Sarah Silverman, Israeli Production Team, Go To Bat For Obama

Barack Obama is getting an assist among Jewish voters from two different short films that couldn't be more disparate in message or nature.

On Wednesday, Sarah Silverman, wielding a restrained but still sharp tongue, launched "the Great Schlep," a video designed to persuade Jewish youth to visit their grandparents in Florida and persuade them to vote for Obama.

"If Barack Obama doesn't become the next president of the United States," she begins, "I'm going to blame the Jews."

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

As Silverman was resorting to shame and sarcasm as a GOTV tool, an Israeli production team went after Jewish voters by addressing substantive issues. Titled "Israelis for Obama," the video they launched features prominent and regular figures from the Middle Eastern country praising the Senator as a friend of Israel and directly addressing the smears launched at his candidacy.

"I think all the attempts to try and frame him as some kind of threat to Jewish people and the people of Israel are driven just by fear," Itai Afghel, a senior correspondent for FACT -- Israel's 60 Minutes -- tells the camera, referencing rumors that Obama is a Muslim.

"Israel does not need another George Bush," says Amos Schocken, publisher of the paper Ha'aretz. "I don't think there is any doubt about this."

While the two shorts couldn't be more different in nature, the audience they are targeting seems to be much the same: elderly Jewish voters who may be on the fence about backing Obama.

Comments

[Ohorseman]

10:47 AM on 10/04/2008

If this site allows different opinions and does not practice censorship... I would like to say that I no longer support Obama. I do not think he will support Israel and is just saying anything to get votes. I have an indepth basis for this belief... but I do not think anyone here wants to here it. If Obama is elected, I think indeed he will be an instrument that brings vast change - and those that have Israel in their hearts will be greatly saddened by the outcomb.

[white mende man]

10:49 AM on 10/10/2008

you've never supported Obama, you are a fake and a fraud. these clips are from concerned people they were not made by Barak Obama and if other people's opinions don't count I truly hope my vote will counter yours.

[GingersPawPaws]

03:01 PM on 10/02/2008

The first made us laugh...they second made me cry becaue ISRAELIES are God's Chosen People and he does not want them harmed I say OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA

[LouisianaLiberal]

11:29 AM on 09/26/2008

Again I have trouble posting another innocuous comment. What's up, HuffPo? Let's try again:

I never was much of a Sarah Silverman fan. I guess it has something to do with, not just risqué humor, but toilet humor, which I’ve never found funny. But I keep watching her because I know that she is spot on sometimes and I don't want to miss it. And she nails it here! Today she speaks for me. Atta baby, Sarah!

To Brokerhenry: Do not be embarrassed about your tears. I can’t count the times I’ve seen Barack or his surrogates and their ads where I’ve been totally reduced, not just to tears but to silent sobs of pride, and yes joy. Finally, finally we live in a country which can find a brown man, this man, to be the best and the brightest in the land. It is so obvious to all but the most jaded and partisan of us that this is a very special time and we have found a very special person to lead us through this mine field of biblical proportions.

Thank you Sarah, I will continue to watch your stuff and hope that you make me laugh. And thank you Israel for your support the next President of the United States. God bless us all.

[LouisianaLiberal]

10:52 AM on 09/26/2008

I never was much of a Sarah Silverman fan. I guess it has something to do with, not just risqué humor, but toilet humor, which I’ve never found funny. But I keep watching her because I know that she is spot on sometimes and I don't want to miss it. And she nails it here! Today she speaks for me. Atta baby, Sarah!

To Brokerhenry: Do not be embarrassed about your tears. I can’t count the times I’ve seen Barack or his surrogates and their ads where I’ve been totally reduced, not just to tears but to silent sobs of pride, and yes joy. Finally, finally we live in a country which can find a brown man, this man, to be the best and the brightest in the land. It is so obvious to all but the most jaded and partisan of us that this is a very special time and we have found a very special person to lead us through this mine field of biblical proportions.

Thank you Sarah, I will continue to watch your stuff and hope that you make me laugh. And thank you Israel for your support the next President of the United States. God bless us all.

