The defining moment in my life took place in an unlikely place, the parking lot of the now defunct Woodhaven Lanes in Rego Park Queens. I was about to get out of my grandfather’s car and go bowling when my grandfather leaned over to me and spoke the words that I will never forget. “A Jew may never do two things, vote for a Republican or root for the Yankees.” Then without further explanation, we went inside and got down to bowling.
And truly, this message had its effect. Because to this day I have never been able to vote for anybody bearing the standard of the GOP–I probably couldn’t even if Lincoln came back from the dead to head their ticket and were Moses pitching for the Yanks and Hitler were at the plate, I can hear myself rooting….come on Adolf baby….it only takes one….it only takes one…….truly
–writer Peter Elfant sometimes inhabits a character named Preston Pepper
