Two Jewish Veterans Enter the Political Arena

It is with great pleasure that I can report on two Jewish veterans have announced their candidacy for political office. Not only because our country has a real need for better military representation in our government, but because I have a personal connection to both of these candidates.

20140221-104945The first is JIG’s own Brian Kresge, who is not just a regular contributor to Jews in Green, but completely ran the site for a number of years when I had to take a hiatus. I can personally speak to Brian’s intellect and thoughtfulness (something so lacking in much political debate these days), not only in his writing for the site, but in our correspondence over the years.

Kresge has entered the race for the 37th Legislative District in Pennsylvania. The seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Mindy Fee, who is seeking reelection. A Lancaster County native, Kresge served in the U.S. Army as a parachute infantryman with the 101st Airborne Division and later the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

carrThe next is Elan Carr, who is running for congress in California’s 33rd District to fill the seat of retiring Henry Waxman. Elan is also an Army officer who now serves in the reserves. Elan is a friend of mine as well as the current Supreme Master (or president) of Alpha Epsilon Pi, the only internationally Jewish fraternity. That’s the same AEPi that just finished up their Year of the Veteran, and of which I am a member.

If you’ve seen Elan speak, you know that he exudes confidence and inspiration. I’ve heard more than one person say after a speech of his that “we’re looking at a future President of the United States there,” and I can’t say I would be surprised if that were the case someday. He’s not only articulate and incredibly intelligent, but he has a passion for service that is above and beyond anything I’ve seen in another person. I know this description might seem overly “flowery”, but I can’t say enough good things about this man. He is a genuinely good person and an incredibly capable leader.

Perhaps the best compliment I can give both candidates is that they should not run for office in the first place. One of my favorite quotes about politics goes something like this:

Anyone who is smart enough to run for office is smart enough to stay the hell away from politics.

We’ll these guys are both smart enough to know better, but I also think they are passionate enough to enter the fray anyway.

OK, I’m certainly cynical about the political process in general and the awful rhetoric and party-line nonsense that causes nothing meaningful to ever get done. However, I do have hope that it can (and will) change with the right people. Not that my endorsement means much, but I honestly believe that these two men represent that group of the “right people”.

They may be from opposing political parties, but that should speak to my enthusiasm for both. Few things bother me more in politics than voting a straight party ticket anyway. We’d be better served by looking at the individuals on the ballot and what they actually stand for instead of bypassing the name entirely to focus on the (R) or (D) attached to the end of it.

As we end 13 years of war, I am encouraged to think that we will see more and more (younger) veterans enter public life and displace so many of the career politicians that tout there “leadership” experience despite being insulated from real conflict. It will be these men and women who can make public office more about governing and legislating than about rhetoric and campaigning.