A Negligible Difference Between the Steves

By Matt Rooney The Save Jersey Blog

DonkeyThey may be gearing up for a 2017 (or earlier) gubernatorial primary, Save Jerseyans, and they certainly come from very different worlds, but for those of us who care more about the issues than the personality and procedural angles of politics, there’s a negligible difference between Senate President Steve Sweeney and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop.

We got a pretty clear reminder of the two Democrat Steves’ ideological homogeneity on Wednesday from the Huffington Post.

Fulop served up a guest post to announce a new gun “reform’ initiative in his city…

The Jersey City Department of Public Safety is issuing a bid specification to purchase new weaponry. It will also be what we believe is a first-of-its-kind policy statement for our expectations of what gun manufacturers owe the American people when it comes to their safety and the safety of their loved ones.

Jersey City will be asking all bidders the following six socially responsible questions:

– What do you do to combat illegal gun trafficking and illegal gun crime?
– Do you manufacturer and sell assault weapons for civilian use?
– Do you agree not to sell certain models of firearms for civilian use?
– Are you requiring your dealers to conduct background checks?
– Do you fund research related to gun violence and smart gun technology?
– Will you commit to prohibiting your brand name from being used in violent video games?

Where to begin with this one…

For starters, no one, including Fulop, is alleging that these companies are doing anything illegal.

Mayor Fulop never attempts to address the fact that mass shootings almost all mass shootings – including the Newtown massacre – are committed with stolen weapons in highly-regulated “gun free” zones.

We don’t even have to wonder whether he gives a damn about the Second Amendment ’cause we know the answer to that question without asking it, Save Jerseyans!

But why bother trying to explain, with logic, Fulop’s intentions? I’m wasting your time and mine, too. He’s a liberal, Save Jerseyans, and liberals consistently exhibit an irrational hatred for private gun ownership. It’s an emotional, unthinking, quasi-religious reaction untethered to reality. All of this is no more complicated than that, I’m afraid.

Sweeney talks a better game on gun control since he hails from a rural South Jersey district and not a Northeastern N.J. urban center. The end result is nevertheless the same because Steve Sweeney needs those urban centers to support his gubernatorial campaign. Sure, he’ll try to moderate certain legislation to avoid alienating his LD3 base, but when push comes to shove, he’ll go all-in for broad-based gun control bills like any other New Jersey Democrat.

Taxes, abortion, the public school monopoly: any distinctions are largely cosmetic, folks. Democrat primary voters would really be choosing between a younger, hipper, slightly-nerdy liberal and an older, earthier and – dare we say rounder? – liberal. Take your pick. I’d go with option “c,” thank you very much, even if his or her name isn’t in vogue like “Steve.”

Matt Rooney
About Matt Rooney 8405 Articles
MATT ROONEY is SaveJersey.com's founder and editor-in-chief, a practicing New Jersey attorney, and the host of 'The Matt Rooney Show' on 1210 WPHT every Sunday evening from 7-10PM EST.

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