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Tag: election

Fear and Loathing in Dem Land

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

I said it the other day, Save Jerseyans: 2013 is shaping up to be a weird cycle.

In some ways it’s been unbelievably satisfying in the early going. If you had told me in early 2009 that Democrat mayors would be tripping over themselves to endorse a pro-life, pro-business, pro-tax cut Republican governor only four short years later, I might’ve accused you of harboring admirably but unrealistic expectations. Go figure.

The latest Dem to abandon ship is Mayor Jim Fazzone (D-Burlington City); he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Chris Christie on Friday in a municipality of just under 10,000 where President Obama garnered 72.49% of the vote in 2012 and Jon Corzine managed 60.43% just three years prior:

Down-ballot Democrat nerves are a bit frayed for good reason. Barbara Buono is heading into Memorial Day Weekend with a severely fractured party despite having had no significant primary competition. Meanwhile, we found out this week that Governor Christie raised more money in California than Barbara Buono has raised everywhere combined. The last major public poll showed Governor Christie winning 30% of N.J. Democrats and 64% of N.J. independents.

It might already be too late unless she has some incredible, game-changing opposition research up her sleeve (e.g. we discover that Governor Christie’s lap band was born in Kenya, or that his fleece has a felony record). Not because it isn’t possible to catch up in six months. It is. I just don’t see any signs that her campaign is capable of doing anything that could reverse Chris Christie’s fearsome momentum or get key Democrat local leaders to change their minds, fall in line and risk angering the likely victor.

Steve Sweeney’s Hissy Fit

By Art Gallagher | MoreMonmouthMusings.com

Sweeney and OliverNJ Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) is having another tantrum.

The puerile legislator who called Governor Chris Christie a prick over a budget veto and responded to Superstorm Sandy by calling for the elimination of beach badges on the Jersey Shore is upset that he will face competition in November.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) had the audacity to recruit a strong candidateNiki Trunk, to challenge Sweeney in the 3rd legislative district. Sweeney’s been pissed about that for months, as if he is entitled to being reelected without having to make his case to the voters in November.

Sweeney went off the deep end when he learned that Kean donated $8,200 to Trunk’s campaign.

Yesterday Sweeney knocked all Republican sponsored legislation off of the Senate’s agenda.  The following bills won’t be heard in committee next week:

CONTINUE READING…

Fulop Wins in Jersey City

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

Jersey CityChallenger Steven Fulop is victorious in the Jersey City mayoral contest, Save Jerseyans winning 52.62% with a little more than 95% of precincts reporting. He avoided a run-off by cracking the 50%+1 mark, defeating Mayor Jeremiah Healey cleanly.

We ordinarily don’t spend too much time covering New Jersey’s mayoral contests in the larger urban centers here at Save Jersey. Why? Because it’s usually liberal-on-liberal violence. There’s rarely a genuine contest of ideas worth expounding upon.

The Jersey City race might prove a little different in the rear view mirror; Fulop is supposedly a friend of the charter school/school choice movement, reportedly earning the friendship of folks with groups like E3 (Excellent Education for Everyone) and B4K in addition to the backing of prominent Republican including Monmouth’s Brian Nelson and Essex’s Kevin O’Toole. Fulop formerly sat on the board of the Learning Community Charter School.

I believe there’s no more important domestic issue than school choice, folks. You know this as regular readers. We’re losing an entire generation of Americans in our cities’ failure factories. Anyone willing to do anything about it other than throw more money at the problem is worth hearing out. Here’s hoping all of Mayor-elect Fulop’s pro-school choice associations translate to a meaningful change for Jersey City’s kids.

And if nothing else… tonight’s result is a little extra sweet because Obama had endorsed Healey. Any loss for the Big O is a W for the American people.

Not Negative If It’s True

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

“Meet Barbara Buono, Jon Corzine’s budget chair and now running for governor,” a legislator who “voted 154 times to raise our taxes.”

That’s how Chris Christie’s new “negative” TV ad begins, Save Jerseyans, the second spot of his 2013 campaign which will broadcast statewide beginning today. His first purely positive piece went live earlier this month:

Pundits are categorizing this spot as “negative.” If you ask a political operative or consultant, they’ll tell you it’s more accurately described as a “contrast” piece.

Let’s just keep it simple and recognize this new TV ad for what it is: as an honest accounting of Senator Buono’s record! Yes, Barbara Buono’s record is negative, both in terms of how it’s negatively impacted our state economy and how it’s likely to affect her own electoral fortunes. Simply pointing out the obvious isn’t really a negative act in of itself, ’cause it’s not negative if it’s true my friends.

Meet Bob Jones

Meet the Candidates Week of April 28th

By Nicole Sanders | The Save Jersey Blog

Meet the CandidatesIn my efforts to introduce candidates to the voting public, I started a weekly column called Meet the Candidates. In essence it is a past day stump speech updated for the virtual world and a chance for candidates to tell the voters why they deserve their vote.

For this week’s column, I am honored to introduce to you Middlesex County Freeholder Candidate, Bob Jones. Jones obtained his bachelor degree in Communications from Rutgers University and his Juris Doctorate from Rutgers Law School. Currently he has his own law firm in Woodbridge, New Jersey, is the Board Attorney for South Plainfield and East Brunswick Zoning Board of Adjustments and is an Adjunct Instructor at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Bob Jones also has a strong political background. He was the South Plainfield Republican Chairman from 2003-2008 and the 18th District Assembly Candidate in 2009.

The following is my interview with Candidate Jones…

CONTINUE READING….

First Christie Ad Hits Airwaves

“Jersey Strong” Spot Goes Statewide (VIDEO)

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

Governor Christie’s first television ad of the 2013 cycle, “Jersey Proud,” will likely be on a TV near you this week, Save Jerseyans. I’m told it’s a 1 1/2 long, $1M+ buy encompassing both the New York and Philadelphia metro markets.

It touches on familiar themes:

What’s your take?

Matching Funds Don’t Make Sense

OPINION: Overburdened Taxpayers Shouldn’t Be Forced to Double the Campaign Funds of Political Candidates

By Ed Sheppard | The Save Jersey Blog

CoinsFolks, I was disgusted at some political news I saw last week. If you haven’t heard, Democrats were playing the “woe is me” game because Barbara Buono is on track to be the first major gubernatorial candidate ever not to qualify for full matching funds from the state of New Jersey since the program began (I believe Christie has opted out of that system this time around for obvious reasons).

Oh, the humanity!

For some reason, in New Jersey, gubernatorial candidates can receive matching funds for up to $2 million of their primary election fundraising.

Whoops, did I say matching funds? I meant DOUBLING funds.

CONTINUE READING….

Meet James Sanford

Save Jersey’s 2013 Meet the Candidates Series Continues, Week of April 21, 2013

By Nicole Sanders | The Save Jersey Blog

LD33In my efforts to introduce candidates to the voting public, I started a weekly column called Meet the Candidates. In essence it is a past day stump speech updated for the virtual world.

For this week’s column, I am honored to introduce to you State Senate Candidate, James Sanford. Sanford is running in the 33rd Legislative District and is trying to unseat incumbent Democratic Senator Brian P. Stack. He is thirty year old Berkeley College alumni with a degree in Accounting and as a former Chairman of the Hudson County Young Republicans and a current Republican Committeeman. James is not entirely new to politics; currently, he is the Manager of the Procurement Department at a credit union in New York City.

My interview with candidate Sanford is below the fold:

CONTINUE READING….