Gatemouth of Room 8 in a comment to OTBKB complains that I am  extremely naive—even delusional—about the Lander Der Blatt ad.

He suggests that it was actually a member of Lander's campaign, who placed the ad in Der Blatt as part of the effort to win votes in Borough Park, a community of conservative Hasidic Jews of the Satmar sect.

Okay, I am taking my rose colored glasses off, Gatemouth. You and others are saying that Lander tacitly allowed the ad by looking the other way when a campaign member by the name of Fleisher (with strong ties in Borough Park) placed the anti-gay ad in Der Blatt???

Omigod!

Sure, Lander is running hard for the votes in conservative Borough Park, as is John Heyer, who is against same sex marriage and abortion. Clearly, Heyer's conservative social views are more in line with Borough Park's Jewish community.

But Brad Lander is a liberal who openly supports gay marriage and abortion. His views on Israel are progressive. He is a member of Kolot Chayenu, a Jewish congregation in Park Slope, with openly progressive views about Israeli politics. Here's what it says on their website:

Ellen Lippmann, the rabbi at Kolot Chayenu, is a lesbian for Chrissakes.  

So why would Brad Lander look the other way? Is he that desperate for votes? I guess that's possible.

 Is it that he has learned to play the game required to win votes in Borough Park? Also possible.

According to Gatemouth, the answer is yes:

So, can you ever trust politicians?

I was hoping so. Back in the spring of the City Council race, I was impressed with this intelligent—and principled—group of individuals, who had decided to run for Bill di Blasio's seat. I now understand that what it takes to win a political race in NYC (and probably everywhere) requires a lot of "playing the game."

Indeed, functioning in the NYC City Council also requires playing the game. Sadly, from what I've learned, life in the City Council is largely about slush funds, pandering to the council speaker, and scratching the backs of the powerful.

I suspect that what it takes to win a race is similar to what it takes to succeed in the City Council. That's why it's important to vote for someone who at least works hard to stay above the toxic and sometimes corrupt frey of NYC politics.

Okay. Rose colored glasses off, I am mulling over what this all means. Here's my question. If you are a politician: How do you run for office without playing the game? Is this sort of thing endemic to being a politician? As citizens, are we, too, supposed to look the other way as our candidates—and politicians—look the other way.

I hope not.

While Gatemouth says that it is unlikely that  Lander personally authorized or had knowledge of of the contents of the ad, he does say this:

If any of this is true, I agree with Gatemouth that  Lander must publicly dismiss Fleisher from his campaign ASAP, "using the strongest possible terms, or be held accountable for what appeared."

If none of this is true, that Lander has no idea who placed the ad in Der Blatt, I rescind my charge that even a smart, right-thinking candidate looked the other way when a member of his campaign "played the game."

Which of the candidates running for City Council in the 39th is least likely to play the game? It might not be considered smart politics but it is the higher road to take in a city rife with compromising political thoroughfares.