Outrage Over Republican Op-Ed in L.A. Jewish Journal

In response to a piece titled, “Dear Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin: I apologize for the Jewish vote for Obama,” I wrote a letter to the editor and a Huffington Post piece titled, “No Apologies to Coulter, Hannity, et al.”

It seems that I was not the only one who was outraged. There was not a single letter to the editor in this week's Los Angeles Jewish Journal in support of Dean Rotbart's apologetic op-ed. In fact, the newspaper was filled with letters that describe last week's opinion piece as, "fear-mongering and hate-inspired," "hateful speech," "Orwellian doublespeak," and "angry rhetoric and lies." 

Here is what I wrote in a Los Angeles Jewish Journal letter to the editor this week.

Dean Rotbart's opinion piece, in which he apologizes to Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin for the Jewish vote for Barack Obama, was wildly off the mark and remarkably offensive.

Rotbart and others who share his view need to take a close look at themselves in the mirror. Do they want to continue supporting people like Ann Coulter, who said that Jews need to be "perfected," and Sean Hannity, who invited Andy Martin, an anti-Semite, as a guest on his show?

While I do not believe Rotbart to be an anti-Semite, nor do I believe that Rotbart thinks that Jews need to be perfected, I do know that the 78 percent of Jewish voters who, according to exit polling, chose the Obama-Biden ticket have no need to apologize.

You do deserve an apology for Rotbart's use of "the gathering clouds of Holocaust II" and his outright statement that the "nuclear holocaust won" in this election.

Rotbart does need to write an apology letter; he just addressed it to the wrong people.

Actually, Gilbert H. Skopp of Calabasas wrote a letter that called Rotbart's op-ed "brilliant."

I just read Dean Rotbart's brilliant tongue-in-cheek apology for the Jewish vote for Barack Obama. The tip-off, of course, was his naming of Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity and Mike Gallagher as deserving of an apology.

These talking heads -- with Rush Limbaugh -- have committed one of the worst of Jewish sins, i.e., malicious gossip. Rotbart even repeats some of them in his positive take on guilt by association and fear-mongering.

Unfortunately, as Rotbart points out, there are about 22 percent of Jewish voters who will look upon his opinion piece as being serious, which supports President Lincoln's observation that you can fool some of the people all of the time.

It looks like that is as close to praise as Rotbart is going to get and more than he deserves.

Comments

[sand252]

Wow. At the first half of Rotbart's opinion piece, I thought it was tongue-in-cheek bordering intellectual brilliance for its faux-apology. Then, as I read on, it was clear that it was a true statement and a scary one. Furthermore, I understand Mr. Stanley's outrage as he was invoked and bashed. Again, scary.

[shelobo]

The republicans need to trash the 'conservative' b/s and they may just be able to reform their party.It's time that consevatives loose their power to brainwash people with their lies and biased views.Shoveing consevative ideals and religious views down peoples throats really needs to end.

[FairTalk]

And he can"t even take a joke!

There are some wounds that take more time to heal than others; that fester; that recur with alarming frequency than others.

Some think this is no joking matter, while others edge right up to the "line."

[LauraD]

It is not fair to characterize Republicans as ignorant, narrow-minded, and bigoted. Some are, of course, and so are some Democrats. The irony is that the ignorant, narrow-minded, ad bigoted people are the ones that stereotype others...like the first poster did.

I support Obama, and have never in my life been even remotely conservative. I also live in a very conservative state. Many of the people that I know here that voted for McCain did so not because they are ignorant. On the contrary, the majority of the people I have close contact with are highly educated and very intellegent and thoughtful. They, for the most part, generally disagree with the Democratic party because they oppose the notion of a large national government, and they don't like Bush either for the same reason. Bush is not representative of the Republican party as a whole, but rather the worst of what they had to offer (until Palin burst onto the scene, of course). Most people in this country dislike Bush, but that doesn't mean that they are going to turn their backs on their long-held belief in conservative government because of one dummy. I don't agree with them. But that doesn't make them (or me) stupid.

[papapj]

"They, for the most part, generally disagree with the Democratic party because they oppose the notion of a large national government"

Sorry, LauraD, but if your buddies are unaware of the massive increase in government spending of each Republican administration in the last 30 years, coupled with the recent mandate to intrude into the personal affairs of each and every American citizen encompassed in the Patriot Act and instigated by Republicans, then they are indeed willfully ignorant.

Maybe not stupid, but ignorant in an oblivious sense, and obviously wilfully so....

[dlo2]

The far right behaves as a mean-spirited, greedy, lowly evolved group of human beings who embrace darkness with passion...and they are the reason this world is in economic crisis now. But this universe is one of balance and with great darkness emerges great light. I suppose the past eight years brought about the emergence of creatures who would have remained sub rosa, under rocks and crevices (and sewage) and this emergence is deeply instructive to our citizens: to always maintain vigilance in our democracy and never ever vote into public office dark souls as we have had in this past 8 years. Also, this era has served as a guide to create public education on political and economic issues for all voters and to insure that we keep higher education updated continuously so that voters will never be left to listen to the propaganda of corporate press with their vested economic issues that are mostly counter to societal welfare.

[Bongborg]

So sad, that satire goes unrecognized so often today. I blame the public schools.

[ibjg]

Bongborg - thank you, apparently that includes the author of this piece (Stanley) and just about everyone that's posted here today and wrote a letter to Rotbart's paper. Granted the piece was not very well written and apparently not over-the-top enough to make the satire 1000% obvious. However, for those that don't get it, Rotbart was NOT serious.

