Jewish Senate candidate lashes rival for attack ads that lengthened his nose
Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff blasts David Perdue for campaign that played on anti-Semitic stereotypes; Republican cancels final debate after millions view clips online
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JTA — US Senator David Perdue, a Georgia Republican, canceled a final debate with his rival, Jon Ossoff, after moments from their last debate spread online, including one in which Ossoff accused Perdue of “lengthening my nose in attack ads to remind everybody that I’m Jewish.”
Ossoff was referring to ads that appeared this summer on Facebook in which his nose was lengthened, a change that suggested anti-Semitic stereotypes about Jewish noses.
Perdue said the ads were “unintentional” in lengthening Ossoff’s nose, and his campaign removed them.
“First, you were lengthening my nose in attack ads to remind everybody that I’m Jewish,” Ossoff said. “Then when that didn’t work, you started calling me some kind of an Islamic terrorist. And then, when then that didn’t work you started calling me a Chinese communist.”
“Instead of leading and inspiring, he stoops to mocking the heritage of his political opponents,” Ossoff, the Democratic nominee, said when sharing a clip from the debate on Twitter Wednesday.
Sen. David Perdue is a man without vision or integrity.
Instead of leading and inspiring, he stoops to mocking the heritage of his political opponents.
Georgia is finished with David Perdue.https://t.co/zi5Wxg0VYr pic.twitter.com/am9Gh18gUY
— Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) October 29, 2020
The video got a quarter of a million views by Friday. Another video grab from the debate, in which Ossoff accuses Perdue of insider trading for buying stock in personal protective equipment after a private January briefing for senators on the potential for a coronavirus pandemic, has gotten more than 12 million views. Perdue denies insider trading accusations.
Ok, Ill have to admit, Jon @ossoff is running a much better campaign for the Senate than he did for the House back in ‘17
Calling out GOP Sen. Perdue a Crook for insider trading, and questioning Perdue on healthcare, he definitely has improved form 2017pic.twitter.com/2p4B44G90W
— @adammanross.bsky.social (@adammanross) October 30, 2020
Perdue on Thursday dropped out of the final debate, saying that congressional business had kept him from campaigning and he needed to make up the time. Ossoff lashed back and called Perdue a “coward.”
The race is considered a toss-up, and a crucial contributor to whether the Senate goes from a Republican to Democratic majority.
The Times of Israel Community.