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The Spectacle Blog
Bob Turner’s victory in the early hours of this morning in New York’s Ninth Congressional District is certainly in part a rebuke of President Obama’s overt hostility towards Israel.
But does Turner’s triumph represent a turning point for Jewish voters at large when it comes to President Obama? I’m not so sure.
The other night Dick Morris told Bill O’Reilly that a Turner victory would be as big a shock as Scott Brown winning here in Massachusetts last year. Yet Brown didn’t fair so well in communities with large Jewish populations like Newton and Brookline. Granted while Brown did increase his share of the GOP vote, Martha Coakley beat him by a greater than a two to one margin in Newton (67% to 32.4%) and nearly a three to one margin in Brookline (74.1% to 25.3%). I can’t see Brown replicating those modest numbers against Elizabeth Warren, never mind Setti Warren (who is Newton’s mayor and is also seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate.)
As John Tabin has noted, Turner received a lot of support from Orthodox Jews (as well as Russian Jews.) As both Jim Antle and John Guardiano have noted, New York’s recent recognition of same sex marriage also played a role in Turner winning last night. Well, Orthodox Jews tend to be a more conservative lot so it isn’t a surprise they would have an antipathy towards gay marriage than the more secularly inclined, Reform Jews here in the Bay State. Or put another way, don’t confuse Brookline with Brooklyn.
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More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/09/14/is-turner-a-turning-point-for
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Sean| 9.14.11 @ 5:46PM
I doubt it his hard core followers are blacks, Jews and single women. The good news for Republicans though is that all they need is to take away a few percentage points away from those groups. I can see maybe that instead of voting Republican they may just not vote.
Trinacria| 9.14.11 @ 5:54PM
Are you skipping school today?
Clint | 9.14.11 @ 7:02PM
Trina is skipping around her school.
Trinacria| 9.15.11 @ 1:11PM
Clint, bra, why you dissin' me? I'm drinkin' the coolaid too, bra. C'mon, dude, we've got to like stick together to support the revolution. We can't hoist the rightuous Dr. Paul on our shoulders and march to our promised Utopia if we don't stand together. Seriously, bra, keep your eye on the prize - we have to stick it to the man; not to each other! Keep the faith, hombre!
VIVA LA REVOLUCION
OPEN THE BORDERS
PASS THE DOOBIE
PAUL 2012
Lullabys, Legends and Lies| 9.14.11 @ 7:05PM
Is Turner a turning point for Jewish voters? Simple answer, Yes!!
This isn't NY-23 in 2009, when a Democrat won in a solid Republican District. In that election, the so-called Republican, who was hand picked by the very weak New York State GOP, Dede Scozzafava dropped out in the last days before the election, and then she shockingly, she backed the Democratic Candidate over the Tea Party Candidate (who was also a Republican).
That's why Doug Hoffman lost!!
Nor is this NY-26 from last year, when another Democrat won in another solid Republican District. In that case, a "fake" Tea Party Candidate won 9% of the vote, so that the Republican in the race lost that seat 47% to 43%.
That's why Jane Corwin lost!!
Yesterday's election had a third Party Candidate in it too, but in a District with a "3" to 1 Democratic Party registration advantage, this third Party Candidate didn't effect anything (actually the last time I looked, he didn't even get 1%). The Democrat is this case lost, not because of the Tea Party, or some Green Party Candidate, he lost because the Jewish vote turned on him in mass. Now why did they do this? That's easy, President "I've turned my back on Israel" Obama made them turn on the Democrats, and no matter how they try to spin this loss, this election was all about the President.
That's why David Weprin lost!!
Will any one of these three win their seats again next year? Probably not, unless there's more shenanigans in those respective Districts again!! But mark my word, the Jewish vote will "never" be as high as it was for the Democratic Party again, as it was when they voted for President Obama in 2008, because once bitten, twice shy!!
Jews aren't dumb, but the Democratic Party is!! And I hope they don't learn a thing from this!!