[avraamjack]

09:42 AM on 09/26/2008

.
Who is banging that chick ?
.

[starboymikey]

10:03 AM on 09/26/2008

Who is banging that chick ?
____________________________________

Not me ... unfortunately.

[avraamjack]

01:39 PM on 09/26/2008

.
Heh!
.

[scordsdu]

12:48 AM on 09/26/2008

Your wishes may come true at a huge cost to the taxpayers beyond Socialism. Senators Obama and McCain aren't the answer in 2008. It's amazing how emotional all the People and Foreigners are becoming about this election. Everyone must have a hurt wallet?

[Brokerhenry]

11:20 PM on 09/25/2008

I watched Sarah and I have to say that woman is hot hot hot!! and funny as well. Then I watched the 2nd one and I started crying. I was crying so hard my wife ran down to find out what was wrong. Then she watched and cried with me. I am black, she is white. I am 6'5", she is 6'8". And there we were crying like children. We made up our minds when Barack gave that speech at the convention. We said we would vote for him should he ever run for president. I am so proud of Barack Obama. My president.

[hotwire]

08:05 AM on 09/26/2008

Get a grip man!

[McFlipFlop]

09:10 AM on 09/26/2008

How sensitive of you, hotwire.

Enjoyed the story, Brokerhenry. GObama!

[TAHARQA]

10:45 AM on 09/26/2008

ur wife is 6'8"?????

[Brokerhenry]

07:14 PM on 09/26/2008

Yeah indeed. And I am not intimidated that she is taller than me man

[strifeknot]

11:12 PM on 09/25/2008

She's brilliant. Can't wait for the next season of the The Sarah Silverman Program.

[mrJJ]

11:09 PM on 09/25/2008

Politico has picked up on Palin's anti-semitic pastor

Witches and Israelites

I'd missed this line from that striking sermon preceding the blessing of Sarah Palin (against witches, and other things), which Andrew Sullivan, a noted Sarah Palin fan, catches:

The second area whereby God wants us, wants to penetrate in our society is in the economic area. The Bible says that the wealth of the wicked is stored up for the righteous. It's high time that we have top Christian businessmen, businesswomen, bankers, you know, who are men and women of integrity running the economics of our nations. That's what we are waiting for. That's part and parcel of transformation. If you look at the J-- you know J -- if you look at the Israelites, that's how they work. And that's how they are, even today.

Ah, those Israelites. They're gonna love that in South Florida.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0908/Witches_and_Israelites.html

[FebM]

10:14 PM on 09/25/2008

2000 GOP Primary - McCain Backs Out of Debate In California

sfgate.com — "With new polls showing his campaign dead in the water among California Republicans, Arizona Sen. John McCain has pulled out of a long-scheduled debate with Texas Gov. George Bush, set for Thursday in Los Angeles... Top campaign officials attributed McCain's decision to Bush's earlier reluctance to appear at the debate."

http://digg.com/politics/2000_GOP_Primary_McCain_Backs_Out_of_Debate_In_California

[lobear00]

09:46 PM on 09/25/2008

When you put Materialistic views, hordes of money, Lies, Deceit, Corruption, and the list goes on, you end up with the Republican,Conservative, Neocon party.

[Donnybroke]

09:25 PM on 09/25/2008

What a multi-untalented boor.

And, stop beating us over the head with your religion.

It doesn't make you funnier.

[Owlygirl]

07:42 PM on 09/25/2008

Looks like we need to start outsourcing our campaign ads.

This is the single most effective ad I've seen in a long time. Americans are so stuck in hyperbole that we've lost the effectiveness of simple sincerity. Thank God not everyone has.

[Skye]

07:42 PM on 09/25/2008

I would so love to see Lieberman watch both of these videos, especially the 2nd one.

[123dee]

07:26 PM on 09/25/2008

Sarah, you are funny, great job. The 2 clip was so moving; it has always sadden me to
see this saying on greeting cards just one season out the year.

------------------- "PEACE ON EARTH - GOOD WILL TOWARDS MEN"

Obama/Biden = Peace