Comments on: George Allen Furious Over Jew Question (Video)

By: TofuPunk >> No one will ever build a monument to bloggers » Blog Archive » Yes, yes, yes! Order of the Phoenix pics!

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 22:12:55 +0000

[...] * The implosion of George Allen’s political career is fascinating, and has taken some bizarre turns, but one journalist asks, where were his critics before? [...]

By: Marvin Wasserman

Marvin Wasserman — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 17:39:35 +0000

What is clear is that the Allen campaign is now is overdrive trying to debunk suggestions that he knew his mother was Jewish. As John Mecurio of the Hotline has noted,"If it was discovered that Allen knew this family history, but attempted to keep it under wraps for whatever reason, it could do great harm to any political campaign. He’d face serious questions, in the wake of the Macaca incident and his history with the Confederate flag, of whether he’s both racially prejudiced and anti-semitic. Given the intensely pro-Israel sentiment that exists in this country today, that could be a huge political liability — but on the other hand, if this is something he discovers and promptly reveals about himself, and does so with a sense of pride in his family history, I don’t think he’d face much backlash at all.” In her book, "Fifth Quarter," his sister, Jennifer Allen, does not explictly state that her mother was Jewish, does gives hints, such as her father's detention in North Africa by the Nazis, her not being married in a Catholic Church because of her refusal to commit to raise their children as Catholics, and her refusal to participate in the Catholic mass. Compare Allen's reaction to his "finding out" about his Jewish roots to the grace of Madeline Albright and the pride of Wesley Clark. In Allen's mind it was "casting aspersions!" Much of what we previously knew about the family was written by his sister, Jennifer Allen, in her book "Fifth Quarter: The Scrimmage of a Football Coach's Daughter."

By: PoliBlog: A Rough Draft of my Thoughts » ‘Mom, there’s a rumor that Pop-pop and Mom-mom were Jewish and so were you,’

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 15:33:38 +0000

[...] In regards to the flap the other day about the Jewish question emerging at a debate (details and video here), James also said: As a secularist, perhaps I’m just naive here. I honestly don’t see what the fuss is all about. The question strikes me as mildly weird (Allah’s title nails it: “Reporter asks Allen: So, are you a Jew or what?”) but hardly offensive. [...]

By: andrew

andrew — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 13:12:46 +0000

"It is clear that he has spent his entire career trying to hide his background."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/20/AR2006092001965.html

By: Marvin Wasserman

Marvin Wasserman — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 04:49:48 +0000

As a Jew, I have to say that I was far more offended by Allen's response than the question itself. It is clear that he has spent his entire career trying to hide his background. This, more than anything else, made him vulnerable to this kind of question. Instead of responding by refusing to answer the question and charging the reporter with "casting aspersions," he just should have answered truthfully. By assuming his supporters are anti-Semitic and thereby attempting to continue the cover-up, he justifies and allies himself with his supporters' bigotry and confirms his intent in his "maccaca" remark.

By: The Urban Grind » Blog Archive » On Senator George Allen’s Gaffes

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 03:53:04 +0000

[...] Outside the Beltway sums up what bloggers think of all this. [...]

By: DC Loser

DC Loser — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 18:52:11 +0000

I guess the Jewish Daily Forward (the publication which outed Etty Allen) is also involved in Jew-baiting.

http://www.forward.com/articles/alleged-slur-casts-spotlight-on-senator%e2%80%99s-jewis/

By: DC Loser

DC Loser — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 18:24:14 +0000

I guess he was afraid he'd lose the loony left vote, huh?

By: andrew

andrew — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 18:05:29 +0000

And what’s the big fuss anyway if the electorate in rural VA doesn’t care about it?

The big fuss is the Jew baiting. Rural VA doesn't care about whether or not he's a Jew, the loony Left does, however.

By: DC Loser

DC Loser — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 17:51:40 +0000

I'm projecting??? You're the one who says this is Jew baiting? Or is Allen the one who's denying his own identity? How does this appear to a Jewish person? And what's the big fuss anyway if the electorate in rural VA doesn't care about it?

By: andrew

andrew — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 14:45:06 +0000

"So, therefore, you have proof that Allen thinks this support base is in fact, antisemitic." You're projecting here. The angry reaction is due to the Jew-baiting. The Leftists who support that kind of thing, think it's important because it's in the South and they think that Southerners=bigots. That aspect makes the sliminess twice as bad.

By: Anderson

Anderson — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 13:53:06 +0000

We had a constable indicted for being a peeping tom, who was running for reelection, and left a charming flyer on everyone's doorknob the Sunday before the election, emphasizing his opponent's being a ... gasp ... Jew!

He lost handily, is now in jail, and our Jewish constable appears to be doing just fine.

So a few mouth-breathers may think a Jew can't win in the South. But why any of us should vote for said mouth-breathers is, um, unclear.

By: DC Loser

DC Loser — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 12:21:24 +0000

Andrew, let's just assume you are correct in your statement. It takes two to tango in that case, and Allen's reflexive reaction to it demonstrates that it is indeed a handicap to admits to being linked to Judaism, in his and his campaign's eyes. So, therefore, you have proof that Allen thinks this support base is in fact, antisemitic. In order to invalidate the idea that his supporters are antisemitic, all Allen had to do was embrace his heritage from the beginning, instead of this angered accusations of "aspirtions" and "character assassination."

By: andrew

andrew — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 11:50:08 +0000

"The obvious conclusion is that Allen and his supporters think that being Jewish is some sort of a handicap in Virginia."

No, actually the obvious conclusion is that the Left thinks that Southerners=bigots, therefore we should expose Allen's Jewish lineage to damage him among the electorate. That, along with the Jew-baiting is why it was offensive.

By: Jack Rich

Jack Rich — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 01:26:01 +0000

I'm Jewish by birth. I'm a Republican; that one is learned behavior...I live in Virginia, and have voted for George Allen before. But may not again.

These responses from him, his campaign, and his supporters (cited by commentor Michael above), now make it likely I will hold my nose and vote for Jim Webb:

1. refrain from "making aspersions".
2. a plot to smear Allen with innuendo
3. attempt to “tar” Allen as a Jew.

The obvious conclusion is that Allen and his supporters think that being Jewish is some sort of a handicap in Virginia.

Allen's later responses are now back to the overly programmed political machine that he is. Except that he is just so busting with pride about his "Jewish heritage."

No. The gut reactions are usually what gives you a clue to a man's character. His gut reaction was to deny any Jewishness.