Dodd, Biden and Obama ask for your Democratic and Jewish vote

While yesterday I had the privilege of dealing with just one Democratic presidential hopeful - (John Edwards learns that Israel will not do the trick) - today I have to deal with three: Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, and Barak Obama. All were the guests of the National Jewish Democratic Council conference this morning, all were thoughtful and careful. The joy of last week's Tommy Thompson gaffe didn't repeat itself today and I don't suspect it will tomorrow, with the (even more careful) Clinton and the experienced Richardson.

This requires more work on the part of reporters seeking for meaning in this repetitive presidential presentation. What did they mean to say, why did they say it, and how good were they? Here are some thoughts.

1. Oil

The anti-oil, pro-alternative-energy trend is riding high now. All three candidates talked about it and made promises to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. To their credit, they were honest enough to say that such plan will come with a price (Dodd was speaking about taxation, Biden about regulation). Biden made a nice slogan out of it: It's the axis of oil, not evil. Do you trust them to act on their word? They seem serious, but who knows. Right after the State of the Union address earlier this year, I wrote about Bush and his quest to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. Here what I said there: "Just as Bush did Tuesday night? Nixon asked in 1974 that America's dependence on foreign oil - that is, primarily Arab oil - be reduced - he told Congress: 'Irrespective of the possibility of restoring the flow of Middle East oil, we must act now to ensure that we are never again dependent on foreign sources of supply for our energy needs. We must continue to slow the rise in our rate of consumption.' - How similar Bush's message is to Nixon's, how similar are the reasons. Another 30 years will tell if the failure is also similar."

2. Darfur

Both yesterday and today Darfur was the one item on the agenda that gave the candidates a certain cheer from the crowd. And on Darfur, there's no doubt that Biden was the most eloquent, the most specific, and, more than anything else, the most daring: We should stop the genocide, we should stop it now, we should enforce a no-fly-zone tomorrow morning, we should do it with our allies - and if they aren't willing to join us we should do it alone. If there's no other way, he said, "I'm sending American troops alone." One thing you can't take away from Biden: He is willing to take the risk of alienating those who don't want to see America acting unilaterally ever again.

3. Palestine

I already said (yesterday) the people didn't come to this event to talk about the Arab-Israeli conflict alone. True, it's a Jewish gathering - but one should not forget the Democratic component of NJDC.

Anyway, the Democratic criticism we heard today in regard to the peace process was similar to the almost official Democratic-line we have heard many times in the past - and it's all about "engagement." The candidates believe (or at least say they believe) that more engagement in the peace process is needed and will lead to better results. Even though I have my doubts, it is not an illegitimate argument. It is, though, somewhat strange to use it now, when the Bush administration is so much more engaged than ever before.

4. Israel

Listen carefully to Obama. He said that he will support Israel, make sure that it's secure, and be more engaged - like everybody else - but he was the one candidate that went even further. The special relationship between Israel and the U.S., he said, can't be based on "arms sales" alone. He will pursue a policy that will not accept the "status quo" and will seek peace. He will not ask Israel to take security risks, he said, but will ask its leaders to reach higher than (what he thinks) they do now.

And by the way, Obama wasn't the only person today expressing - in a subtle way - some doubts about Israel's current leadership. Governor Howard Dean, head of the Democratic National Committee, was telling the NJDC that "one day" Israel will again have a leader like Yitzhak Rabin - meaning he doesn't seem to think Ehud Olmert is that leader.

6. Iran

All three candidates dealt with the threat of Iran, all three emphasized the need for more diplomacy, more dialogue and more economic pressure. But only Obama was asked a specific question demanding he make a more specific commitment on this issue and highlighting the still-existing suspicion among some Jewish voters regarding his policy. Obama was crystal clear in his response. An Obama administration will not accept a reality of a nuclear Iran. It will have "terrible consequences," he said. He will not take any option off the table "including military." The crowd was happy to hear him saying that he supports direct talks with Tehran. He also talked in some length about proliferation, linking America's ability to deal with Iran to the efforts it needs to make toward a comprehensive anti-proliferation policy.


6. So, who was better?

This is my own personal impression, partly based on things I heard from people attending the event:

The funniest, most engaging candidate: Dodd, starting with the joke about the guy who introduced him to a Jewish crowd not with "great joy," as he was supposed to do, but rather as a "great Goy."

The most impressive: Biden did much better on foreign policy than the others. Obama was more impressive on all domestic issues. I asked some people for their opinion on the candidates' performance and didn't come up with a definite answer. I tend to think the answer depends on the personal agenda of the listener, and many people in the room did seem more interested in the domestic stuff.