Dr. Mark Klein, Presidential Candidates, Anti-Semitism And Iowa Republican GOP Ames Straw Poll

Dr. Mark Klein, Presidential Candidates, Anti-Semitism And Iowa Republican GOP Ames Straw Poll

Jerusalem ----June 9 ....... The man is a leading and respected physician and a psychiatrist. He directly represents three main sectors of the American public - divorced fathers who yearn for equal access, shared parenting and more time with their children. At 65 years-old, a father of four, grandfather of two, Dr. Klein represents the Seniors vote and perhaps most important - the Jewish vote.

Dr. Mark Klein is the only Jewish candidate running for the Presidency of the United States. Yet, the Iowa GOP is now banning Dr. Klein from participating in the Iowa Republican Ames Straw Poll.

"We have two criteria for running in the Iowa Republican Presidential Candidates Ames Straw Poll, Iowa Republican GOP Chairperson Craig Robinson told the Israel News Agency. "One, the presidential candidate needs to be running a national campaign for the Presidency and two has established a grass roots campaign in Iowa."

Dr. Klein meets both criteria. But yet, Klein is still barred from the Iowa Republican Ames Straw Poll.

Not that everyone is rushing to be in this Republican Iowa poll. Recently Rudolph W. Giuliani and Senator John McCain announced that they would skip participation in what has been a significant early test of candidate strength in Ames, Iowa.

The Giuliani campaign cited the high cost of participating in the poll, which they estimated at $3 million, as the reason for pulling out. Hours later, the McCain campaign followed suit, raising the prospect that the event would lose its import in the road to the nomination.

The Ames straw poll started in 1979, initially conceived as a way to raise money for the caucuses. It has been criticized as a poor test of support because the candidates essentially buy the tickets for the attendees who do the voting. Campaigns are expected to buy thousands of $30 tickets for supporters, provide them transportation and then pamper them during the carnival-like event, which is scheduled to be held on Aug. 11 at Iowa State University.

George W. Bush used a straw poll victory in 1999 as evidence of his campaign’s legitimacy and strength. The poll has also proved important in helping thin out the field, with lesser-known candidates who perform poorly dropping out of the race.

When Klein was asked why he believes the GOP should get behind him and make him a nominee he responded: "I am the only person who can save the GOP's bacon. The party's "approved" candidates are political retreads owned and operated by the mega money interests financing their campaigns. None have a ghost of a chance to beat Clinton, Obama, or Edwards."

Klein continues: "I am a genuine idealist who not only talks the Republican talk, and I'll walk the Republican walk as President by insisting among other things on budgetary restraint and much more modest foreign policy. You can take to the bank the days of borrowing and wild spending will end along with America playing World Copeak. I can win because Americans ache for a fresh face. Discovered campaigning I've got whatever the personality magic is to become president. People like me because I'm always me and am congenitally allergic to not speaking my mind."

Dr. Mark Klein is a proud Jew. He has never made any attempt to conceal his Jewishness and his love for Israel. In fact, Dr. Klein who is one of Israel's staunchest defenders for its right to exist and has children living in Israel.

It would not be the first time that Anti-Semitism has raised it ugly head in Iowa. Recently, a disabled US Jewish war veteran alleged anti-Semitism at an Iowa VA hospital.

"Since moving back to Iowa about two years ago I have been thrust into a struggle with the Iowa City Veterans Hospital & Clinics over religious discrimination and Christian proselytizing." says Jewish Navy Veteran David "Akiva David" Miller. "Over time it has become clear that each experience of discrimination is not isolated from the others; in fact the problem of religious discrimination is systemic to the Iowa City VA. I am a disabled veteran who served my Country honorably in the US Navy. I am also an Orthodox Jew. Not only did the hospital refuse to notify my Rabbi, as I requested, they sent a Protestant chaplain in to see me each time. The first two visits by the Protestant (Assembly of God) Chaplain were all about trying to convert me - trying to convince me that I needed Jesus, that Jesus was the Messiah of the Jews too - this while I was suffering chest pains and wired to a heart monitor!"

The US Federal Courts have ruled that publicly funded hospitals may not engage in proselytizing. Clearly the actions of the Iowa City VA are in violation of the US Constitution's provision for the separation of Church and State.

