By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
Fix your hair pretty, Save Jerseyans, and meet me tonight in Atlantic City?
The much-heralded ‘Statewide Republican Event starts today, Monday February 2nd at 4:00 PM and is set to continue well into the evening. I’ll be there. Here’s what I’ll be watching from my perch in Atlantic City’s Borgata Casino Hotel:
(1) What does Bramnick say?
A future gubernatorial nominee? That’s the consensus expectation among operatives and politicos in the NJ GOP universe. Those circumstances make whatever he says (and does) during the day-long event all the more interesting and potentially significant.
(2) Attendance total
1,000. That’s how many attendees the Assembly GOP is reportedly expecting to host in the Main Ballroom on Monday afternoon. Snow and ice in North Jersey, north of I-78, could cause a little havoc. Fingers crossed…
(3) What will Kim Guadagno do?
The only other NJ GOP establishment figure with a known interest in succeeding Chris Christie, Lt. Governor Guadagno, is on the speakers list for Atlantic City but (as discussed above) the Atlantic City event is very much intended to showcase Bramnick as the incumbent governor’s successor. A Tuesday unity breakfast hosted by Ocean County GOP power broker George Gilmore might be newsworthy.
(4) The South Jersey Dynamic
One of the major reasons for holding the big event in A.C.? LD2 looms large in the 2015 legislative race picture. What also looms large: the Christie-era electoral detente with the South Jersey Democrat Machine. A fun little example: one of the speakers at today’s big event is Michael Chertoff, DHS Secretary for George W. Bush but also an attorney for David Samson (of Port Authority/Bridgegate fame) and… George Norcross III. Jon Bramnick vigorously campaigned in South Jersey in 2013; at some point, if the NJ GOP is serious about taking back the legislature, there’s not mathematical way to do it with South Jersey off-limits.
(5) Christie vs. Bush chatter
A strong majority of the anticipated 1,000 NJ GOP attendees at Tuesday’s gathering will tell you they’re pulling for a Christie presidential victory. His most loyal lieutenants (including strategist Mike DuHaime and long-time friend Bill Palatucci) are on the speakers list. There have, however, been a few very notable defections in recent weeks. The Big Guy is across the pond at the moment; it’ll be interesting to find out what the people who know him best think about the state of the presidential race.
