Mason takes on Silverman in Jewish comics' presidential video wars

Comedian objects to Sarah Silverman's claim that if people don't vote for Obama, they're bigots.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
sarah silverman yenta mason 88 (photo credit: )
sarah silverman yenta mason 88
(photo credit: )
In response to a video by Jewish comedian Sarah Silverman - in which she says she's going to blame the Jews if Democratic candidate Barack Obama loses November's American presidential elections - the Republican Jewish Coalition has released its own clip, courtesy of another famous Jewish comedian, Jackie Mason. "She has a right to her opinion," Mason says of Silverman in the new clip, "but for her to make her opinion so holy that you have to be somehow either a bigot or demented or an idiot, or that there's something wrong with you if you don't vote for Barack Obama - I know she means well, but she's confined by the thinking of all the actors in America." "Tell me one good reason to vote for him," he continues. "You noticed she didn't tell you a reason? She didn't tell you what he ever did for Jews... what he ever did for anybody else in his life... what he accomplished. "What did he ever do in life that makes him deserve to be president?" the comedian asks. "I didn't vote for John Kerry, does that mean I hate gentiles? Speaking over a klezmer backing track, Mason complains that people who don't back Obama are being made to feel that eschewing him is bigotry. "The fact that he accomplished nothing is the reason you're not voting for him," Mason argues, "and if that's why you don't want to vote for him, good luck to you." "I don't demand that you vote for [Republican candidate John] McCain," Mason says. But voters should back McCain if they think he's the right man for America, he adds. "Vote for what your conscience tells you," he urges. "Who's going to do best for this country? You're not a bigot and don't let her [Silverman] convince you that you are. She's a sick yenta [busybody] for mentioning it." In her pro-Obama video, which was viewed about a million times on its first day of release last week, Silverman urges younger Jews to visit their grandparents in retirement villages throughout Florida and encourage them to vote for Obama. Since visiting them could change the world, she declares, "you'd have to be a douche-nozzle not to." "If Barack Obama doesn't become the next president of the United States, I'm going to blame the Jews," she goes on. "I am." Most Jews are "the most liberal, scrappy, civil rightsy people there are," Silverman says. But that doesn't go for elderly Jewish Florida voters, whose votes helped defeat Al Gore two elections ago. "The Florida vote can make or break an election," Silverman continues, sitting on a couch with a painting of the candidate behind her. "I'm making this video to urge you, all of you, to schlep over to Florida and convince your grandparents to vote Obama. It can make the difference." Mixing in humor and expletives, Silverman attempts to assuage the concerns of the elderly Jewish voting bloc over Obama, asserting that his foreign policy is "much better for Israel," that he'll protect their social security and that he cooks a great brisket. "Barack Hussein Obama is a super f**king, sh*tty name," she allows. "But you'd think that somebody named Manischevitz Guberman might understand that." The name "Barack" means "lightning" in Hebrew, she notes, adding that she much prefers that to rival candidate McCain, whose first name means "toilet." Ultimately, though, Silverman tells her audience of young Jews that they don't need to use facts to win over their grandparents; instead, they can use threats: "If they vote for Barack Obama, they're going to get another visit this year," she suggests the beloved grandchildren should tell their old folk. "If not, let's just hope they stay healthy until next year."