The presence of a Jew in power proves that they are controlling the world more boldly. There is no way around the iron certainty of the paranoid. But this nomination says something hopeful as well. First, there is the simple reality that a political figure of Gore's stature and experience would decide that the nomination of a religious Jew would help his candidacy. That is an astonishing conclusion.
Politicians are by necessity careful calculators of the public mood.
As we enter a new millennium, perhaps the increasingly interlinked world is recognizing the awful futility of ancient enmities. Technology has accelerated the price of hate. Interdependence is no longer a slogan but an increasing reality. If this nomination is a sign, however tentative, that in this great land the longest hatred no longer holds sway, there is reason for all humanity to celebrate this event. As the season unfolds, the repercussions will be fascinating to follow.