[eden4barack08]

Those were my feelings too, as I kept reading. Rotbart was NOT serious.

[Annie O]

Unfortunately, he was serious. Read Rothbart's blog:
http://deanrotbart.com/

[Redmosaic]

The Jewish population of the US is 2%, and according to the Los Angeles Times, 78% of Jews voted for Obama. I am so happy about that ( as I am Jewish, but non religious..and I have progressive beliefs politically. ) I used to read Jewish Journal every so often but it turned so right wing I stopped in disgust.
If you want a progressive Jewish voice join JStreet.com ( * no I do not work for them)

[PhatP]

Any Jew who voted for McPalin should have apologized. Why would you ever vote for a club that would not allow you to be a member? (or something like that). Jews have always had a history for being intelligent and progressive and for having hit TV shows which possibly explains why we've also been the scapegoat for so many fear mongering conservative types throughout the past ahhh say 2,000 years.
Hey you right-winger Hannity Coulter, Prager types....please blame each other and leave the Jews alone! (No Prager's not real a Jew)
(note to self...Must include this next thought)........I can't wait until the first Jewish president is elected so I can write an Op Ed asking Southern Baptists to apologize for not voting goy. Huh?

Jewly yours,

Big Jewish Vegan Atheist

[Redmosaic]

Beautifully said, especially the Jewish Vegan Atheist part...

[ESerafina42]

"Why would you ever vote for a club that would not allow you to be a member? (or something like that)."
_____

"I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member. "
- Groucho Marx

:)

[whateverstrikes]

what an ill-considered vow and opinion to have of something like 45% of the rest of your country. I was and am an avid Obama supporter, but I never would characterize everyone who voted for McCain/Palin as "ignorant, narrow-minded and bigotted." That kind of statement itself seems to highlight the ugliness of people that this election drew out. Of course there are plenty of idiots, bigots and liars among them, but there are also people who simply do not believe that a liberal approach to domestic and/or foreign policy is going to be good for the country. I, of course, disagree with them and am thrilled that we can finally have an opportunity to lead in a more liberal direction, but they aren't all idiots for holding that view, and they are certainly not all bigots. It is far more dangerous to ignore and refuse to discuss their perspectives, as littlewing proposes, than to engage with those who wish to engage (as the smarter ones usually do). I'm not talking about people like Hannity or Coulter who appear to wish to spread fear and hatred, but I am talkign about many people who believed that McCain was a good choice to be president, and about McCain himself, who may not be a wonderful guy and/or who may have lost his way during the campaign, but who DOES have a track record of reaching across the aisle and trying to move things forward.

[MM5]

Completely agree. It is just amazing how some folks come on here, make generalizations and say the most nasty things about conservatives and still consider themselves open minded progressives.

[sepiasiren]

I agree, but intelligent and tolerant conservatives like Hagel need to speak up since the Hannities are doing all the talking for you...

[geroldf]

I like your spirit of reconciliation, and I can admire your Christlike charity (yar yar) toward the enemy, but I gotta say, McPalin voters sure presented a life like impression of hateful ignorance.

There is a libertarian wing of the Republican Party that I can sympathize with, but unfortunately that is a very scrawny wing. The GOP bird won't fly, or can only fly in circles, because it's got a big fat Religious Right Wing, and a tiny little crippled Libertarian Left Wing.

[kandlefly]

I don't believe that people with any type of intelligence ever listen to Limbaugh, Hannity or Coulter.

I tried listening to them a couple times and could not believe the amount of crap that came out these bigots mouth. These fools have no problem lying or fabricating stories to push their racist, anti-semetic agenda.

They are what you would call well paid SKINHEADS, and it is time to make FOX news pay by boycotts and protest, or boycott any company who deals with them.

[dwedge]

I used to think that listening to Rush Limbaugh can cause your brain cells to die.
Having conducted my own research by conversing with people who listen to him on a regular basis, I am convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that this is a scientific fact.

[littlewing157]

The far right (and anyone who voted for McCain/Palin) is out-of-touch, ignorant, narrow-minded and bigotted. They lie as easily as they breathe. This past election highlighted the ugliness of these people. They came on hundreds of sites during the campaign and stupidly repeated the lies about Obama that they heard from Palin, McCain and other right wing goons like Joe the Lying, Tax-evading, Fake Plumber.

The Republican Base should have their heads examined, seriously. There is something fundamentaly wrong with them and it's not funny at all. They are dangerous in their ignorance and hypocrisy. Liars and Haters, all of them.

I made a vow to myself that once the election was over, I would never engage in a dialogue with one of these sick and sorry excuses for human beings again. I truly believe they are evil in their minds and hearts.

[bellabeach]

Well said, littlewing157!!

[Damaven]

Amen.

[FlamingLibrul]

Great comment. You said just about everything that could be said about the travesty that is today's Republicanism.

I'd like to add the "Proud to be Stupid" crowd that is still telling an economically devastated America that we have to be self-reliant and not depend on Govt. to help us; while our government is handing out millions of our tax dollars to banks and corporations.

[rockyb26]

agreed

[sticksnstones]

You need to stop holding back and just say what you feel...... Just kidding. I loved your rant. I'm not making this up: I actually cracked two teeth in the last week of the campaign, one upper and one lower, and had to have them pulled. The new one I find particularly irksome is the assertion that this is "the Obama recession". Almost broke another tooth on that one.......