Jack in Wi.| 9.14.11 @ 11:13PM
I used to live in a heavily Jewish community for many years. Most of my neighbors would vote for the Democrats even if it made no economic sense. I think most will vote for Obama because they think that they are sophisticated liberals and wouldn't vote for a hick like Perry in a million years. They don't like the evangelical component of the Republican base. No matter how hard McCain and Bush kissed the Lobby's keester. They never got over 20% of the Jewish vote.
Obama has always been heavily influened by Jewish advisors and supporters. He was always a favorite of the Jewish section of the Chicago machine. He was and is nurtured by them to this day.
I explain the vote in New York by a large turnout number of more conservative Orthodox voters and a boycott by the more liberal voters. The Democrats ran a terrible candidate for the job. Obama and his managers have gotten the message. Expect more huge groveling by Obama to the group that gives him a large part of his campaign funds and most of their votes.
beebop| 9.15.11 @ 5:32AM
They will stay home.
ACynic| 9.15.11 @ 8:36AM
You are 100000% correct.
Most jewish voters are agnostic or reformed jews; they are wed, shackled, welded to liberal progressivism like white on snow. And they will always vote for the democrats; even if it is suicidal for jewish americans and for Israel.
C Bowen | 9.14.11 @ 7:39PM
This blog post come around at least once a year, and we are all suppose to celebrate that interest for a country not their own is the big determining factor.
I'd like to believe gay marriage was the deciding factor, but I will need to see some actual exit polling data which seems to be lacking with all these pronouncements.
Don't get fooled again.
Trinacria| 9.15.11 @ 1:15PM
You'd like to believe gay marriage was the deciding factor? REALLY?
Dear God, we really are screwed. All the catastrophic shit happening right before our very eyes and GAY MARRIAGE is the deciding factor?
C Bowen | 9.15.11 @ 4:01PM
Perhaps you missed the point.
The alternative did is that an un-assimilated group bestowed with citizenship and the right to vote, basis its decisions on policy towards a country not their own, serving two masters.
That is nothing to get excited about, and has not served the Republicans well, if the neocons quite well.
Anthony| 9.14.11 @ 9:16PM
No. And because the Jewish population in the US is so small-about 2%- it doesn't really matter.
Jack in Wi.| 9.14.11 @ 11:26PM
The reason that the Jews matter so much to the Democrats Anthony is that they provide up to 60% of the parties funding. The votes they control are not 2% but about 4%. that is because they are usually older voters and vote heavily. They also live in states where there votes could decide elections in the Electoral College that were swing. That is no longer so much true. Except in Florida, or possibly Penn. their vote isn't as vital any more. Ill., New Jersey, New York, Mass., California, and Conneticut are no longer considered swing states.
The big question is why the Republicans continue to grovel to the Israeli Lobby? Most Jewish money and votes goes to the Democrats. The Jewish members of Congress are usually the most rabid liberals and pro-abortion people in Congress. Conservatives get nothing for supporting Israel, but grief. So why the hell do it?
Simon Templar| 9.15.11 @ 1:01AM
Because conservatives do not see people as voting blocks and have a greater view of history and a deeper set of principles. They also realize that if they abandon alliances with nations that share the same values, principles of freedom and free markets, and economic and political forms to a common enemy, it will inevitably result in our own destruction and work against our national interest. We do not grovel to anyone.
Doctor Right | 9.15.11 @ 6:56AM
Real Conservative Patriots support America First & don't grovel to foreign agendas & allow The Tail to Wag The American Big Dog.
Simon Templar| 9.15.11 @ 12:30PM
I think I just said that. We do make alliances and we do face common enemies. That is reality. The problem today is we treat our friends like shit and our enemies come first and wag our tails.
I hope you are not implying that I am not a patriot.
Simon Templar| 9.15.11 @ 12:51AM
The following should have been enough to create a turning point for all Jewish Americans the first time it happened. It did not. Why the stubborn refusal..why the willful ignorance...why the continued support for the LEFT and the democratic party?
"Jewish civil rights group warns Columbia University about entertaining the Iranian president...again."
