Cross-Posted from DanCirucci.com
I can see it and feel it already.
And I’m not surprised. In fact, I could have predicted it. Do you know what I’m talking about?
It has to do with our beloved Garden State and the winners and losers in last month’s statewide election — the election in which the voters overwhelmingly elected Rebecca Michelle (aka Mikie) Sherrill as Governor of New Jersey. The winners, appropriately, are still celebrating and planning how they will run the state’s government now that they have both the governor’s office and a powerful super majority in the state legislature.
And the losers? Well, besides fighting with one another (something they seem to specialize in) they’re falling into an old, familiar trap by cynically downplaying the election results and foolishly underestimating the focus, stamina and ability of the new governor.
Yes, she’s only served in the US Congress for six years and has little or no experience with state government, unless you want to count a very brief stint as assistant US attorney for New Jersey (still, a federal post). And yes, she was little more than a political manipulator and chameleon in Congress, posing as a moderate while voting nearly 100% of the time with Biden (also an adept poseur throughout his career) and accomplishing virtually nothing in the way of legislation.
But she kept winning her district by bigger and bigger numbers. Along the way, she proved to be a champion fund raiser. In fact, during one cycle she set a campaign fund raising record for a House candidate from New Jersey. And, of course, she sent shock waves through New Jersey with her big win last month against a well-known candidate with statewide name recognition in a race that many considered a toss up.
Which is to say: Do not underestimate this woman!
She strikes us as a quick learner — not someone who digs deep but someone who may be just intellectually nimble enough.
Remember, politics isn’t necessarily about smarts. It’s about tenacity, agility and what your wits will allow you to get away with. That translates into quick-thinking, resourcefulness, a bit of daring and the ability to thrive in challenging situations. By those standards, Sherrill is formidable, indeed. Plus, she’s demonstrated good timing. She was smart to run for Congress as a Republican in 2018, shrewd to align herself with moderates at first and then clever to move left as the party increasingly shifted.
Mikie Sherrill is politically astute. She seems more than up to the challenge of the rough and tumble of New Jersey’s statehouse and the fact that she’s a newcomer under the dome may actually be an advantage as one rarely fears what one isn’t even aware of in the first place. Plus, there’s this — under the state’s constitution, the governor of New Jersey is the most powerful governor in America. So, Sherrill is vested with real political muscle.
Sherrill knows this. She understands this. Pay attention and you’ll see that she’s already making Big Plans. Doubtless, she also realizes that she will almost certainly have to move quickly and forcefully on several key fronts to make a Big Impact even within her first few months, if not weeks.
Do not dismiss this woman. She’s very ambitious, probably loves to be underestimated, doesn’t care who or what she has to overcome along the way and is always looking to the next, rung, the next conquest, the next office. Zoom, zoom, zoom!
