By Ezra Friedlander
As Election Day has arrived; I proudly go to the polls. One may ask and indeed many do about the impact of their vote making the argument that certainly at the Presidential level, the winner of New York’s electoral votes has already been determined. My response is that this attitude is reflective of a spoiled generation that does not and cannot appreciate what a privilege it is to vote. Although voting is a right protected by the Constitution many feel that we should abolish and modify the method in which we choose our President.
My response to that argument is that although our Founding Fathers’ intention was to protect the Southern States who did not enjoy the same size population as the Northern States, hence the allocation of electors who would represent the individual State in selecting the President; the Jewish community in the United States happen to be concentrated in several key states, thus, allowing our numbers to be more meaningful as otherwise would be.
So before, we start whining about the inconsequential votes that are cast in NY or California let us step back for a moment and ask ourselves: would expressions of solidarity and support of the State of Israel by both President Obama and Governor Romney at the debate have been so prominent if Florida’s or Ohio’s electoral votes were not up in the air?
Every so often, there are those in the Jewish community that don’t always see past the surface on issues that could potentially have a detrimental impact on Jewish electoral prowess. Before we advocate to “change” a broken system, let us anticipate about the effect of what potentially could be a major game changer about the all too vaunted Jewish vote.
Therefore, I urge all my co-religionists, go out and vote, and do so feeling that every vote counts. I also urge those in Jewish leadership to please retract your call to “reform” the Electoral College system.
Ezra Friedlander is CEO of The Friedlander Group, a public policy consulting company not aligned with any presidential candidate.
{Matzav.com Newscenter}
I hope you VOTE FOR ROMNEY FOR VICTORY
Nice article……Too bad you support obuma!
I’m sorry – this article makes zero sense and is silly. I live in the United States – a democratic country – and my vote for who should lead this country should count. It doesn’t!! There is no other way to say it. The bottom line is as an American citizen living in NY my vote for President makes no difference at all. I have no say and my wishes are meaningless.
Explain to me please Mr. Friedlander what it says for this great country when the President is chosen from an electoral collage system designed so long ago yet loses the popular vote by (perhaps) millions of votes. This is just plain old dumb!
The leaders of the world look at the USA and laugh when they know that this country does NOT make its President the candidate with the most votes or the candidate who the majority of the citizens want as their President.
The world looks and stares in disbelief that billions of dollars are raised and spent on a campaign. Not only does it look terrible it is even worse when we see that all the campaigning is for just a few of the states in this great country.
So Mr. Friedlander, continue to get your photo-ops, continue whatever it is you do if it in fact does help the Jewish Community at large but respect our intelligence and don’t sell us your baloney. Save that for your Shabbos Seuda.
That’s right, Let’s show that we care about Kvod Shomayim.
I usually enjoy Mr. Friedlander’s pieces but this one is full of silly meanigless platitudes
in particular i’d like to point out Two things:
Why on earth is it a privelage to vote in an election that has already been decided?
Secondly i dont care about the “Jewish vote” i care about my vote, and as a New yorker i have zero say in a presidential election.
Reform the broken backwards system now
Point well made!
You know what? THIS GUY IS RIGHT!
FRIEDLANDER IS CORRECT!
If WE ABOLISH THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WE ELIMINATE THE PRIMARY REASON WHY POLITICIANS CARE ABOUT THE JEWISH VOTE AND BY EXTENSION THEIR SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL
WHY YOU WILL VOTE???? WHY YOU WILL VOTE??? Are you kidding??? YOu will vote because Thank Hashem you have the freedom to do so, unlike your and my forebears who ended up in the gas chambers!!!
Anyhow, anyone voting for Obama at this stage in the game, even if you are a liberal and democrat, needs his head examined. Unless of course you plan to continue to milk the system of MOFES – Medical, Food Stamps, Section 8. I for one am sick of paying into this nonsense and tired of my money going to support you lazy bums and those of you who take even when you earn off the books and don’t deserve it. Period.
“not aligned with any presidential candidate.”
So why were you at the Democratic convention in Charlotte?