'Obama's unpopularity cost me the job': David Weprin blames struggling president after New York election defeat

By Damien Gayle
Last updated at 11:48 AM on 17th September 2011
5 Comments

David Weprin, the failed Democratic candidate for New York's ninth congressional district, yesterday blamed President Barack Obama for his election defeat.

In a stunning turnaround, Bob Turner trounced Mr Weprin to become the first Republican to win the seat in Congress since 1920.

The defeated Democratic candidate for the district - where registered Democrats outnumber GOP voters 3 to 1 - yesterday claimed the poll was a 'referendum on the president'.


'Referendum on the President': David Weprin, the defeated Democratic candidate for New York's ninth congressional district, left, has blamed his unexpected defeat on the unpopularity of President Barack Obama, right

'The message of the campaign was: "Send Obama a message",' the New York Post reported Mr Weprin as saying.

'I think the problem was that he's the president and people are frustrated, and it's just natural to take it out on the top guy - or the top guy's party.
'As much as I tried to make it about David Weprin or Bob Turner, I don’t think that resonated to voters.'

The special election in the ninth district was held on Wednesday, after Anthony Weiner, the former Democrat incumbent, was forced to quit over a Twitter 'sexting' scandal in June.

Mr Turner, a retired media executive who called the election a repudiation of Mr Obama, won by six points - 53 per cent to 47 per cent.

Mr Weprin had deliberately tried to downplay his links with the Democrat president while running his campaign for the seat.


Republican Bob Turner, centre, with his wife Peggy after winning the poll

In one press conference, he refused to say whether he supported Mr Obama's bid for re-election, the New York Post reported, and he made no mention of the president in his campaign literature.

Mr Obama's hardline stance on Israel was also blamed for the bloody nose dealt the Democrats, in a district that is 40 per cent Jewish.

The president has opposed settlement building in the Jewish Middle-Eastern state, and put pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu, its prime minister, during talks with Palestinian leaders.


Resigned: Former representative Anthony Weiner speaking to the press in June after the scandal broke

Israel has come under increasing pressure as the Palestinians campaign for UN recognition as a state - a motion which is likely to be supported by regional powerhouse and erstwhile Israeli ally Turkey.

Meanwhile, in his weekly radio and Internet address, Mr Obama today called on Americans to press Congress to pass his £447billion jobs bill and insisted, 'No more division or delay.'

The president announced his jobs legislation to a joint session of Congress last week and has since travelled the country to build a case for its passage.

'The No. 1 issue for the people I meet is how we can get back to a place where we're creating good, middle-class jobs that pay well and offer some security,' he said.

His address came in the face of sobering public opinion ratings for the president.

A New York Times/CBS News poll released yesterday showed nearly half of those surveyed worry the economy is headed for another recession.

Nearly three out of four said they believe the country is on the wrong track.

The president's job proposal would reduce payroll taxes on workers, cut them in half for most businesses and offer incentives for employers to hire.

It also would spend tens of billions of dollars on new public works projects, extend unemployment benefits for long-term jobless and help states avoid layoffs of teachers and emergency workers.

On Monday, Mr Obama plans to spell out a long-term debt stabilising plan that aims to cut the deficit by about $2trillion over 10 years.

The president will make his proposal to a special congressional committee that has been charged with lowering deficit by $1.2trillion to $1.5trillion.
'But right now, we've got to get Congress to pass this jobs bill,' Mr Obama said.



Obama's jobs plan has received a tepid reception from Republicans. But his proposal to pay for the plan with limits on tax deductions and closing corporate tax loopholes is facing stiff Republican resistance.

In the Republican address, Congressman Peter Roskam called on Mr Obama to reduce regulations on businesses, saying government Washington had 'become a red tape factory' whose rules were choking off hiring.

'Job creators should be able to focus on their work - not on Washington's busy-work,' he added.

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