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Some Thoughts On The 2009 New Jersey Gubernatorial Race

October 26, 2009 by Joe Leave a Comment

As the New Jersey gubernatorial race begins to head towards the finish line, those of us who are voters in New Jersey also see a light at the end of this horrid tunnel that we endure every few years. That horrid tunnel, more commonly known as the gubernatorial election, is marred with dirty politics, constant attack ads, and (at least this time around) a striking lack of specifics for both the Republican and Democrat candidates.

Both Governor Jon Corzine and Chris Christie’s remarkable inability to give specific information on the details of their supposed plans to lower property taxes have left a filthy taste in the mouth of many New Jersey voters. All one needs to do is listen to any of the debates that these candidates have had over the last several weeks and you’ll be sick to your stomach.

Since I’m a glutton for punishment, I decided to listen to WBGO’s podcast of the last gubernatorial debate of this season, which occurred at their studios last Thursday. Hold on to your hats for this shocking revelation… it was more of the same! In fact, you can read a review of the debate from the mainstream media’s point of view at the New York Times website by clicking here.

The last few weeks of this year’s election cycle have been interesting as the Independent candidate Chris Daggett is gaining in the polls to the greater detriment of Christie, but now also to the detriment of Corzine. Much like what is going on in New York’s 23rd Congressional district, it appears that a third party candidate is going to spoil the New Jersey Governor’s race. Frankly, I’m glad that Daggett has decided to stay in the race and fight. New Jersey, and the entire nation, needs an alternative to the Republicans and the Democrats.

Filed Under: The State of New Jersey, United States Politics Tagged With: Chris Christie, Chris Daggett, Debate, Governor, Independent candidate, Jon Corzine, Mainstream Media, New Jersey, New York Times, Politics, USA, WBGO

Full Review of Last Night’s Lt. Governor Debate

October 9, 2009 by Joe 1 Comment

Last night, I posted some quick thoughts on the first ever Lieutenant Governor Debate held at Monmouth University in West Long Branch. Today, I hope to take some of the better parts of the five pages of notes that I wrote last night and put them into a coherent entry for your reading pleasure. Let’s see if we can accomplish that feat…

Before I begin, though, I want to mention that I took these notes in an effort to compare the communication styles of the three candidates. In other words, I was looking to see if they connected with the audience, what their demeanor was like during the forum, and how they were adjusting to the changing environment as the questions rolled along.

Loretta Weinberg (Democrat)
Loretta Weinberg came off as very tired in the beginning of the debate. The impression that I got from her was that she would rather be doing anything else in the world than sitting up on that stage answering questions. Her tone wasn’t really that of a privileged person who felt that the debate was beneath her, rather it was the tone of someone who was tired and exhausted.

To Senator Weinberg’s credit, she initially appeared very knowledgeable on the various issues in this campaign. Unfortunately, though, she was the first to throw out a negative attack on the opposition (against the Republicans). In the beginning, Senator Weinberg connected very poorly with the audience that was in the theater. This changed at different points throughout the night, but the worst example of this was when she attempted to use the tried and true strawman argument of the Democrats – blaming President George W. Bush. To the audience’s credit, they booed Senator Weinberg ferociously when she attempted to make the lame connection between New Jersey’s problems and President Bush. Once or twice later in the debate, Senator Weinberg did what all Democratic politicians seeking election this year are doing – she tied her campaign to President Barack Obama. If my memory serves, she commented on how the Governor has worked with the President to bring stimulus dollars to New Jersey.

Early in the debate, Senator Weinberg was hammered by the moderator from NJ 101.5 for constantly going off topic. I also noticed that when she answered questions, Senator Weinberg had a knack for bringing up outside issues that framed her opposition in a negative light. This is what drove the moderator nuts, I think, and is what he kept getting on her case about early in the night.

Senator Weinberg showed a clear knowledge of Governor Jon Corzine’s legislative history. In fact, I think you could say that she has mastered Governor Corzine’s record and his time in politics. Many of her arguments were strong based solely on her ability to recall the Governor’s successes while in office. At times it appeared that the Senator was relying too heavily on the Governor’s record and she seemed to be blurting out talking points. However, that changed as the night went on.

For her part, Senator Weinberg did not engage in usual debate practices. She did not take notes during her opposition’s responses nor did she take notes while questions were being asked. Both of her opponents were jotting down notes furiously throughout the forum. The best comment that I heard from Senator Weinberg was her rebuttal on corruption in New Jersey when she specifically cited the Governor’s legislation banning pay-to-play. Very powerful stuff.

The worst thing that I saw Senator Weinberg do in the debate was her question to her Republican challenger about what items – specifically – she would cut in the upcoming budget. By doing this, she allowed her opposition to directly answer a question that she had, herself, sidestepped. Not a good move in terms of debate.

Overall, I’d rate Senator Weinberg a 7 to 7.5 on a 10 point scale.

Kim Guadagno (Republican)
Monmouth County Sheriff Kim Guadagno was the strongest of the three debaters. She had a very direct, confident speaking style that connected with the audience in attendance and those listening at home. While Senator Weinberg was the first to attack her opposition, Sheriff Guadagno was the first to attack a specific person (the Senator). However, Sheriff Guadagno only attacked the Senator after the Senator continued to repeat an untrue statement regarding the Republican campaign’s stance on mammograms. The audience responded very well to this early exchange (and eventually booed the Senator when she continued to bring up the issue throughout the night).

