Political Insider: Note to John McCain: Odd Choice of Kippot
Posted By Adam DickterPolitical Insider: Note To John McCain: Odd Choice Of Kippot
In 20 years of covering politics, I've had the chance to see dozens of politicians take part in that awkward ritual that comes with campaigning at Jewish religious venues: donning a kippa.
There have been some interesting choices. The knitted version emblazoned with both the American and Israeli flags is popular, as are the black suede jobs with hand painted letters spelling out a politician's name and title in Hebrew. In 2001 Fernando Ferrer, then the Bronx borough president and a candidate for mayor, toured Crown Heights wearing a suede yarmulke emblazoned with the Yankees logo.
Just as often, at a synagogue event or a funeral, you see politicians topped off with the old standard: the disposable, black satin yarmulke found in every shul bin that inevitably unfolds pointy on top.
The conehead look of the latter may not be flattering, but at least it's honest. It means the wearers are expressing respect for another culture in a manner suggested by their hosts. Whether one wears a yarmulke, or what type they wear, says nothing about that person's character or their level of commitment to, or respect for Judaism. And yet so many non-Jews or non-observant Jews, especially when running for office, seem to think they will score extra points with the choice headgear supplied by their Jewish liaisons or consultants.
This week John McCain was photographed at the Western Wall sporting an elaborately embroidered white kippa.
According to JTA, he got it from his friend, traveling companion and speculative running mate Joe Lieberman, who is an observant Jew but rarely appears in public with a yarmulke, especially at political events. Lieberman, incidentally, was wearing an almost identical kippa in the photo.
"It's impressive to see that McCain understands the Jewish world enough to know that the cardboard yarmulke [given out at the Wall] doesn't cut it," says Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, a Jewish Week columnist who has written about the significance of kippot. "But he may be marching into treacherous waters not knowing which group he's identifying with. Every yarmulke tells a story, especially in Israel, where the style you wear indicates your political leanings."
Maybe McCain and Lieberman knew exactly what they were doing. The knitted kippa is frequently associated with the settler movement. Were McCain and Lieberman sending a message of solidarity to the settlers, many of whom are U.S. citizens who can vote in absentee ballots, and their supporters here?
Or perhaps they were just trying to show attention to detail, like wearing a geyabarra shirt in the Puerto Rico Day Parade or a green sweater on St. Patrick's Day.
In either case, it's pointless.
I doubt any archive has a picture of Ronald Reagan or Bill Clinton wearing a non-yarmulke-bin kippa, and they were surely the two most popular presidents among Jews.
That's because Jewish voters don't need a leader who tries to look or act like an Orthodox Jew at the right times.
An outwardly gentile leader in a dorky kippa who respects their sensibilities and understands their issues will do just fine.