Obama a curse in NY-9
If the Special Election currently going on in New York's 9th Congressional district is any indication, it's going to be tough to be a Democrat in Jewish districts in 2012 - even if you wear a kippa. New York’s 9th Congressional District (Brooklyn and Queens) is gearing up for the September 13, 2011 special election to fill the seat vacated by disgraced Democrat Anthony Weiner. Koppelman, a Holocaust survivor who has lived her American life in the district, is a devout Jewish mother and grandmother, with family in both Israel and America. Like many of her generation, she’s also a devout Democrat. Until now.Well, that's New York. There's no place else in the US that could happen. Right? Wrong.
“I have never voted for a Republican in my life” she says. But in this election, “I don’t even care who the Democrat is; I am voting Republican to show Obama I am upset with his policy on Israel.”
Koppelman is not alone. That attitude toward President Obama accounts in large part for the surprising emergence of Israel policy as a key issue between two pro-Israel candidates, Democrat David Weprin and Republican Bob Turner. They’re statistically tied in recent polls.
Turner, a no-nonsense businessman, Zionist and deficit hawk, is not only endorsed by pro-Israel stalwarts Rudy Giuliani and Rep. Peter King; he recently received a major endorsement from Democratic former mayor and outspoken Zionist Ed Koch.
Koch recently blasted Obama for “tying Israel’s hands by demanding that negotiations on borders begin with the 1967 armistice lines…. The President made no demands upon the Palestinian Authority. He did not demand that they recognize Israel as a Jewish state, if negotiations end successfully. Nor did he demand that Hamas, now part of the Palestinian Authority, forswear violence and agree to accept the Jewish state of Israel if negotiations conclude successfully. Nor did he demand that the PA state it will engage in land swaps. The President… has ended, in effect, the special relationship which began with president Harry S Truman.”
Koch argues that if the staunchly pro- Israel, heavily Jewish and reliably Democratic NY-9th elects a Republican, it will be a “political shot heard around the nation.” With Obama’s 2012 reelection at stake, a Republican win “will certainly get [Obama’s] attention” and possibly prompt a reassessment of his disturbingly harsh treatment of Israel.
This election also highlights a growing phenomenon: non-Jewish Republican candidates outflanking Jewish Democrats in their pro-Israel positions. The most notable example is Col. Allen West, a rising Republican African-American star, arguably the most fearless, unapologetically pro-Israel congressman from either party, who recently defeated incumbent Jewish Democrat Ron Klein in heavily Jewish South Florida.And why don't they just vote for the Jewish guy?
Turner has been profoundly critical of Democrats’ spinelessness in Israel’s defense. As one example, he cites Obama’s less-thansolid backing of Israel following last year’s Turkey-to-Gaza flotilla incident, while letting Turkey off the hook (the White House is still asking Israel to apologize): even those pro-Israel Democrats who spoke out merely “condemned Turkey, not our policies toward Turkey.”Maybe the Jews are waking up after all.
The pattern recurred in statements following last week’s lethal terror attacks and missile bombardment of southern Israel, where Weprin would only condemn the attacks themselves, but would not join Turner in criticizing Obama’s terror-enabling policies or his allowing of US tax dollars to be funneled to convicted Palestinian terrorists in Israeli jails.
Weprin, a career politician, is a nice enough man. He maintains that, as a Democrat, he can be more effective in changing President Obama’s position on Israel “from the inside.” Good luck with that. Congress is crowded with nice enough Jewish Democrats who, pro-Israel though they profess to be, can’t seem to find the words to push back against their president. What happens if Obama wins a second term, and is unconstrained by reelection or fundraising concerns?
Labels: Allen West, Barack Hussein Obama, Bob Turner, Campaign 2012, David Weprin
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:49 PM
3 Comments:
Well, maybe there are a few districts where it matters how Jews vote. Given that the Jewish population is maybe 6-7 million out of 330+ million, their vote numbers are a drop in the bucket. As has been pointed out, the issue is the $$'s donated to the Dem party by Jews. Just FYI, Jews are the largest donors to many symphonies, museums, food banks, etc. Jewish communal organizations actually have a hard time raising donations among Jews for Jewish causes. But, one can infinitely count on the Jews to donate megabucks to the (D) party and candidates.
This lady's concern is interesting, but what will matter is what the big donors do with their cash. Maybe they will, as always, dontate (D), maybe they will not donate at all (other than the pro forma on both sides re their business), or maybe they will donate big time to the (R) party, RJC, (R) candidates... that last would be putting their money where their mouth is. I wouldn't bet a plug nickel on them doing that. So, they'll talk a lot and do what they ALWAYS do. I hope they prove me flat wrong.
BTW, a reminder to U.S. Jews... we (still, as of today) have the secret ballot. You can say the regular and then go into the booth and vote the complete (R) ticket in order to break up the power of these people in office right now. By utilizing your secret ballot, you will avoid the phone calls of alarm coming in from family and friends nationwide, interventions, shunning, etc. that happens if you actually announce to your family and friends that you intend to vote (R) to get these bastards out of the govt. I don't think there is a way to do secret donations to the (R)s. So if you do that, you'll just have to take from your community. But kudos to you if you do any of this...
Well, those sophistocrats at New York magazine recently wise-cracked that GOP candidates are "willing to lie down in traffic for Israel..." Maybe even liberal Jews will start to realize that this sure beats a willingness to kick Israel to the curb and throw it under the bus.
Maybe it's more than Israel policy. BHO's economics have been a disaster. Liberal economic policies over the years have hit large cities the worst, and that's where most Jewish voters live. Perhaps abortion on demand is NOT as important as a stagnant economy and incalculable debt.
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