By Matt Rooney
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We’ll be extremely lucky if 15% of registered New Jersey voters show up at the polls today, Save Jerseyans. Only 31% voted in the 2014 Midterms in the November general. It’ll be a little stronger (presumably) than the average in places like NJ-11 where there are hotly-contested primaries for both major parties, less so in most other places.
I’m one of the few who reliably shows up and votes in these sleepy June contests.
This year? It won’t be because I’m particularly inspired by the conversation over the last several months.
If I’m being honest, I’ve been struck by the complete and utter lack of policy debates in this year’s contests. I’ve admittedly paid much closer attention to the Republican side of the ledge here in the Garden State but I know many of my Democrat friends are complaining about the same thing.
In MOST of these districts, the primary slings and arrows have been hyper-personal, procedural, and rarely substantive. Hardcore politicos may enjoy it; I’m bored.
Steve Lonegan and John McCann (NJ-05) haven’t disagreed, for example, on whether Donald Trump is doing a good job. Only over who is a stronger, more authentic supporter. And then they fought over whether McCann’s father had been shot by a terrorist.
Hirsh Singh and Sam Fiocchi (NJ-02) aren’t scrapping over opposing immigration reform initiatives. Fiocchi has been the prime aggressor, and his attacks have focused almost exclusively on young-ish, still-living-at-home Singh’s chops for the job.
Up North, where I’d say the ideological battle lines are likely most pronounced, Jay Webber and Tony Ghee (NJ-11) aren’t battling over competing tax plans. The dominant story in the closing days: whether a third (of five) candidates attempted to bribe two others.
Let’s get something straight: I’m troubled by all of this NOT because I don’t like a good, hard-nosed fight. Trial by fire is the best test for any prospective standard bearer.
In my mind, primaries SHOULD be showcases for Republicans’ conservative ideas. Said another way: why OUR idea are better than the Democrats’ ideas.
I don’t think that’s happening in most races in 2018.
I strongly suspect it’s part of the reason why primary voting enthusiasm is waning and party membership generally is suffering. You need to give people a reason to get up a little earlier, shorten their lunches or leave work earlier on a busy Tuesday. Endless diatribes about what an awful bastard the other guy is doesn’t qualify.
There’s probably something to be said for gradual, increased ideological homogeneity over the past couple of decades. Still, I know for a fact that there remain BIG differences between some of these candidates whom you’ll see on your Tuesday ballot. It’d be good to talk about them. Sadly, those differences aren’t percolating to the surface.
Go vote today even if you’re writing someone in. People die for the right; don’t throw something so valuable away. But when it’s all said and done, and the lazy, hazy summer lull sets in, we all need to put some serious thought into making the process more… constructive.
It’s a waste opportunity.
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