I would like you to imagine for a moment if the Heritage Foundation had invited this Jew hater Dictator for lunch and an opportunity to speak?
This is indeed a very strange world we live in.
bert| 9.15.11 @ 9:06AM
Aaron , you forgot the Brown race was BEFORE the Soros Muslim Marxist unveiled its lets destory Israel plan and the rise of the radical Brotherhood in Cairo which the Soros Muslim Marxist regime helped support.The ongoing Islamic radical Muslim spring has put the rational American Jews in a state of panic over Israeli future under a Muslim raised Marxist For crying out loud evil Jew haters Samatha Powers and her radical husband Sustein work for this Jew hating regime.
Sanity 101| 9.15.11 @ 10:49AM
OF COURSE IT WAS THE MARRIAGE ISSUE THAT FLIPPED THIS TO TURNER.
THE ORTHODOX COMMUNITY MOBILIZED AND SENT MORE PEOPLE TO THE POLLS THAN EVER BEFORE TO FIGHT WEPRIN AS HIS VOTE FOR SAME SEX MARRIAGE WAS A MAJOR EMBARRASSMENT TO ORTHODOX JEWS.
ALL THE MAJOR ORTHODOX JEWISH PRESS WAS PUBLICLY ALIGNED AGAINST WEPRIN BECAUSE OF HIS VIEWS.
THIS WAS A GREAT DAY IN JEWISH HISTORY AS THE JEWS VOTED FOR TORAH VALUES EVEN AGAINST ONE OF THEIR OWN LOST BROTHERS. MAY WE CONTINUE TO SEE THIS LEVEL OF IDEALISM!!
james wilson| 9.15.11 @ 11:10AM
There are no turning point for Jewish voters. There are point at which they pause.
mzk1| 9.15.11 @ 1:19PM
Actually, unless things have change, Brookline has the largest Orthodox community in New England. Of course, they aren't the only group there. Even Northwest Baltimore, where I used to live, the most heavily Orthodox place in the U.S., we aren't a large enough percentage to make a serious difference. The big cities, particularly Brooklyn/Queens, are somethign else.
P.S. Since when did the Chicago machine even HAVE a Jewish component? Jews have traditionally been frozen out of the Chicago machine. But anyone following Jack knows he speaks nonsense.
mzk1| 9.15.11 @ 1:21PM
He wasn't a "lost brother". He is a religious Jew, which made it all the more important for the other religious Jews to take a stand.
mzk1| 9.15.11 @ 1:27PM
Simon, haven't you seen Jack's posts before? He isn't worth arguing with. It's just another version of the "Jewish conspiracy theory".
The so-called "Israel lobby" was pretty small, until the Left started attacking it. Then all of the pro-Israel people said, "what is this AIPAC thing, anyway", and started giving them money. I remember when this happened; I even remmeber the anti-AIPAC cartoon in the NY Times Book Review (Or NY Review of Book? I was quite young.)
Why do most Jews vote this way? Why did the National Council of Churches try to deport Elian Gonzales? Because the religion of the religious Left (which most Jews joined due to American assimilation) IS Liberalism.
mzk1| 9.15.11 @ 1:30PM
I'm not sure whty this is seen as a change, except that they blamed a pro-Israel assemblyman for being the same party as an anti-Israel candidate.
Religious Jews, at any rate, will vote against a clearly anti-Israel President, whether his name is Ford or Carter or Bush I or Obama. (Yes, I voted for Clinton the first time. I publically apologize.)
davod| 9.15.11 @ 2:51PM
This election came just in time for Israel. Now the Obamites will have to be more circumspect in their efforts to help the Israeli left destroy Israel.
TajSF| 9.15.11 @ 5:17PM
Gay marriage is a non-issue because they are electing a representative to the US House who can't do anything about that, not a member of the NY Legislature. The election strictly has to do with getting someone into the House that would defend Israel against Obama. The economy also is a huge factor, Obama and the democrats are clueless and the voters want them out.