Why would the Iowa GOP deny any FEC officially registered presidential candidate who requested listing on the Ames Straw Poll? Wouldn't listing Dr. Klein on the poll help draw new voters to the GOP? He potentially represents tens of millions votes from divorced fathers and mothers upset by divorce courts depriving them of adequate contact with their children, and destroying them financially with unfair child support orders. Why won't the Iowa GOP allow Iowa's orthodox Jews supporting Dr. Klein willing to pay the $30 fee an absentee ballot for Ames because they won't drive to Ames on August 11th, a Saturday. Not doing that could cost Dr. Klein several hundred votes?

Why is the GOP suppressing Dr. Klein's excellent straw poll results from the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in Memphis and Polk County (Des Moines) GOP chairman Ted Sporer's online poll in August.

Also there wasn't any mention by the Republican Party in Iowa of Dr. Klein coming in tied for 3rd place only three votes behind Mitt Romney in a snap straw poll conducted by the Grundy County, Iowa GOP at its monthly meeting last month. Why?

Craig Robinson could only respond with: "Dr. Klein has taken out many negative advertisements against the Republican GOP in Iowa. I will not discuss this matter further."

"I took the ads out because the Iowa GOP breached on an agreement to put me on the straw poll," Dr. Klein told the INA. "I made an arrangement to get on the Iowa Ames Straw poll in late April with the Ames committee chair Ted Sporer in the presence of the Vice Chair Leon Moseley. A few days later I met with Robinson who said I was very unlikely to get on the ballot because the party planned to limit the number of candidates to only best known."

So let's see if we have this correct. Robinson told the INA that the decision to remove Klein was a result of his negative ads, yet Klein was told before the ads even appeared that he had no chance to appear on the Ames Straw Poll!

But even if the excuse were negative ads, who does the Iowa GOP represent? They represent Republicans in Iowa. They represent Republicans in the United States. Do Republicans in the United States ban free speech? I think not.

The INA believes that Dr. Mark Klein may be the victim of blatant anti-semitism. There can be no other reason why any rational group would deny an FEC officially registered presidential candidate who requested listing on the Ames Straw Poll?

Lack of space? Then allow this Jew, who is supported by hundreds of thousands of good Christians in the United States, to take the spots which are now vacated by Rudolph W. Giuliani and Senator John McCain. If the Iowa Republican GOP continues on their present track, it will become a very dark stain for the good people of Iowa and every listed Republican in the United States of America.

The Israel News Agency is proud to repeat Dr. Klein's advertisements asking the American public to support him in his run for the White House.

"I'm Dr. Mark Klein. I'm a GOP presidential candidate who believes in things like parents having the right to refuse to hire gays seeking jobs as babysitters. The Iowa GOP won't give me a place on the Ames straw poll ballot because they want the party to be an exclusive club open only to candidates funded by big money interests. Call the Iowa GOP in Des Moines at 282-8105 to demand all Republican hopefuls go on the Ames ballot. Again the GOP's phone number is 282-8105."

Klein says that the Republican Iowa GOP Central Committee is meeting this weekend to make the final selection for the Ames Straw Poll.

"It's not over till its over," says Dr. Klein. "I plan to stay in the race long after the Ames Straw Poll becomes history."

What a whiner. For this, we do not need a Jewish candidate.

Look at his site and blog.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1828250/posts

And interview
http://cycloneconservatives.blogspot.com/2007/06/cyclone-conservatives-exclusive-10.html

... the candidates essentially buy the tickets for the attendees ... provide them transportation and then pamper them during the carnival-like event ...

"Straw Poll" begins to sound more like "Straw House." If I could buy more votes than the next guy, and in an unrepresentative sample of the overall electorate, I would be deluding myself by attaching much significance to the outcome.

When Klein was asked why he believes the GOP should get behind him and make him a nominee he responded: "I am the only person who can save the GOP's bacon."

Bacon? Methinks Dr. Klein has a droll sense of humor.

Could it be because Dr. Kleins supporters meet in a phone booth?

Hey, I thought Cox was our only marginal candidate. I'm not sure if he has a "national campaign" either.

