General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe rabbi's husband from West Virginia is running for U.S. Congress
Barry Wendell was standing on the banks of the Monongahela River, a serpentine waterway that winds its way to Pittsburgh, 75 miles north. Here in West Virginia, one of the reddest states in the entire country, Wendell is swimming against another tide: as a liberal, gay, Democrat running for U.S. Congress.
Wendell, the husband of Rabbi Joe Hample, who helms Morgantowns Reform synagogue, exuded a soft calm underneath layers of outerwear as he invoked the Talmudic sage Hillel to sum up his quixotic bid: If not now, when? And if not me, who?
By any measure, he is the longest of long shots. Former President Donald Trump won 68.6% of West Virginias votes in 2020, his strongest showing except for Wyoming (69.9%.) But Wendell, whose only prior political experience is two terms on the Morgantown City Council, has never shied away from a challenge.
Indeed, his Congressional aspirations are at once surprising and on point. Wendell, now 72, has worked for the government before first as a substitute teacher in Baltimore, then in Miami as a claims agent for the Social Security administration. They were looking for someone bilingual, he likes to joke, and I spoke Spanish and Yiddish.
more...
From one gay Jew in a ruby-red state to another, GO FOR IT!!!
RKP5637
(67,084 posts)Botany
(70,442 posts)BTW how many heart attacks and head 'splosions will he cause. A smart, Jewish, liberal, gay man
who speaks 3 languages, and is living out loud and proud in W.V..
Behind the Aegis
(53,919 posts)It is interesting to see this happening in WV. If I saw something similar here, I would probably faint.
Botany
(70,442 posts)... lesbian woman, or just a smart and kind person will see this man and have hope and feel better
about themselves and maybe even W.V.. W.V. leads the nation in having its smart young people
want to get out of W.V.. Go Barry it's your birthday.
Looks like a nice guy.
Botany
(70,442 posts)You gays are every damn place.
brooklynite
(94,302 posts)WV-02 is R+17 in the new redistricting.
94.4% White
3.6% Black
0.8% Hispanic
Behind the Aegis
(53,919 posts)If no action is taken, then one can be certain, nothing will change or happen. Just because it is an uphill battle, doesn't mean it isn't worthy of a jaunt up the hill!
IrishAfricanAmerican
(3,813 posts)That's how progress progresses.
Demsrule86
(68,455 posts)a House seat...this does nothing for our party or our majority.
IrishAfricanAmerican
(3,813 posts)in changing people's minds. Progress is made both ways. I know your point seems to be driven by the economics of the situation but putting "faces" out there is also an effective, though not as efficient method of changing people's minds over time and that's what progress is really all about, isn't it?
Demsrule86
(68,455 posts)you. This is a giant waste of time. And the candidate would need to be moderate and maybe ex-military. Dean tailored candidates to the districts and was very successful. This is at its core a political statement and I don't mind that...what I object to is using resources that could be spent in a more productive way elsewhere. I am a pragmatist. I am as progressive as they come but I value winning over ideology. I really do. I would rather get half a loaf than no loaf.
Demsrule86
(68,455 posts)Trump and/or begin a grass-roots campaign instead of going for a house seat where there is no chance of success. Or perhaps running Democrats in a state like North Carolina which shows signs of change...or capitalizing on Virginia's dislike of their new governor and going for seats ... a hundred better places to put your money. I wish this gentleman well and hope resources are not wasted on these sort of campaigns.