Since Jake is a hot topic today, thought this was an interesting perspective from the Jewish Insider:
Auchincloss said his Jewish upbringing has impacted his political priorities in a number of ways, including leading him to focus on improving education programs on the Newton City Council.
“One thing that the Jewish community prizes [is] education and prizes science. I was raised in a household that held education and science in the very highest regard,” he said. “It was simply expected that one would use science to guide your decision-making, and also that one would do one’s utmost to excel in education.”
“I think being a Jew does make me appreciate, as well, the imperative to create a welcoming and inclusive body politic and society,” he continued. “Jews are always going to be subject to discrimination. And we as a people know that when society at large looks for a scapegoat, it’s oftentimes Jews who get picked. And so it’s made me acutely aware that all marginalized communities deserve to have their voices heard and deserve to feel fully welcomed and included in our civil processes.”
No, it’s not interesting. It might be if you quoted the other Jewish candidates, too. Or the other Christian candidates. Or the Muslim candidate.
Each candidate has their own story about how their formative years, including their religious backgrounds, influenced their trajectory and current beliefs.
Here you go again… this just proves how much Village 14 hates Jake Auchincloss. Oh wait… This is a puff piece that Bryan has posted perhaps because he’s feeling guilty that it’s all Jake all the time here (and he’s a nicer guy than Sean or me). As I noted on another thread, yes Auchincloss threads have dominated here but Village 14 isn’t unique. He’s getting the lions share of the media’s attention pretty much everywhere, for better or worse. And his competitors certainly talk about him more than any other opponent. It’s what happens to front runners, or perceived front runners. It’s what happens when you have a close contest and you go looking for someplace to peel off some votes.
I have this image stuck in my head of the other candidates turning to each other after reading this forum and asking “what am I, chopped liver?”
https://knowyourphrase.com/what-am-i-chopped-liver
So tell me why you are voting for Jesse? Or Becky? Or Dave? Or Ihssane? Or one of the others? Because thus far most of you (except Paul, who is voting for Jesse) has done much to convince the forum to vote FOR anyone. Just against Jake.
Honestly, many of the candidates blend together for me. I got recommendations from friends for 5 different candidates. The all Jake all the time just gets a bit old is all.
Ok, enough out of me. G-nite.
Fig, I have pretty much decided on Khazei because he has a solid public service record and I think he really wants to do the job vs, using it as a stepping stone. He has a long track record of doing good work and strikes me as pragmatic. I think he would well represent and related to the entire district which not only includes Newton and Brookline, but also Taunton, Attelboro, Fall River and New Bedford.
Also I don’t see him engaging in the identify politics which seems so rampant in the race. I really don’t care if someone is a mom, a marine, an epidemiologist. I care about what you have accomplished as a indicator of what you can and will do.
I don’t object to any of them. I am just for Khazei.
Agree, Claire. He’s a terrific person who has accomplished so much for the community and the country.
Jake is the front runner in this race. His opponents are gaining up on him so he is more than just the perceived front runner.
Jake’s base of support in southeastern MA is solid and that part of the district will provide his winning formula next Tuesday.
Peter, why do you think he is running so strong in southeastern MA?
I’d actually ask: How do you know? It could be true. But there have been very few public polls. And I’m not aware of any by region.
Jake seems to have a lot of support in deep blue Newton, so he probably leads by a large margin in moderate-blue Fall River and Taunton.
This is the only poll I have seen. It has a three way tie between Auchincloss, Grossman and Mermell
https://patch.com/massachusetts/brookline/4th-congressional-district-poll-puts-auchincloss-mermell-lead
Maybe this is an opportunity to clear up a few items about Ihssane Leckey who I continue to support in this race. A lot of people on this blog site know me and many disagree with some of the things I advocate and fight for in the political arena. But those who really know me will attest to the fact that the last thing I would ever do is support any candidate for any office that harbored ill will or animosity to any racial, religious or ethnic group. My ties and friendship with many Jews in Newton and beyond are too deep. I’ve said before and I’ll state it again. I would feel very uncomfortable living in any place where there wasn’t a vibrant Jewish population living as neighbors along side me.
