Mideast Conflict Competes With Economy and Obama for Public Interest

A few of us have been revisiting the Powder Keg thread for several days now discussing the fighting on the Gaza Strip. The Middle East just scares me and I am one of those rare birds who see 2 sides to the Palestinian/Israeli on-going issue. Basically I want to scream at both and say STOP DOING THAT!

Usually a war that involves Israel gets top billing on the news. Many people stayed glued to their televisons during the Hezbollah/Israeli conflict 2 years ago However, so much else is going on that the current battle in Gaza is often is taking a backseat to the financial crisis, the Inauguration, and Blagojevich. The Pew Institute provides us with the following chart:

Fewer people are interested in the conflict with Hamas than they were with the conflict with Hezbollah 2 years ago. Now that Hezbollah is firing missiles on towns in northern Israel, perhaps the interest will ratchet up some. It makes for a very dangerous situation in that region.

Blogger Gainesville Resident has referenced 2 very good reading resources on the current conflict. One is from Time Magazine and the other is from The Jewish Voice and Opinion. Don’t be mislead by the title on the later. It gives a variety of points of view. Neither are quick reading but are highly recommended.

Can Israel sustain a 2 front war? What should the United States role be in this conflict? Is our position weakened by a change in the Presidency? Are America’s enemies waiting and watching to see what President Obama will do? When a conflict is going on involving Israel, are we more vulnerable for a terrorist attack? What do you all think?

Click for more information from the Pew Institute on current events.

Meet Creigh Deeds

I have had several folks on me about endorsing Terry McAuliffe. Actually, I haven’t. I don’t even have an opinion on the 3 gubernatorial candidates. I want to apologize for appearing to have a favorite. I believe I was bowled over by McAuliffe’s announcement and I do know that in politics, money talks. If fund raising is going to win Virginia, it seems that McAuliffe has an edge.

So, to dispel all rumors, here is our final Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia, Creigh Deeds. PWC, Alanna is going to do a blurb on McDonnell. Gently remind us if you don’t see something in the near future.

Senator Deeds is from Bath County but is currently serving as the Senator from Charlottesville. That gives him an edge with me. The text will be from his website:

Meet Senator Deeds

Senator Deeds has spent the last two decades serving constituents from all walks of life–from his start as Bath County prosecutor to his current position as a State Senator representing the City of Charlottesville and a district that stretches to the West Virginia border. Whether he was working to clean up one of Virginia’s largest Superfund sites, fighting for economic development, or writing some of the toughest legislation to keep our families safe and secure, Deeds has built his career as a consensus builder who delivers results.

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