OTOH, if they can meet all the other criteria, why not let them participate? Especially since McStain and Giuliani are refusing.

I'm thinking there's some other criteria too, like being able to rent a big tent and feed/water your supporters. Not sure but that's something they mention when they talk about why Fred is going to the IA state fair instead of attending the straw poll. Participating the straw poll sounds kind of expensive.

How about it, SJackson? Does this guy have any support outside Iowa? Personally, I'd like to see more Jewish candidates and I really like his support for treating fathers equally in the family courts. That's a good issue for Republicans, one that no one else is speaking to.

I'm not certain he's being excluded for being Jewish but I'm interested in hearing more. If Iowa is being antisemitic, they should be boycotted. But if he's just playing the antisemitic card to help him get in and the standards are equal and fair for all candidates, then I don't think he should get in just because he hurled an accusation.

I'm next door to Iowa and I don't think he's appeared in my state unless I just missed it somehow.

What is the deal with all these people deciding they can make organizations pay their way onto the national scene when they have not a chance in hell of becoming President?

The Iowa Republican party can do whatever it wants. The Ames Straw poll is about raising money for THEM, not giving a platform to every person with a point to make and 200 followers.

..........................................................................Ames....Iowa
Foreign born persons .........................................10.3%...3.1%
Language other than English spoken at home........12.9%...5.8%
http://www.infoplease.com/us/census/data/iowa/ames/

The Ames Straw poll is about raising money for THEM, not giving a platform to every person with a point to make and 200 followers.

That was and still is one of its purposes. But its importance is due to its potential for influencing the national race, largely due to how it influences the January caucus. So the national party does have a certain interest in encouraging fairness within a state party event.

That does not mean they have to provide a platform to every single person who wants to have a campaign for President and get his name in the paper.

People who are viable candidates will find a way to get support, those who are not blame organizations for holding them down.

It is pathetic.

I have to wonder if Cox or Klein have actually campaigned in all the early states. Even our other second-tier candidates have all been in and have supporters in at least the first three primary states.

So if Klein hasn't been campaigning and holding events and have at least a handful of voters and ballot access in any other state, he wouldn't really have a national campaign in any sense. The same applies to Cox.

sounds like a jewish version of the “race card”-i can never figure out the propensity for whining among a significant(or more likely visible)number of jews and i am one-can anyone explain this?one only has to think of joe “gun grabber”lieberman or abe”it’s chilling”foxman

“And perhaps being Jewish is a problem for the Iowa Republican GOP.”

Oh Puleeeze. Who the heck is this guy? Has he been elected to anything? dogcatcher? He’s not being treated ‘right’ because he is a crank no-name candidate. religion has nothing to do with it. Let him join in. see how he does, he’ll get his 5 votes and eventually go home when the novelty of being a crank candidate wears off.

He outdoes Cox in ‘marginality ....

“With my four children now grown and gone I’ve become a passionate flower gardener which fulfills my need to create beauty and have something in my everyday life to love and care for. I’m willing to set aside a very pleasant life to serve America in her hour of need.”

Great, that’ll impress the Jihadists no end!
http://drmarkklein.blogspot.com/

Maybe he should run as a Green candidate. Or promise the florists and FTD to enact more flower-sending holidays for grandparents, aunts/uncles, second cousins (like Rudi's ex-wife).

Yeah, I kind of thought he was a hopeless candidate. One of these days, we ought to elect one of them to something (heading a government agency we don't like, say, the NEA) just to laugh at them when they are actually responsible for something.

Maybe, just maybe for once we can have a “professional” communicator - a physician, a psychiatrist in the White House.
Someone who really knows something about human relations, psych war ops (Klein is a US war vet) and places our children’s future first and foremost in his administration.

Many of the negative comments on this thread come from the aides of political hacks whose only experience in office is passing a bribe and getting off on seeing their face on a campaign poster.

How can anyone compare the qualifications of a professional medical doctor who works with life / death decisions on a daily basis with the egocentric mediocrity from where most politicians come from? That Klein as of present is not entered on the Iowa Ames Straw poll is a disgrace to every conservative!

Maybe the critics here are correct.
Dr. Klein may very well be overqualified for the White House.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.