That said, there are a few things you should know about Ihssane that haven’t been very well publicized. She is married to a Jewish man and they are raising a Jewish daughter. She is an active sister with the Salaam Shalom sisterhood, an organization that brings Jewish and Muslim women together to get to know each other and celebrate common values. In the face of many recent attacks on the Jewish and Muslim communities, they stood with other through attending vigils, shared tears and hugs and shared prayers at synagogues and mosques.
Efforts like this should not be dismissed as useless pie in the sky approaches to the Israeli Palestinian conflict. I would be a fool to claim that I have a solution, but some have asked me if the Northern Ireland peace process has lessons for this Middle Eastern conflict. In most respects it really doesn’t because there were no land disputes in Northern Ireland and you had some brave leaders on both sides that stepped forward to find a path out of 400 years of conflict. But the one thing with some commonality involves the Catholic and Protestant women of Northern Ireland and the women like Ihssane who have come together in the Salaam Shalom sisterhood.
Thanks, Bob. She sounds like a remarkable person.
@claire: Why is he running so strong in SE Mass? As you drive into Fall RIver you are greeted by an endearing symbol of America, the USS Massachusetts. The Battleship not only survived WWII without suffering a crew member death, but has a deeper story. The ship was built in the Fore River shipyard by Massachusetts residents and immigrants providing ship building labor such as my immigrant grandfather (at Quonset Point Shipyards).
After surviving the war, and facing scrapping, the residents of Massachusetts started a penny raising drive in the schools, and in the scouts. The 1960’s drive kept the ship from being scrapped and is the official Mass Memorial to WW II. Having grown up in SE Mass I can tell you that the ship represents the area, the working people, the many waves of immigrants who’ve come to the district for their dreams and families.
You’d be hard pressed to find a resident in that area that doesn’t have a family member, or a neighbor that either is a Veteran, or is currently serving.
They’re tough and resilient cities and the people seek a leader that represents their values, and their history. Jake should do well from Attleboro to New Bedford.
@ JimCote thanks. I didn’t know that dynamic. It also raises an interesting thought. There may be a large number of right leaning “unenrolled voters (aka Independents) who may opt for the Democratic ballot and cast a vote for a Marine. It hadn’t even occurred to me but that might be why Jake his highlighting the Marine angle.
Probably is smart strategy.
@James Côté, I wholeheartedly agree with you when you say that the people of the southern 4th district “seek a leader that represents their values, and their history.”
That’s why the majority of voters in towns like Berkeley, Dighton, Freetown, Rehoboth, and Swansea voted for Donald J. Trump.
And it’s also why the voters of Bristol County have repeatedly elected this sadistic, anti-immigrant, racist, birdbrain sheriff who, like Jake, is a strong defender of the right to wave and/or wear the Confederate flag.
Jake’s intervention in defense of Confederate flag waving, as well as his comments about burning the Quran and opposing Indigenous Peoples’ Day, have given him an undeniable advantage in Bristol County. Up in the northern yuppieville communities of the district, Jake has effectively distanced himself from his comments; down south, meanwhile, Jake’s winks and dog whistles greatly resonate among voters and will likely deliver him a district-wide victory a week from Tuesday.
(Also James, apologies for correcting you if it was just a typo, but New Bedford isn’t actually in MA-04, it was redrawn into the 9th (Cape Cod) district in 2013.)
@Michael: I’m not in with dismissing and criticing other Americans such as your comments, because no matter what one may think of others, this is a free country and despite liberal progressives thinking to the contrary you are free to vote for who you’d like, and say what you want. Remember the left brought us Donald Trump and we all pay for that.
I mentioned New Bedford since the mayor of that city recently endorsed a candidate in the MA 4.
@Michael: Having met Sheriff Hodgson… please don’t insult birds.
Brava Emily – so well said by you and Chief Sachem Wampatuck.