A Republican victory in the special elections to replace disgraced Rep. Anthony Weiner has caused some to ponder whether or not American Jews are deserting Obama and the Democratic party over its Israeli policy.
Haaretz
The turmoil in the wake of a special vote to elect a new representative for a New York City district seems to refuse to die away, with many seeing the upset Republican victory as an indication of a swing in the Jewish vote ahead of the 2012 presidential elections.
Retired media executive and political novice Bob Turner defeated Democratic state Assemblyman David Weprin in a special election Tuesday to succeed Rep. Anthony Weiner, a seven-term Democrat who resigned in June after a sex texting scandal.
But a big story coming out of the elections seems to be the fact that the once Democratic and Jewish stronghold has ceded power over to the Republican Party because of Obama’s policy toward Israel and the Middle East.
In a statement released following the Republican victory, the Republican Jewish Coalition said that the victory “in an overwhelmingly Democrat district is a significant indicator of the problem that President Obama has in the Jewish community.”
“While party leaders scramble to deny and try to stem the erosion of Jewish support for Democrats, the real issue is this President’s policies on Israel, on jobs, and on the economy,” the statement said, adding: “Jewish voters are coming to see that Republicans offer real solutions to our economic crisis, are resolute friends of Israel, and represent a way forward to a better future.”
Democratic Party Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz , however, countered Republican claims of a Jewish vote-swing, telling reporters that she was “confident that the President all over the country will receive once again an overwhelming majority of the Jewish vote, and this president has an incredibly strong credit on Israel and strong credit on domestic issues.”
The unexpected Republican win, and its supposed consequences in regard to Jewish support of the Democratic party, also garnered a response from the White House, with spokesman Jay Carney saying that the “special elections are often unique and their outcomes do not tell you very much about future regularly scheduled elections.”
“Are Americans in general anxious, not happy with Washington? The answer is yes. And I would say, as we’ve said, that every elected member of Congress — elected official, rather, who is up for election in 14 months needs to take that mood very seriously. And the President certainly does, because he knows he works for the American people — that’s why he’s out there pushing the jobs act. And he believes that members of Congress need to take it seriously as well,” Carney added.
Obama’s Israel policy seen as factor that cost him House seat
Bob Turner, who repeatedly criticized Obama on Israel, defeats Democrat David Weprin in district that is 40% Jewish
Did President Obama’s positions on Israel cost him a seat in the House? The Republicans have scored an upset victory in a House race that started as a contest to replace New York Rep. Anthony Weiner, who was forced to step down following a sex-texting scandal, but became a referendum on US President Barack Obama’s policies.
Retired media executive and political novice Bob Turner defeated Democratic state Assemblyman David Weprin on Tuesday in the special election to fill the seat vacated by Weiner, a seven-term Democrat who resigned in June.
According to the New York Times, Turner took advantage of the discontent among the Jewish community with Obama’s policy toward Israel and his conduct pertaining to the Middle East peace process.
Former Mayor Ed Koch, a Democrat, endorsed Turner in July as a way to “send a message” to Obama on his policies toward Israel. And Weprin was challenged on his support of a proposed Islamic center and mosque near the World Trade Center site, in lower Manhattan.
The heavily Democratic district, which spans parts of Queens and Brooklyn and is 40% Jewish, had never sent a Republican to the House. The race was supposed to be an easy win for Democrats, who have a 3-1 ratio registration advantage in the district.
A number of voters who spoke to the New York Times said that the Israel issue played a major role in their decision to support Turner, who was repeatedly critical of Obama on the subject of his policy towards Israel.
Turner, a 70-year-old Catholic, vowed to push back on Obama’s policies if elected. He received help from prominent Republicans including former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, whose much-praised stewardship of the city after the September 11 terror attacks was recalled during their 10th anniversary, last weekend.
The fact that Israel was an issue in the campaign came as a surprise, the Times reported, because Weprin is an observant Jew and avid supporter of Israel.
Orthodox Jews, who tend to be conservative on social issues, expressed anger over Weprin’s vote in the state Assembly to legalize gay marriage. In July, New York became one of six states to recognize same-sex nuptials.
