D’oh! Koplen’s Afghanistan “joke” falls short

A recent Facebook exchange between Ramapo Supervisor candidate Michael Koplen (R) and Aaron Moeller, editor of the Advocate weekly newspaper, prompted Koplen to make an embarrassing joke, which cast nearby village West Haverstraw in a less-than-flattering light.

In response to a picture of a pay-to-use internet station in West Haverstraw, Koplen responded that it looked like it was from Afghanistan. When told that it was from West Haverstraw, he asked what the difference was between the town and the war-torn country. Though the comment might have been in bad taste, it only elicited a strong negative reaction on Facebook from a few, including Ramapo Councilman Daniel Friedman, who argued the comment was an insult to the village.

In contrast, Steve Lieberman with the Journal News weighed in and argued the matter was irrelevant compared to other issues such as the approval and financial status of Boulder Stadium. A project he pointed out that Friedman supported against the better judgement of voters.

Politicians who expressed disappointment in “real life” include West Haverstraw Mayor John Ramundo (D) and county executive candidate Ed Day (R).

  Journal News, koplen, lieberman, moeller, the advocate