L.A.’s Jewish Political Leaders Weigh in on Democratic National Convention

Among those who participated in the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Aug. 17-20 was Los Angeles’ openly Jewish Mayor Eric Garcetti. He appeared in a pretaped segment focused on small businesses during the third night of the virtual event.

In the segment titled “America Recovering: Stories of Survival,” Garcetti was one of a handful of politicians who interviewed those whose livelihoods have been impacted by COVID-19 and the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic.

Speaking with Lien Ta, managing partner of the Silver Lake-based restaurant, bakery and cocktail bar All Day Baby and owner of the Koreatown eatery Here’s Looking at You, Garcetti, who was wearing a face mask, said, “We don’t ask much from government, but catch us when we’re falling. And I know it must feel like you are falling right now without a net.”

Ta said, “At this point, I don’t even see myself in business next month.” 

As the national co-chair of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election campaign, Garcetti also was one of four co-chairs on the vice president selection committee that vetted candidates before Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate earlier this month. In addition, Garcetti has credited Biden with helping Los Angeles move forward on climate change and with increasing the minimum wage. 

Other local Jewish politicians weighed in on the convention, including L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer. He told the Journal if Biden is elected president, he would be “the mensch in chief. When people are talking about what makes him a special leader, it’s all about what it means to connect with people who may have suffered a setback or a tragedy in their lives and what it means to get back up again,” Feuer said, adding that Biden possesses those qualities in abundance. 

“I think there were several moments that stood out [during the convention],” Feuer said, citing what he believed was the most prominent: Biden’s acceptance speech on the final night. “It was an exceptional speech, a speech that I think will be remembered for a long time as a real turning point for his campaign, because he was so focused and really demonstrated who he is as a person.”

Heading into the Nov. 3 election, Feuer said his greatest concern is voters who may see Biden’s large lead in the polls and decide their votes aren’t needed. “It is imperative for those of us who support the Biden-Harris ticket not to be complacent about the outcome, notwithstanding what the polling looks like right now, and I do have concerns about complacency,” he said. “Every candidate for president says, ‘This is the defining moment; this is the election of our time.’ I have to say, no election has come close in its importance. This is it.”

Los Angeles City Councilman Bob Blumenfield told the Journal in an email, “In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DNC spread a message of hope and gave America a game plan on how Biden and Harris can turn the tide against the death toll.”

He added, “Judaism values the preservation of life above all else, and it is our duty to go to the polls and vote for competent leaders who will take the bold steps to protect life.”

Regarding Biden’s acceptance speech, Blumenfield said, “[He] powerfully reminded us that he — in sharp contrast to the current president — will unite us when he said he will work just as hard for people who vote against him as the people who will vote for him.”

Councilman Paul Koretz told the Journal he was impressed with the convention’s nomination roll call, featuring clips of delegates from all 57 U.S. states and territories. “I feel we were getting a good glimpse of all parts of the nation — different nuances and personalities reading off their votes,” he said.

Koretz also felt Biden’s acceptance speech was effective, noting, “The most important thing to me was the Republicans trying to circulate the impression that Biden is way past it — a doddering fool. I thought he gave the best speech I’ve ever seen him give in decades of following his career. It was sharp, passionate, strong and it hit the themes he needed to.”

L.A. City Controller Ron Galperin, who is one of 33 people representing California on the Democratic National Committee, told the Journal he was moved by the unifying language of Biden’s acceptance speech, during which the former vice president declared, “This is not a partisan moment. This must be an American moment.”

“If Biden is elected president, he would be the mensch in chief. When people are talking about what makes him a special leader, it’s all about what it means to connect with people who may have suffered a setback or a tragedy in their lives and what it means to get back up again.” —Mike Feuer

“I think it was a very successful convention for the Democrats,” Galperin noted. “Biden … sent a message that we’re seeking to restore decency to the government and the White House, and what he said toward the end, which I thought was meaningful, is he wants to be the president for everybody.”

Galperin added that he is impressed with the Democratic Party’s pro-Israel positions, calling it a platform that is “extremely supportive of Israel, very clear on supporting the future of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, [and] very clear that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.”

Galperin also highlighted what he said was the party’s clear rejection of “any language about occupation [and] very clearly rejected the conditioning of aid to Israel on Israeli policies.” He added that the platform underlined the special nature of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

“It was an excellent platform,” he concluded, “and one I would think speaks for the majority of Democrats.”