Heraclitus (one of those ancient Greeks philosophers whom writers love to quote) once observed that “nothing endures but change.”
New Jersey’s 2021 certainly proved him right.
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Ten years ago? George Norcross, Chris Christie and Steven Sweeney were the triumvirate that ran not just state politics but the key aspects of state government. George ruled the South and its satellite organizations elsewhere, Steve ran the legislature for George, and Chris – with the help of a robust government affairs operation – had the party bosses behind him. Christie seemed destined for national office. Sweeney seemed on track to succeed Christie. Norcross appeared likely to have the ear of a president and a governor of opposite parties.
Today?
Christie’s problems are well-known. Post-Bridgegate (a product of that GA operation cited above), the guy who was once begged by Nancy Reagan and Henry Kissinger to run for the GOP nomination is now one of New Jersey’s least popular politicians. He dropped out after finishing far back in the pack in New Hampshire in 2016, and his most recent attempt at a comeback – a book urging Republicans to leave the Trump era behind – sold only a handful of copies. He’s New Jersey’s Rick Santorum: a name who gets invited on TV for color but no one really takes him seriously as an influencer.
Sweeney is out of a political job, too, losing a historic upset to Ed Durr – the truck driver whose campaign spent a couple grand compares to over a million expended to reelect the Democrat Senate president and his Assembly running mates. Sweeney has already said he’s running for governor in 2025, but the curious announcement signaled weakness, not strength. The once unstoppable South Jersey Machine will be more of a Delaware River district creature after 2022 if Andy Kim’s seat and the county governments in Cumberland and Gloucester fall into Republican hands. Sweeney is going to run and spend George’s money to stay relevant, not because he’s the odds on favorite in a statewide Democrat Party whose far-Left activist core doesn’t trust him. The Machine needs to stay relevant and, at the moment, Sweeney running around writing checks is the card they have to play.
But is the machine boss still interested in being a boss? Or has he turned into Michael Corleone in Godfather III? We just found out that Norcross has been a Florida voters since last year, and he had to resign his position as New Jersey Democrat national committeeman as a result. Long the most powerful man in New Jersey politics, “King George” is still very much a force to be reckoned with but, in an equally real sense, he’s also now just another (albeit exceptionally wealthy and connected) boomer living in the Land of Trump and DeSantis. He’s a regent who’s setting up a court away from his own kingdom, one that’s borders are rapidly shrinking.
The point of this post wasn’t to write anyone’s political epitaph. Each of these guys is capable, talented, tenacious, and could be back on top a year from now or four years from now.
My simple but hopefully impactful point: it’s worth remembering at all times that – as Heraclitus knew – nothing lasts forever, and that’s especially true in politics where dominant personalities and huge egos often delude those around them (and themselves for that matter) that THEY’RE the one who is going to defy political gravity and stay on top of the heap “forever.” Believing in one’s own immortality isn’t just foolish, but it also makes people do stupid things like underestimating a working class challenger (Sweeney’s campaign), bullying elected officials for endorsements (Christie’s team circa 2013), or thinking you can serve as a New Jersey Democrat committeeman from your mansion in Florida (Norcross).
Consider this is a warning for the powerful AND comfort for those who want to hold them accountable even when the odds seem exhaustingly long.
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