New York – Assemblyman David Weprin is blaming President Obama for his stunning 54–46 percent loss to former television executive Bob Turner on Tuesday, claiming that he would have won the southern Brooklyn district if the Commander in Chief was doing a better job — yet many say the Democrat sunk his own ship with several campaign missteps, as well as his refusal to shave off his 1970s-style mustache.
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“[The election] turned into a referendum of the President and I was an unfortunate consequence,” Weprin (D–Queens) said during a Monday-morning quarterbacking session with this paper on Wednesday. “If this election happened when the president’s poll results were better, I could have turned this around.”
It would have been quite a feat: Weprin lost the Brooklyn side of the bi-borough district — with just 33 percent of borough voters pulling the lever for him — in the fight for disgraced Rep. Anthony Weiner’s seat. As the final numbers were tallied, Weprin was trailing by more than 4,000 votes on both sides of the district.
Weprin called Turner to concede the special election and congratulate his opponent on Wednesday morning. The victor acknowledged the President’s role in the election, according to Turner.
“He said ‘The election wasn’t about you or me. It was beyond both of us.’ ” Weprin recalled.
Chaim Deutsch, president of the Flatbush Shomrim patrol, said Orthodox Jewish voters were outraged that Weprin — an Orthodox Jew himself — voted for gay marriage earlier this year.
“This race was less about Turner and more about gay marriage,” Deutsch said. “[Weprin] not only voted for gay marriage, but he posed with them and went to the gay pride parade. He went out of his way to show that he supported gay marriage, that’s why Orthodox residents went against him.”
Sheepshead Bay Democratic District Leader Michael Gellar said that when Weprin did focus on the issues, he spoke about how the GOP-controlled Congress wanted to cut Social Security and Medicare — subjects that voters quickly tuned out.
“[Weprin] kept carrying on that Turner wanted to get rid of Medicare and Social Security. That would have worked a few months earlier when it was in the news — like it did when [Democrat] Kathy Hocul won a Republican seat upstate,” said Gellar. “But that was a one trick pony you can’t use over and over. People will start to resent you for it.”
Another problem was as clear as the mustache on Weprin’s face — the Assemblyman should have shaved his ’stache, Gellar said.
“Politicians usually don’t have facial hair, because it looks like your hiding something,” Gellar explained. “Mustaches and beards stop people from seeing the real you.”
“Politicians usually don’t have facial hair, because it looks like your hiding something.”
Are you kidding me?! (lol) If people were turned off by Weprin just because of his mustache… heaven help this country!
*smacking my forehead*
The gay-marriage issue is one thing…. but I would sincerely hope that there aren’t people THAT ignorant out there, who would worry about a candidates facial hair, as opposed to his positions. Or worry about the “talking points”, rather than what’s really going on w\the poor & middle class.
I can respect the fact that people didn’t like that he was in support of gay marriage… however, a lot of the frum Yidden who voted for Turner might end up w\”buyer’s remorse”, once a lot of the social programs they depend on begin to go into extinction!
As always… be careful what you wish for!
I agree
He looks a little like the principal in Ferris Beulers day off
This Dems will blame everything except themselves.
I agree with the mustache as well. He looks like a dope with it.
should also have removed his ridiculous toupee.
I didn’t vote for him because of those pins on his jacket.
It was the cheap toupee on his head!
He’s wearing a hair piece, forget about the mustache.
Welcome to the Blame Game. Just like Obama, the Democrats blame everyone but themselves for their failures. The reasons Turner won are obvious:
1. Obama’s incompetence and, by extension, the Democrats’. These days Democrats are considering voting Republican since they aren’t Democrats;
2. Those opposed to Obama’s stance on Israel didn’t believe Weprin would oppose Obama enough on Israel;
3. His support of gay marriage hurt him badly with Orthodox Jews and religious Catholics.
Even his moustache got its share of blame. But oddly enough, there may have been some truth in that. When Harry Truman defeated Thomas Dewey and became President, Dewey’s moustache was blamed in part. In those days at least, a moustache made people subconsciously react as if a person couldn’t be trusted.
I didn’t vote for him because he’s not in my district. Not because of his hair or lack of it. Turner’s hair or lack of it, isn’t anything to write home about either.
LOL
you guys are merciless !!!
They are looking for excuses. He lost because the folks are getting smart to the socialist liberal agenda AND because Weprin voted for the marriage bill while also being a complete m’chutzif with his ” I’m not running for Rosh Yeshiva” comment.
Weprin is a nice fellow, guilty of making a fatal error. I met Weprin at a fundraising barbecue back in July, and as we shook hands, the first thing I said to him was, ‘How could you vote for legalizing gay marriage. Most of your constituents certainly are against it, this might cost you votes’.
His reply, ‘my constituents care mostly about my pro-Israel record’.
That said, Jews have always blindly voted for the Democratic party, from time immemorial. Alas, times have changed and the Democratic party of today doesn’t remotely resemble the party it was years ago. The democrats of today, have been veering to the extreme left for some time now.
It’s certainly time for us to rethink our priorities as citizens of this great country and to look ahead and see where our country is going economically, politically and otherwise and to decide which of the major parties are more closely aligned with our goals, outlook and direction and not necessarily always vote for Democratic candidates simply for nostalgic reasons but to pick the right person regardless of party affiliation.