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How Marriage Sunk David Weprin

September 16th, 2011

Take note of the parts in blue at the bottom.

by  Maggie Gallagher

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011, was a good day for marriage.

North Carolina legislators voted to send a marriage amendment to the people of that state in 2012.

And in New York, the first clear Democratic casualty of gay marriage emerged: David Weprin.

Bob Turner, a Republican whom nobody gave a chance of winning two months ago, is sitting in the seat held by Anthony Weiner, Chuck Schumer and Geraldine Ferraro​.

Yes, economic collapse was a huge issue. Yes, Obama’s disrespect for Israel, which led former New York City mayor Ed Koch​ to endorse Bob Turner, was another very big deal. Yes, as my colleague and friend Brian Brown put it, “David Weprin was not able to defend himself against his vote to support same-sex marriage in New York, and his constituents made that clear.”

Turner may have personally downplayed the marriage issue to get Koch’s endorsement, but the Orthodox Jewish community decided to send a message of its own. As Village Voice put it: “Despite the economy, (the NY-9 election) has somewhat surprisingly shaped up instead as a referendum on same-sex marriage.”

Dov Hikind​, another prominent New York Democrat (and a state assemblyman) who crossed party lines to endorse Bob Turner, was crystal clear on Weprin’s same-sex marriage vote: “This is an underlying issue that is extremely powerful. … I can tell you this is a real serious issue among Jews, among Orthodox Jews, among Catholics,” Hikind told The Weekly Standard.

Forty Orthodox rabbis in Flatbush went so far as to declare that it is “Assur (forbidden according to Torah law) to vote for, campaign for, fund or otherwise support the campaign of New York State Assemblyman David Weprin.”

To answer any lingering doubters in the mainstream media about the impact of Weprin’s vote for gay marriage, the National Organization for Marriage (of which I’m co-founder) just released results of a flash survey polling 251 likely NY-9 special election voters, who were questioned Monday and Tuesday, that confirms gay marriage played a big role in Weprin’s defeat.

These voters opposed gay marriage 50 percent to 38 percent. Those who opposed gay marriage voted for Turner 81 percent to 19 percent. Moreover, among voters who oppose gay marriage, 44 percent said Weprin’s position was a factor in their vote, compared to just 29 percent of the much smaller minority who favor gay marriage in the district.

NOM’s survey broke new ground by, for the first time ever, identifying Orthodox Jews as a distinct voting bloc. In NY-9, they constituted 13 percent of the voters, and they broke for Turner 91 percent to 9 percent. (Twenty-nine percent of non-Orthodox Jews also broke party lines to vote for Turner.) David Weprin’s position on same-sex marriage was a specific factor in the voting decision of 72 percent of Orthodox Jews, 29 percent of other Jews, 27 percent of Catholics, and 33 percent of other Christians.

Keep reading.

More from NOM:

When legislators in Albany voted to redefine marriage, including Assemblyman David Weprin, NOM vowed to hold them accountable. David Weprin had the misfortune of being the first legislator to face voters since the marriage vote, and he got crushed because of it.

NOM commissioned a “flash” survey on election day by QEV Analytics of voters in the 9th Congressional District that demonstrates how important the marriage issue was in Weprin’s loss to Turner.

The survey by QEV Analytics interviewed 251 actual or highly likely voters in the NY 9th Congressional District on election day, concluding just as the polls closed last evening. It found the following:

  • Fifty percent of district voters believe that marriage should only be between one man and one woman while only 38% of voters disagree (13% didn’t express an opinion).
  • Marriage supporters include 88% of Orthodox Jews, 53% of Catholics and 47% of other Christians.
  • There is a high correlation between a person’s position on marriage and their vote between Turner and Weprin. Those who agree marriage should only be between a man and a woman voted for Turner 81% – 19%.
  • Turner won Orthodox Jews 91%º – 9%; Catholics by 72% – 28%; Other Christians 53% – 47%. Weprin won among non-Orthodox Jews 69% – 29%; among Other/None/DK 76% – 24%.
  • Moreover, among those who agree with the traditional definition of marriage, 44% said Weprin’s position was a factor in their vote, while 29% of those who disagree said his position was a factor.
  • Voters told the pollster that David Weprin’s position on same-sex marriage was a specific factor in the voting decision of 72% of Orthodox Jews, 29% of Other Jews, 27% of Catholics, 33% of Other Christians, 27% of Other/None/DK.

Remember when the vote to redefine marriage happened last June? There was Andrew Cuomo telling the media that supporting same-sex marriage would be a great political asset to legislators and that he would provide political protection for those who voted the way he, Michael Bloomberg and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) had requested.

“What I’ve said is I believe the legislators who voted for marriage equality, this is actually going to be an asset to them in their campaign; I believe that…And I told them I’m willing to stand up and say that.”

– Governor Andrew Cuomo

Some help Cuomo, Bloomberg and HRC proved to be for David Weprin!

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