There has been plenty of spin about what issues are really impacting today’s special election in New York. The National Organization for Marriage wants everybody to think the biggest issue is marriage, and has certainly gone out of its way to convince a sizable population of Orthodox Jews that they should vote for Catholic Bob Turner (R), who opposes marriage equality, instead of fellow-Orthodox Jew David Weprin (D) — who voted for the measure in New York’s Assembly this summer. But is that issue really a deciding factor today?

Former Mayor Ed Koch, a Democrat who has endorsed Turner, says it isn’t. He suggests that it wouldn’t make sense for the Orthodox Jews to be upset with Weprin over marriage because they support other pro-gay candidates:

KOCH: The Jews who are upset with David Weprin on the issue of gay marriage, they’re not upset on gay marriage. They support candidates who are for gay marriage. Like [Assembly Speaker] Shelly Silver – he’s their big candidate. And he’s for gay marriage. But they’re upset with Weprin. That’s what they tell me.

Turner has largely avoided the issue, focusing instead on jobs and the economy and suggesting that the campaign fears that strong opposition to marriage equality may alienate other key voter demographics. But while Turner himself has not campaigned on same-sex marriage, he still may be benefiting from his one-man/one-woman position on it. Weprin has suggested that Turner is “playing a double game” by letting his supporters (like NOM and other “family” groups) push the issue while he personally dodges it.

NOM will surely blame Weprin’s support for marriage equality for the possible upset, but with the issue outsourced to a third party and New York’s overwhelming support for maintaining the law, any election result will only prove that LGBT issues can still create a wedge, but aren’t nearly as contentious as they were in past elections.

The National Organization for Marriage committed to spending $75,000 to defeat David Weprin in today’s special election in New York to fill Rep. Anthony Weiner’s (D) seat. The spending is part of NOM’s absurd $2 million effort to overturn marriage equality in New York by unseating the legislators who voted for it over the next few years. But despite being a not-so-secretly Catholic group, NOM is feigning Orthodox Judaism to pit Jews against Jews as to who is the better Jewish candidate. In its $26,000 direct mailing campaign, NOM suggested that Weprin “defied Jewish law” by supporting civil marriage for same-sex couples, telling voters, “Do not let David Weprin mock our Torah!” Our Torah?

This week, NOM is pushing a big robocall campaign against Weprin featuring a sermon by Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein, who says, “Why do you have earthquakes? The retribution for the sin of homosexuality… Earthquakes are caused by homosexuality.” Listen:

Jeremy Hooper points out that Wallerstein is the second rabbi NOM has highlighted recently who blames gays for the earthquake.

NOM isn’t alone in using marriage equality as a wedge issue in today’s election. Another group of Flatbush rabbonim have signed a letter stating that it is forbidden by Torah law to “vote for, campaign for, fund, or otherwise support” Weprin’s campaign. The letter cites Weprin’s pro-gay record, as well as the fact he has marched in “the wicked ones’” pride parades.

Weprin is down 47-41 in the polls going into today’s election. What impact NOM’s efforts at preaching about Jewish law will have on the vote have yet to be seen.