More from the Sun Times:
But some expressed disappointment in the decision. Clem Balanoff, who helped to run [Bernie] Sanders’ Illinois campaign, released a statement on behalf of Our Revolution Illinois citing his disappointment.
“Ald. Ramirez-Rosa was a delegate for Senator Bernie Sanders during the 2016 presidential election and is a leading progressive voice in the Chicago City Council,” Balanoff said in a statement. … We believe he was an excellent candidate for Lt. Governor and are saddened that his voice will be missing from Sen. Biss’ campaign.”
But Richard Goldberg, former chief of staff to [Republican] Gov. Bruce Rauner, said it was the right decision, calling the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement “at its core … a political manifestation of anti-Semitism.”
As noted in the Facebook post, defending Palestinian terorisim and singling out the Jewish state as uniquely unworthy of existence is now a core progressive principle for many, wedging ever-deeper into the LGBT activist left.
More. As Mark Joseph Stern wrote last year at Slate, The LGBTQ Left Has an Anti-Semitism Problem.
6 Comments for “Gay Progressive Loses Spot for Illinois Lt. Gov After Calling for Boycott of Israel”
posted by Tom Scharbach on
A Democratic ticket can’t win a statewide election in Illinois without a heavy Chicago vote, and including a BDS-supporting politician from the left-fringes of the political spectrum on the ticket ensured that the ticket Bliss put together would go down in flames. What surprises me is not that Bliss dumped Ramirez-Rosa, but that Bliss didn’t vet the guy before forming a ticket with him. I don’t know Bliss, but he doesn’t seem to have much going for him if he makes a dumb-ass blunder like that.
As to Clem Balanoff, he’s operated on the left fringes of the Chicago Democratic party for years. He’s a lot of toot and not much salute, as far as I’m concerned. I was living in Chicago, actively involved in “independent” (anti-machine) Democratic politics, when Clem used his family’s good reputation in Chicago politics (his dad was a union organizer and his mother a judge) to take over the 10th Ward apparatus after Fast Eddie switched over to the Republican Party in an attempt to sink openly black Mayor Harold Washington. Clem was quite the darling in those days, but now he’s an old has been, and a pain in the ass, apparently.
Chicago politics aside, I think that it is hilarious to find Stephen using the Democratic Party’s rejection of BDM-supporting politician to tar the Democratic Party in Chicago as anti-Israeli. Stephen’s really stretching it if he thinks he’s making a rational, serious argument. If Stephen is serious (rather than just using the story as a vehicle to trash Evil Progressives and to tar Democrats, then I can’t figure out who has less political insight — Stephen or Clem. Peas in a pod with respect to understanding Democratic politics in Chicago and Illinois, anyway.
As a side note, here’s the the Sun-Times article that Stephen quoted but failed to link.
posted by Kosh III on
Don’t forget that the Right, GOP, and especially avowed “Christiian” theocratic fundamentalists like Pence and Falwell give blind allegiance to any and every act by Israel.
If you’re going to criticize Palestinian “terrorism” please don’t ignore the acts of terror and violence and apartheid done by Israel on a regular basis. It’s not anti-Semitic to oppose wrongdoing by Israel, after all, Palestinians(all Arabs) are Semites too.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
Don’t forget that the Right, GOP, and especially avowed “Christian” theocratic fundamentalists like Pence and Falwell, give blind allegiance to any and every act by Israel.
The “avowed “Christian” theocratic fundamentalists” may give “blind allegiance to any and every act by Israel”, but the reasons have nothing to do with support for Jews, and everything to do with the mishegas End Times theology which is at the core of their theocratic world view. No Israel, no Armageddon, no Second Coming.
In their twisted theology, Jews are just useful pawns in the End Times game, condemned to damnation anyway. Sick.
posted by Jorge on
It’s hard to understand why those comments alone would justify dropping the guy from the ticket without a serious investigation into what kind of beliefs, priorities, and values motivated them. I am willing to pretend to take the would-be governor at his word that he had a serious conversation with his running mate on the subject.
What surprises me is not that Bliss dumped Ramirez-Rosa, but that Bliss didn’t vet the guy before forming a ticket with him. I don’t know Bliss, but he doesn’t seem to have much going for him if he makes a dumb-ass blunder like that.
I can’t argue with that.
“As Mark Joseph Stern wrote last year at Slate, The LGBTQ Left Has an Anti-Semitism Problem.”
The LGBTQ left has a rainbow coalition problem while at the same time having a cannibalism problem. I’ll let that article speak for me.
posted by DB on
1. Criticism of the Palestinian leaders or Israeli leaders isnt automatically an attack on anyone’s religion, national or ethnic backgr
posted by db on
Within the west, prejudice against Jewish people or Muslim people is certainly a problem.
Sometimes people use the Israel-Palestinian conflict as a cover for anti-Jewish prejudice or prejudice against Muslims.
Now, the boycott campaign is stupid, mainly because the peace process needs money. Money to win elections, money to build multi-ethnic coalitions, etc.