Thompson Faces Tough Orthodox Electorate At Campaign Stop In Midwood

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thompsonBy J. Kornbluh

[Video below.] This was not the typical campaign stop for a candidate running as a favorite in becoming the next mayor of New York City. While Democratic mayoral hopeful is viewed as a favorite by the rank and file in the Orthodox Jewish community, voters are less inclined to support him, at least some who have beef with the issues he has expressed his position on, during the campaign for mayor.

At a brief late-night campaign stop outside Landau’s shul in Midwood, Mr. Thompson faced a tough crowd of voters who wanted to know what he’ll do to keep crime down, help Yeshiva parents with tuition relief, ease the burden of small business owners and lower the costs of parking tickets. Mr. Thompson nodded his head in response, trying to ease the tension by promising it’ll all be good if elected mayor.

“I’m just concerned as many of my friends are,” one voter confronted Mr. Thompson. “Crime has never been so low. Stop and Frisk is effective. When we’re going to cut that out and all of a sudden see crime go crazy, then we’re going to have the mayor say ‘You know we got to allocate $100 million for a study why crime is going up again?’ You don’t want to see that. We had the good years of Giuliani, Bloomberg kept that up and we gotta keep that.”

“It is not going to happen. We don’t have to do that,” Mr. Thompson responded in a low tone voice.

Another voter argued for segregated beaches for the growing Orthodox Jewish population. “When are we going to have separate swimming beaches in New York? So the religious community would have a place where the children can go and swim. When is that going to happen?” the voter pressed. Mr. Thompson, not willing to alienate his base, had nothing to say other than we are committed for a civil society.

Strolling along Ave. L, Mr. Thompson was followed by a voter who wanted to hear specifics on what his stance is on tuition relief for parents struggling to make ends meet and collapsing under excessive tuition costs. “I know you don’t support vouchers, but you wouldn’t support some type of financial backing to help alleviate where most of us would not be able to send our kids to public schools? Maybe bigger tax breaks or tax credits. That’s a huge thing in the community.”

Mr. Thompson diverted the conversation in explaining that it would open the door to funding not only yeshivas but all private and parochial schools. “All of a sudden I’ve opened the door, and I can’t limit it. I can’t say just for Yeshivas. It’s a huge door that you wind up opening. I realize I’m helping working people and just average middle class people, but I’m also opening the door for some very wealthy people,” he said. The voter was not impressed. “There’s got to be some middle ground,” he further pressed.

At some point, Mr. Thompson was also confronted by a voter who wanted know whether he agrees with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie who signed a bill banning so-called gay conversion therapy, also known as reparative therapy, or the practice of trying to change a person’s orientation for the better. “Because Christie has said, that all of the studies have shown that it is not real,” a stumbling Thompson responded, while the voter insisted it is real. “The Rabbi said people have success with it,” the guy insisted. >At that point, Mr. Thompson, accompanied by some community leaders, took his campaign to a more friendlier environment – Pomegranate Supermarket, two blocks away. Mr. Thompson was greeted there by a more friendlier crowd who wished his success in his bid for mayor of New York City.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO.

Courtesy of JACOB KORNBLUH – NYC ELECTS

{Matzav.com Newscenter}


11 COMMENTS

  1. Bill Thompson is a Democrat, and as such has liberal views on issues pertaining to education, stop and frisk and others. It’s not fair for people to demand of him to support their conservative views.
    If they want a conservative, they can vote for one of Republican candidates for mayor.

  2. Kudos to those who spoke frankly and honestly to him instead of flattering him like some self appointed ‘leaders’

  3. Erick Salgado, Democratic candidate for mayor of NYC, is the only candidate of either party for mayor who stands for traditional values, and has received the endorsement of over 45 leading Rabbonim, with a letter signed by the one of the most diverse collection of respected leaders of Klal Yisroel. Signatories includes the heads of YU and Young Israel shuls, Chassidic, Sephardic and Litvish communities, rabbonim, poskim and roshei yeshivos.
    Despite a significant financial disadvantage, Mr. Salgado has been successful in building a groundswell of support in the Latino community, which has a voter base as high as one million Latinos registered as Democrats in the city. With the help of the Orthodox Jewish communities, Mr. Salgado may be poised to deliver one of the greatest upsets in New York City political history.

  4. Very articulate without pandering people who are looking for answers of questions they don’t have…Thomson is the best candidate for our community and def has my vote

  5. Thompson reminds me of David Dinkins. A nicely dressed, soft spoken man, who is well connected and part of the establishment. Which should give people major pause. A Mayor needs to be tough at times to keep things in order. Do you want another Dinkins, ch”v?

  6. DovidZSchwartz, Your Comment is well written and accurate.
    But when I look at the demographics of New York I see “BLUE”, especially in the frum communities.

    Why are Frum people registered as DemoRats? Look at what the DemoRat Party stands for, toayvah, same gender marriage, political correctness, high taxes, free giveaways to illegals, etc. There is no reason for the Frum community to belong to the party of Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Obama, Carter, and all the other ousvorfes.

    Frum Yidden should immediately re-register as Republicans.

    In the DemoRat Primary, Bill Thompson is the best of the bunch.

    While in the Republican Primary Erick Salgado is the best of the bunch.

    We have time to call the election until the General Election.

  7. Not pandering. Sorry you mean the people that were sent to disturb his campaign bill Thompson is a decent hard working intelligent man and honest. Something we aren’t use to. I will vote for him like Koch he is a democrats with sachel.

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