Yechezkel Gordon: THE ENIGMA OF RICK SANTORUM

Dissatisfied Republicans have looked everywhere for an authentic conservative alternative to Mitt Romney, everywhere that is, except for the one place where it might already exist.

First there was Michele Bachmann who shot to the top of the GOP field with an impressive victory in the highly touted Iowa straw poll. But she soon found herself out of the spotlight when the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, made his highly anticipated entrance into the election.

The buzz for Perry was so strong in the media at first, that many commentators declared the election came down to Romney vs Perry. But Perry began to unravel in the GOP debates when his not so conservative views on illegal immigration and securing the border came to light. The intense scrutiny by the national media didn't help either, and before you knew it there was one negative story after the other on Perry. Conservatives started asking themselves, if Perry can't hold is own in a debate against his fellow Republicans, how can they expect him to fair any better against Obama. That's when a new conservative star was born.

To the surprise of most pundits, businessman Herman Cain won the Florida straw poll, propelling him to the front of most national polls alongside Romney. His credentials on fixing the economy were boosted with his previous experience as CEO of a national pizza chain, and his catchy "9-9-9" tax plan seemed to resonate with voters. But the Cain train was suddenly knocked off course when Politico reported that Cain had been accused of improper behavior with two previous female employers. The harassment allegations took on a life of there own, and before you knew it two more women stepped forward with similar claims.

The fall of Cain has led to the rise of former speaker of the house Newt Gingrich. And that's pretty much where the race stands today. Most polls have Romney and Gingrich leading the pack, with Cain rapidly falling and Perry nearly knocked out after his "oops" blunder in a debate when he forgot the third department of government he wanted to abolish. Ron Paul continues to have a steady showing of support by his loyal supporters, but his fringe policies make it unlikely he'll be able to widen his support base any further.

And that leaves us with Rick Santorum, a former Senator from Pennsylvania. Santorum is arguably the staunchest conservative in the race, with strong conservative values across the board. His strong support for Israel and hawkish approach to Iran is not simply an election gimmick, he has a solid twelve year record in the Senate that backs it up.

In an earlier interview with the Washington Post, Santorum explained his foreign policy credentials. “During my time on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I chaired a subcommittee that worked on all military procurement issues, helped transform the military and our intelligence system as well as delved into the issues facing our nation in the Middle East. That is how I came to authoring legislation to protect Israel from the threat posed by Syria and to assist pro-democracy movements in Iran. I worked with my advisers, but I also dove into the issues, learned about them, weighed the advice of divergent viewpoints and then came to my policy decisions. This is the combination of experience and intangibles that our next president needs, and it’s what I alone bring to the table.”

Santorum is also unique in his strong pro-life and pro-family policies. In short, he's a social and fiscal conservative with a hawkish foreign policy. He's has the experience and track record to back up his rhetoric, but for some reason he continues to show up at the bottom of every poll. Even in Iowa, where's he's spent the bulk of his time campaigning and visited all 99 counties, he only has 5% support in the latest poll. He's done well in the debates and has given three major policy speeches, but so far it hasn't helped.

Republicans are tripping over themselves trying to find a true conservative to take on Romney in the primaries and Obama in the general election, so why not give Santorum a chance. Let's see how he does under the bright glare of the media spotlight. Will he fumble on Libya like Cain did the other day? Does he have a strong moral past that can stand up to the controversy diggers in the media? There's only one way to find out. Ronald Reagan is no longer alive to save the Republican party and defeat Obama, but Santorum is. It's time to give him that chance.

Yechezkel Gordon: OBAMA'S UN SPEECH PROVES THE WHITE HOUSE IS PANICKING OVER LOSING THE JEWISH VOTE

In the history of pro-Israel speeches it wasn't that dramatic, in the history of Obama's speeches it was downright monumental!

President Obama has heard you loud and clear. You sent him a clear message earlier this month by voting for Republican Bob Turner in the special congressional election- well, today at the UN Obama has said message received.

Obama started off his speech at the UN by stating his opposition to a unilateral Palestinian state. “Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the United Nations -- if it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now. Ultimately, it is the Israelis and the Palestinians who must live side by side. Ultimately, it is the Israelis and the Palestinians -- not us -- who must reach agreement on the issues that divide them: on borders and on security, on refugees and Jerusalem,” he said.

Then he affirmed America's commitment to Israel's security, "America’s commitment to Israel’s security is unshakable," he said. "Our friendship with Israel is deep and enduring. And so we believe that any lasting peace must acknowledge the very real security concerns that Israel faces every single day." That was pretty much where the old Obama ended and the new Obama took over.

"Let us be honest with ourselves: Israel is surrounded by neighbors that have waged repeated wars against it," Obama said. "Israel’s citizens have been killed by rockets fired at their houses and suicide bombs on their buses. Israel’s children come of age knowing that throughout the region, other children are taught to hate them. Israel, a small country of less than eight million people, looks out at a world where leaders of much larger nations threaten to wipe it off of the map. The Jewish people carry the burden of centuries of exile and persecution, and fresh memories of knowing that six million people were killed simply because of who they are."

Israeli officials were extremely happy with the Presidents speech, and they all made sure to go out of there way and express it. Netanyahu called Obama's position a “badge of honor” and thanked him for “wearing that badge of honor.” Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman gushed about the speech saying, "I laud this speech and sign off on it with both hands. The president made two important points in his speech: first, that it is impossible to resolve the conflict in any international forum and second, he did not mention the issue of the 1967 borders. This was the speech of a friend and ally." Defense Minister Ehud Barak continued the Obama praise parade, "It has once again been proven to all the doubters that President Obama is an ally and friend of Israel. The Obama administration has lent its support to Israeli security in a broad, comprehensive and unprecedented manner."

The Palestinians on the other hand were fuming. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas could be seen shaking his head in disapproval during the speech, and afterwords his henchmen competed for ways to express their anger. "All that's left is for Obama to join the Zionist Congress," said a senior member of the Palestinian delegation. Another senior official said, "Americans massacred the Indians and now they identify with the massacre perpetrated against us by the Israeli occupation."

It seems like the true colors of the Palestinian Authority are starting to finally seep out of their carefully crafted suits and ties.

But before you start popping champagne or begin campaigning for Obama to win re-election, remind yourself that once Obama wins his second term, there's nothing stopping him from turning back into the original pro-Palestinian peace lover.