish weekly in Philadelphia. Obama responded last week with an interview to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, in which he stressed the "historic friendship" between the Untied States and Israel, but also that the United States' role "requires listening to both sides and talking to both sides, that requires that we don't dismiss out of hand the concerns of the Palestinians."

If Clinton loses in Pennsylvania, she may as well throw in the towel. But for now, she retains a slim lead in the polls. Obama is ahead in North Carolina, which votes two weeks after Pennsylvania. Indiana votes on the same day, May 6, and if Clinton wins there too, the momentum will remain in her favor. If she doesn't, it would be unlikely she would then be able to reverse the tide sweeping Obama toward the Democratic nomination.