Did N.J. Republicans’ problems begin with Trumpism? Or Whitmanism? | Carroll

Whitman
By Michael Patrick Carroll
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Remember when W promised to be a “compassionate conservative” (leave aside the tautology)? Did the left hate him any the less for this genuflection to their sensibilities?

Many N.J. Republicans bought into this “kinder, gentler” claptrap, apparently believing that the way to electoral victory lay in parroting leftist identity nostrums, only a tad softer.

And no one exemplified that better than Christie Todd Whitman.

No sooner had she squeaked out a narrow victory than Whitman began to chart a course … no, that would be too kind. Whitman never displayed the slightest direction or vision. Her administration involved one long exercise in can-kicking. And left not a single enduring positive legacy.

But she bought into identity politics with a passion; remember her ridiculous “Many Faces, One Family” buttons? She emphasized the appointment of women; one entire slate of judicial appointments featured Politically Correct plumbing.

How did that solicitousness for identity play out? First, the (entirely bogus) “racial profiling” scandal exploded on her watch, featuring that infamous photo of a smirking gov patting down a Black suspect. Then, her administration issued a report which said, in effect, “state police policies are not discriminatory, but cops must be racist because of ‘disparate impact’”.

CTW’s attempts to co-opt leftist identity politics produced no era of good feelings. Leftists despised her, even more than did conservatives. (At least the latter had good reasons) And when she scarpered off to DC, how fared the NJ GOP?

We’ve lost 10 consecutive Legislative elections; former Republican bastions are under siege. We lost 3 of the last five gubernatorial elections. NJ has become so reliably blue that the networks called it for Biden as soon as the polls closed.

Meanwhile, leftists occasionally drag CTW out of richly-deserved retirement to hurl brickbats, not at socialist identity-obsessives, but at the Party her legacy did so much to destroy.

Republicans like Whitman prove beyond refutation that electing yes-but-less Republicans produces monolithic Democratic control. We can’t know what history would have been if CTW acted like an actual Republican and wielded the Governor’s awesome power (and GOP legislative majorities) to repeal Mt. Laurel and Abbott, eliminate defined-benefit pensions, enshrine tax-limitation measures in the Constitution, defang public employee unions, and appoint actual judges to the SCONJ, but NJ would be a very different, very much better place.

Leftists hated Whitman. And Christie. And W. They REALLY hate DT. That’s just what leftists DO. Only a fool tries to win the affections of folks who passionately believe that only a Nazi could disagree with them. If leftists refuse to accept the conclusive evidence that their policies always produce catastrophe, “moderate” Republicans refuse to accept the evidence that identity-obsessed socialists must be decisively beaten, not accommodated.

That might be impossible in the short run. But why bother winning an election if not to advance good policy? The Dems show no hesitation about implementing rotten policy and are willing to risk electoral setbacks to advance their agenda. We need similarly dedicated Republicans, unafraid to advance, and unapologetic about, a platform of freedom. It might not always win, but it is always right.

The recent gubernatorial race shows that the GOP wins not so much as a single vote from the people who claim that we need more (fill in the blank with Politically Correct identity group) in office, because leftists – despite their public fixation of pigment, plumbing, and predilection – ALWAYS put socialism ahead of identity. Leftists will support a rich, straight, white, male socialist over a “diverse” Republican every single time. CTW’s foolish embrace of leftist identity politics converted not a single voter to the GOP. And no such policy ever will.

The GOP needs to offer a choice, not an echo. Our Party is based on the self-evident truths that what comes before the hyphen doesn’t matter and that economic freedom produces a stronger and fairer economy. We should not be the least bit shy about espousing those views. When even the people in cobalt blue CA decisively reject race-mongering and overwhelmingly endorse freedom of contract, it’s clear that a constituency exists for conservative ideas.

Now, we need candidates brave enough to endure the slings and arrows of the Morans and Salants of the world to champion them.

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Former Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R) represented New Jersey’s 25th Legislative District from 1996 to 2020.

Michael Patrick Carroll
About Michael Patrick Carroll 11 Articles
Former Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll (R) represented New Jersey's 25th Legislative District from 1996 to 2020.