Bob Turner wins Weiner's House Seat in N.Y.
Considering I wrote two blog posts on Anthony Weiner, one more earnest (
Weinergate - The Tale of Two Accountabilities), and the other a lampoon (
Weiner Bumper Sticker we may now never never see), it seemed only befitting that cap-off this pathetic tail of a fallen politician with a
Farewell to Weiner post.
First, the details. In brief, in a stunning reversal of decades of Democratic control, Republican Bob Turner pulled off an upset victory Tuesday in New York's 9th district to win a special election to fill the seat vacated by disgraced former Rep. Anthony D. Weiner.
Earlier this summer, Mr. Turner was considered a longshot, but with the help of a few heavyweight contributors (Donald Trump, Rudolph Giuliani, and Ed Koch, who all executed timely robo-calls on behalf of the Republican), Turner was able to overcome. He was declared the winner of New York’s 9th Congressional District with 53 percent of the vote compared with Democrat David Weprin’s 47 percent, with about 75 percent of the district’s precincts reporting.
 |
| Bob Turner (center), joined by his wife Peggy (right) and family, smiles as he delivers his victory speech during an election night party in New York on Sept. 14, 2011. Turner won a special election to fill the seat vacated by Anthony D. Weiner in New York’s 9th Congressional District. |
Turner's victory may also be due in large part to escalating disenchantment with President Obama, whose plummeting polls numbers could not have helped the losing Democrate, Weprin. Mr. Obama had won the 9th district, which includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens, by a whopping 11 percentage points in 2008! But dissatisfaction with the president among the district’s mix of socially conservative Catholics and Jewish voters weighed heavily on Weprin's campaign.
Does Turner's win mean that we've seen the last of Weiner? I wouldn't bet on it. From what we've seen of him in the past, he's a tenacious fellow and will be sticking around for the slightest opportunity to insert himself once again into the political arena.
Mark Jordan
©GOOGTOON - Observations on Life • Popular Culture • Politics • Entertainment • Public Figures
