Political Stitch: Knitting for Obama

By Lana Gersten

Published October 16, 2008, issue of October 24, 2008.
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In the weeks after Sarah Silverman released her now infamous video urging voters to descend on Florida to persuade their grandparents to vote Obama, young Jews have carried out the mission, known as the Great Schlep, in many ways. Some 100 people actually did schlep down to Florida on a recent weekend to deliver last-minute pleas, the New York Times reported. Others picked up the phone to make their appeal and many used the Internet to spread the word. Lisa Anne Auerbach, an artist working in Los Angeles, was inspired to knit.

Auerbach produced a sweater and skirt set with a message. On the front, big white letters read, “My Jewish Grandma is Voting for Obama. Is Yours?” And on the back: “Chosen People Chose Obama.”

Although Auerbach, 40, is no stranger to political art (she made sweaters in support of John Kerry in 2004), she created this outfit to celebrate her grandmother — a 93-year-old who lives in Chicago, and who, without any persuasion, already loves Obama. Auerbach said that this particular design is also dedicated to all those Jews who are proud to vote for the Democratic nominee.

“There is obviously a concern by a younger generation of Jews that their grandparents might be the turd in the proverbial punchbowl, throwing the election to [McCain], voting against Obama due to misconceptions about his religion, ideas of Israel,” Auerbach said in an e-mail to The Shmooze. “That conversations over bingo and blintzes could change their minds is so lovely, so sweet, so important.” 

Auerbach completed her one-of-a-kind outfit last week, and it’s available through Gavlak, a gallery in — where else? — West Palm Beach, Fla.


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Comments
Leo Melamed Fri. Oct 17, 2008

I would like to applaud Sarah Silverman on her effort to remove old prejudices that might refelect on Sen. Obama. Clearly, a worthy effort. But in the interests of full disclosure, please make certain she tells her grandmother about Obama's pator, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who for 20 years while Sen. Obam was a member of the congregation spouted Anti-American, Anti-White, and Ati-Semitic idiocies.

ds Sun. Oct 19, 2008

Well sure, but as long as she’s at it she’ll have to also disclose McCain’s longstanding friendship with America-hating terrorist and convicted felon G. Gordon Liddy, and his palling around with America-hating, Jew-hating, white supremacist John Singlaub, and the fact that Sarah Palin didn’t say a word while a witchdoctor said Jews controlled the U.S. economy as he cast the evil spirits out of her, as well as the fact that she climbs into the sack every night with an America-hating fanatic that wants Alaska to secede from the United States. Yup, sure will be a lot to disclose, won’t there Leo?

Madame Defarge Mon. Oct 27, 2008

Who is wearing the skirt-the grandma or the granddaughter?

The One Mon. Oct 27, 2008

This is truly disgusting! ... Young foolish lefties with no concept of the real and present danger posed to the Israel and the Jewish people by Barak Hussein Obama. ... This is not "cute". ... It is sick ... Sarah Silverman is an antisemite, who makes her fame and fortune attacking the Jewish people! The serious "adult" issue in this election is a nuclear Iran. ... Obama will NOT bomb Iran's nuclear facilities, the result will be Tel Aviv incinerated, millions of murdered Jews, and the destruction of the State of Israel. ... These children have no concept of reality, or history, and are far too easily influenced by their youthful ignorance into joining their crowd's popular adoption of their black Messiah. ... They know nothing of the 1930's and how, while it is now may be too terrible to contemplate, a nuclear armed Iran means a second Holocaust. Since Iran's government has now endorsed Obama, and Hamas is working overtime to try to get him elected, perhaps these little "useful idiots" can join the Hamas phone banks which are also working overtime to get Americans to vote for Obama: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/128107

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