Democrats Avoid Chance to Slam Anti-Semitism

 

The consensus among most liberal politicians and media commentators was that Gov. Shapiro of Pennsylvania was the obvious and best possible  pick as the VP running mate for Comley Harris. He was considered relatively moderate (by liberal standards), a popular leader and likely to attract more support for the ticket in his home state. But he was Jewish and pro-Israel. That apparently generated resistance to his candidacy among  young voters and members of the left-wing.

They were wrong.

The reasoning behind the choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is unclear. "Good vibes", whatever that means, has been suggested by many. The fact that he was not Jewish is not cited as an explanation. Given the apparent opposition among the far left and young, that may or may not have been an explanation for the political decision. Unfortunately, the Harris campaign ill-served the country regardless of the preselection considerations.

Choosing Gov. Shapiro would have been a clear declaration of opposition to anti-Semitism. Sure, those of that bias would be angry and that reaction would have had negative political consequences. But the net electoral effect might have been – in Pennsylvania anyway – positive.

But forget the political (if possible) for a moment. He would have been the right choice for the Democrats. It would have been a message to the country that a Jew should be treated no differently than any other American. That truth would survive the election results. Implicitly stating it would have been a credit to the Democratic Party.

The fact that Gov. Shapiro was not named certainly doesn't prove the presence of anti-Semitic considerations. But it does leave open speculation – and thoughts of conspiracy – for just such things.

The Democrats did indeed blow their chance to make a clear statement for the country and possibly benefit politically.