Abe Lincoln must have been a boy, a really young kid, the last time a Republican represented this portion of Los Angeles in the state Legislature.
Rabbi Nachum Shifren, as heavy of an underdog as exists anywhere in America this election season, remains a solid runnerup choice to first-term state Sen. Curren D. Price Jr. (D-Culver City) in the Nov. 2 race for a seat previously held by County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.
Despite a daily blizzard of publicity from the busy Shifren camp, replete with strongly worded socio-political commentary from the Orthodox rabbi/public school teacher, the feeling persists — no polling is available — that the gap is as wide as between The Gap and the late Bullocks enterprise.
As long ago as last January, Rabbi Shifren was chasing Sen. Price is search of a head-to-head debate. He said he thought he had one scheduled last month on a Sunday afternoon in Leimert Park, but he turned out to be the only debater in the house.
He still is hoping to schedule a talkathon with the incumbent, who has shown little appetite for a debate since he is perceived to be far ahead.
Sherman Oaks Is His Next Stop
Meanwhile, Rabbi Shifren will be in the debate this, he says, this evening at 7, before the San Fernando Valley chapter of Act for America, at the Sherman Oaks Women’s Club, 4808 Kester Ave., not far from the intersection of Victory and Van Nuys boulevards. The subject will be a favorite of Rabbi Shifren’s: “Radical Islam in America.”
A voluble critic of what he sees as unhealthy growing influence of extremist Muslim culture, he will address “how our ‘feel-good’ school curricula, with its emphasis on ‘multiculturalism’ in our state-run schools, has brought us the environment that led to Sept. 11.
Rabbi Shifren’s talking points will include “how our schools are hotbeds of anti-American hatred, paid for by American taxpayers,” “how your money is used to further the agenda of stealth Islam,” and “what America needs to do to survive this latest threat to our very lives.”
Lest a doubt remain about the candidate’s position, Rabbi Shifren’s publicity bills him as “the only candidate in California who publicly states his ardent opposition to Sha’ria law.”
Rabbi Shifren may be contacted at RabbiForSenate.com
