After receiving in less than a week almost sixty contributions averaging above $70.00 apiece; after receiving loads of emails encouraging me to undertake a run for NY’s 17 Congressional Seat, and after weighing  all sides of such a battle, I have made a decision.

The question to me is not if I do or don’t have chances of toppling someone who is in government longer than I am alive, because in politics these things are unknown. Bill Clinton didn’t stand a chance of beating GHWB; Pataki in NY didn’t have a chance of winning in ‘1994; and going into the 2008 campaign, John McCain was politically dead according to “experts.” And, didn’t we all “know” that 2008 will come down to a Hillary-Rudi fight?
So much for “predictions” and having/not having “chances”…

In politics it is the norm to lose a seat once or twice before coming back a few years later to win it again or to win a different seat. Just look at Regan who lost Prez bids before coming back and wining it later; Clinton lost a Governor race in Arkansas before coming back and wining; G.W. Bush ran for the House in 1978 and lost; and we can go back to Nixon too who lost in ‘960 against JFK, yet won the presidency eight years later.

Therefore, the talks of “standing a chance” or not, has no room in the minds of professionals, and didn’t play a role in my decision process. To me, it came down to 1) From how many people can I get real support (i.e. monetary contributions) in a reasonable amount of time, and 2), How much money can we raise to jump-start the campaign and to kick-it into over-drive.

I am very glad with the responses that I have gotten, in terms of encouragement, and in terms of the amount of people who contributed in such a short period of time. It shows that the message taken-out there resonated with everyday people. However, starting from scratch a Congressional Campaign (without MASSIVE monetary backing) at the beginning of March, is too little too late to build a broad and viable campaign that would give Congressman Engel the run for his life. Therefore, I decided to currently not run for this seat. http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/article.php?p=50200

Not running now does not mean that I will not run another time, or on another seat. Have in mind that most people in State Legislative houses and in the US House, arrive there at ages quite above my current age of turning 25. Therefore my fellow supporters: hang-in there! I am only at the beginning of the road, not the end. Your support, and more so, your monetary contribution, was very helpful in getting me to this stage.

Thanks to you all for your support

To read more from and about Yossi, visit www.yossigestetner.com

(Yossi Gestetner – YWN)