Republican replaces the Oscar Meyer Congressman
New York Jews vote Republican: World officially ending
The reason why Jews vote Democrat after all these years is because, to quote my friend Larry Greenfield, “they still think it is FDR’s 20th term.”
Another explanation is that they need a medical procedure known as “cranial-glutial extraction surgery” to cure their liberalism affliction.
Yet every once in awhile the Jewish community supports Republicans. They do it quietly because liberals are such bullies that fear pervades those daring to stray from the leftist flank.
Conservative Republican Senator Al D’Amato in 1992 won 40% of the Jewish vote against Jewish Democrat Bob Abrams in a race D’Amato won overall 51-49%. D’Amato was a stalwart ally of Israel, but what also helped him was that elderly liberal Jewish ladies liked his work on breast cancer issues. Breasts are a sexy topic, but cancer is not. D’Amato took time to care about an issue most politicians never discuss, much less male conservative ones.
In 1993 Republican Rudy Giuliani became Mayor of New York City by promising to be tough on crime. Crime was out of control at the time, and he won by a razor thin margin.
Yet neither of those victories comes close to the shocking victory of Republican Bob Turner over Democrat Weprin in New York’s 9th Congressional District.
The seat that covers parts of Brooklyn and Queens is one of the most Jewish districts in the nation, and New York Jewish Democrats have controlled it for decades. Charles Schumer infected it for years before deciding that he could do more damage at the national level as a United States Senator.
His protege Anthony Weiner then took over the seat, although his left-wing tirades against Republicans were stressing him out to the point where he barely had time to be an Internet hound doggie. He resigned in disgrace after it was discovered that the only stimulus package he cared about advancing on America had nothing to do with anything financial.
Yet despite the Oscar Meyer Congressman resigning, the seat was expected to stay in the hands of another heir apparent, Jewish Democrat David Weprin. Mr. Weprin was uninspiring, but that was not expected to matter.
The narrative going around is that Jewish Democrats are finally waking up to the utter disaster that is Barack Obama. His hostile treatment of Israel finally caused Jews to wake up, stop acting like ostriches, and learn who their friends are. The Jewish migration to the Republican Party has begun, and the realignment is well under way.
Conservative Republicans like myself would be delighted by this scenario, except for one small problem.
It is not true.
Two influential Jewish Democrats crossed party lines, and one of them does support the theory of an anti-Obama protest. That would be former Mayor Ed Koch.
Mayor Koch is a Jewish Democrat, and he has crossed party lines before. He supported President George W. Bush for reelection in 2004. He said that he disagreed with President Bush on virtually every domestic issue, but the primary issue in the campaign was keeping us safe. Ed Koch loves Israel, and he knew President Bush did as well. Mayor Koch voted for President Obama but has been critical of his Israel stances while other Jewish Democrats like Weiner and Schumer cowered in the corner. In short, Weiner an Schumer were liberals first and Jews second. Ed Koch knows who he is, and that is a proud American Jew. He is not blinded by leftist ideology, making a crossover vote possible.
Yet with all due respect for Mayor Koch, he is not the most influential voice in that particular congressional district. The one politician everybody caters to in Brooklyn is Assemblyman Dov Hikind.
It may seem hard to believe that one assemblyman is so influential, but Dov Hikind is that big a deal. The Jewish Democrat is willing to cross party lines. When he was set to consider endorsing Rick Lazio for the Senate a decade ago, a panicked Hillary Clinton took her Suha Arafat-kissing lips to Brooklyn and puckered them to Hikind’s feet. He stayed neutral in the race.
One important thing to understand is that this congressional district is not just a Jewish district. It is an Orthodox Jewish district. Secular Jews are reflexively liberal. Orthodox Jews are religious. They are traditional. They do not lean hard left on social issues, and they actually understand that Radical Islamists are more dangerous than evangelical Christians. Secular liberal Jews vote on social issues. Orthodox Jews are passionate about Israel.
Yet that still does not explain the Republican victory, since Mr. Weprin is also an Orthodox Jew. His Israel credentials were not under attack. So how could Dov Hikind not only cross party lines, but cultural and religious ones as well? Why would he abandon his fellow Orthodox Jew and support a Christian in the race?
Mr. Hikind was crystal clear in what mattered to him. Orthodox Jews treat the Torah (Old Testament) as the word of literal word of God. They do not believe in an evolving Torah. They are the religious equivalent of strict constructionists. Despite being an Orthodox Jew himself, Mr. Weprin supported gay marriage.
Yes, as stunning as it sounds, gay marriage was quietly an issue in this race. Most Jews are secular, and support gay marriage. Orthodox Jews are against it. While Orthodox Jews are only 10% of the total Jewish population, they make up a large part of this one congressional district.
So while conservatives and Republicans should be delighted that Mr. Turner won, it would be a mistake to think that this means that the pathetic self-loathing liberal Jewish community has decided to grow a pair and stand up for their own people. They were obedient lapdogs for Barack Obama in 2008 and have been drinking from his puppy’s water dish ever since. He kicks them in the teeth, and they grovel at his feet, blame themselves, and beg him to like them since they worship him.
Jews who actually obey the laws and observe the traditions are receptive to Republican candidates. Yet “Seinfeld Jews” who think that being Jewish means eating bagels and watching “Curb Your Enthusiasm” have shown no inclination of changing.
The Republican Party should absolutely continue aggressive outreach. They should continue working with groups like the Republican Jewish Coalition, a group I deeply believe in and am proud to support.
Yet it would be foolish to misread this one fantastic election as a mass Jewish exodus rivaling the Passover miracle. Israel was not the issue in this race. Barack Obama is still allowed to abuse Israel and liberal Jewish voters because there is no evidence to suggest such behavior would have adverse consequences.
Nevertheless, it is a great day to be a Jewish Republican. Hineni. Here I am. I am Republican, Jewish, proud, and thrilled to see Bob Turner break the liberal Jewish stranglehold on the greatest area in the world, Coney Island in Brooklyn.
eric