Last week, the week of Oct. 3, a campaign message aired on social media attempting to paint the Democratic candidate for New York state Sen. Adam Haber as a money-scheming Jew.
The ad is reminiscent of Shakespeare’s “Shylock.”
A campaign, which lays its foundation on reviving anti-Semitic or anti-immigration sentiments, clearly exposes the endemic ethnocentric nature of the creator of the advertisement — the New York State Republican Party, although no one there will admit to their underhandedness.
This type of crude and desperate blitzkrieg campaign advertising is both reprehensible and simply childish.
It cannot be swept under the proverbial rug as an “oops” moment.
Sadly, we have been witness to this despicable ploy at the national level as well.
For example, we have been fed up with Donald Trump’s partial retractions with regularity — “I didn’t mean to say it,” an infantile refrain.
Nevertheless, the intent is clear — to paint and smear Mr. Haber with the bigot’s broad brush.
This ‘bigot’ is the 6,000 pound elephant in the room, the Republican Party, which as we have seen throughout this campaign season, has no compunctions about using distortions and lies as substitution for rational rhetoric.
It should be offensive to all people and not just persons of Jewish extraction.
The tactic of divide and conquer, plays upon stereotypes usually employed by dictators, and which has absolutely no place in our American discourse.
It appeals to the basest nature of our psyche and merely highlights the irrational fears that New York State Republicans have attempted to cultivate in order to win your vote.
Please join with me to put an end to this type of inane and insane manipulations.
Vote for Adam Haber, the voice of calm reason, competent business sense, and environmental awareness that will guide and shape our state’s future.
Judi Winters
East Hills
Readers Write: GOP bigotry seen in Haber ad
