https://nypost.com/2021/05/12/andrew-yang-apologizes-for-pro-israel-tweet/
Local Jewish leaders were largely unfazed by Yang’s revisions.
“It’s definitely not going to hurt him,” said Brooklyn government relations consultant Ezra Friedlander, who is backing Yang’s opponent Scott Stringer.
“He expressed his support [for Israel] and I think people appreciate that,” Friedlander said.
David Greenfield, who runs the Manhattan-based Jewish charity Met Council, said the criticism of Yang was unfair.
But his clarification that he cares about Palestinians while also supporting the State of Israel is “the viewpoint of most people of good conscience,” said Greenfield, who hasn’t made an endorsement for the June 22 election.
Yang has received backing of key leaders in the city’s politically powerful orthodox Jewish community including Brooklyn pols Councilman Kalman Yeger and state Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein.
This is a legacy of the Bush II years when liberal hatred of Bush was so strong, not having an opinion was tantamount to liking him. Either you hated Bush or you too were evil like him. This carried over to Obama and then to Trump - if you didn't hate them you were as despicable as them. Same thing here: if you try to see both sides of the situation, you're pro-Israel and must be silenced!
ReplyDeleteYes, progressively more polarized, but started getting so far earlier. Started with JFK & Nixon, and skipped the occasional -- and single-term -- White House occupant (Ford, Carter, Bush Sr.), but with each new admin of either side the ideological division in this nation just got worse & worse....
ReplyDeleteLooked like it might abate under Bush Sr., who dialed the Right back some from Reagan, but then Clinton ousted him, rattled nerves even though economically he was a centrist (just couldn't tone down the 60s post-JFK music that swirled about him), and 2yrs later Gingrich came on the scene. Ugh. Ever since it's been one big mutual fear-/hate-fest.
The bloodiest battleground of note? SCOTUS nominations, where the Left first shed blood for all to see, and now with McConnell having followed suit, well.... Doesn't bode well.
The rift has been tearing at the politics of this country for over 50yrs!!!
Yes, Clinton is a good example. He really was more centre than left, he worked with the Republicans when they brought in the Contract For America and still got nothing but hate.
ReplyDeleteWho would have thought we'd be wistfully looking back on that time as civilized, and even quaint?
ReplyDeleteYes, especially interest is the (non-)contrast of Clinton with his Republican predecessor: he & Bush Sr. had largely overlapping policies that each presented in a cultural face opposite to that of the other. In fact, when was the last time you remember a President including in his administration members of the opposite party? Well, they both did! Quaint, right?