Sheriff Guadagno used a very extemporaneous style of speaking which connected well with the audience. She didn’t stick to a prepared statement on any of the topics that were discussed and the people in the theater responded well to this style. The tone of the Sheriff’s voice was passionate and inflamed at the same time.

When the topic of campaign finance laws came up, Sheriff Guadagno spoke directly to the audience – a very effective move. She followed this up a few minutes later by clarifying a question regarding illegal immigration and some piece of legislation called 287g. Sheriff Guadagno was very clear on her stance towards documented and undocumented workers, which earned her the praise of the audience.

A few moments after this show of strength, though, I believe that Sheriff Guadagno faltered a bit when she tied the Governor to a question about whether or not she would support raising the gas tax. Not a good connection for the Sheriff and something that I think most of the listeners and the audience gave no real credence.

Sheriff Guadagno appeared to be the strongest about midway through the debate when she answered a question on corruption. Her and Chris Christie’s record on busting corruption are impeccable and really something that can’t be contested logically. Sheriff Guadagno was also strong, though to a lesser degree, on her answer to shared services and the very real example that she gave with the 911 system in Monmouth County. Audiences like to hear about real examples and that was a good one.

My favorite discussion throughout the entire night regarding the charter school support from all of the candidates. Sheriff Guadagno was very smart to incorporate the financial pressure that suburban districts are feeling by having a great deal of their tax dollars flow to urban districts with no results from the traditional public schools. Charter schools, on the other hand, are generating real success by breaking the stranglehold that the unionized teachers have on the New Jersey taxpayers and their precious property tax dollars.

Overall, I thought that Sheriff Guadagno won the debate and would rate her performance an 8.5 or 9 out of 10.

Frank Esposito (Independent)
Dr. Frank Esposito spoke in general terms throughout the debate. This was a tactic that eventually began to work against him as the discussion progressed. Dr. Esposito seemed knowledgeable on a few issues, but not well-versed in all of the major issues in the campaign. Yet, I can’t help but to feel that the Independent ticket will receive some type of bump from Dr. Esposito’s performance. New Jerseyans are looking for something different and voting for someone without an R or a D after their name might be the answer this election cycle.

For much of the beginning of the debate, Dr. Esposito relied on humor and one-liners to connect with the audience, which was effective. However, that approach quickly lost its impact once the topics began to dive into specific policies towards the middle of the debate. The one area where Dr. Esposito was the strongest was the discussion on campaign finance reform. Clearly, an Independent candidate running for Lieutenant Governor in a state where big dollars rule the day has a lot to say about campaign finance reform. Again, Dr. Esposito was very strong in this portion of the forum.

The weakest part of Dr. Esposito’s performance was his outright support for in-state tuition for illegal immigrants. I admit that I have a personal grudge on this issue as student loan debt and college affordability are my hot button issues (which no one else cares about, but they mean something to me). I thought that Dr. Esposito’s brief discussion and stance on this issue really detracted from his performance on the night.

On the other hand, Dr. Esposito was very strong and hit a common chord with the audience when he suggested that politicians busted in corruption rings should automatically forfeit their pensions. The audience loved that – but they loved hearing his comment that while the current administration passed a ban on dual office holding, they exempted themselves from the legislation at the same time. That was clearly Dr. Esposito’s home run of the night and he hit it out of the park.

Overall, I’d score Dr. Esposito with a strong 5.5 out of 10 and, on some answers, I’d give him a solid 7 out of 10.

As you can see from my meager scoring table, I thought that Sheriff Guadagno clearly won the day with both Dr. Esposito and Senator Weinberg coming in at a tie for second or at least with Dr. Esposito coming in at a very close third.

Filed Under: The State of New Jersey Tagged With: Barack H. Obama, campaign finance laws, campaign finance reform, Chris Christie, Chris Daggett, County Sheriff, Debate, Frank Esposito, George W. Bush, Governor, Independent candidate, Jon Corzine, Kim Guadagno, Lieutenant Governor, Loretta Weinberg, Monmouth County, Monmouth University, New Jersey, Politics, Senator, Sheriff, Taxation, The Candidate, USA

Quick Thoughts on NJ’s Lieutenant Governor Debate

October 8, 2009 by Joe Leave a Comment

First things first – please come back to JerseySmarts.com tomorrow when I will post a full review and some thoughts on the Lieutenant Governor Debate. I was on Monmouth University’s campus tonight and I watched the debate in Anacon Hall (the overflow room…which seemed unnecessary). Tomorrow’s fuller review will include information from the five pages of notes that I took, too!

Some quick thoughts…

Frank Esposito. Dr. Esposito had the biggest opportunity to make a strong case for his and Chris Daggett’s candidacy and I don’t think he made as much of that opportunity as possible. That’s not a knock on Dr. Esposito, though, but rather an observation that New Jersey’s (and America’s) two party system is ruining our political debate. Dr. Esposito had to spend more time reminding everyone that there were bigger issues to worry about than political attacks than actually talking about his and Daggett’s platform! Sad…

Kim Guadagno. In the event that anyone wants to declare an official “winner” in the debate tonight, I think that Sheriff Guadagno is the clear choice. Between Dr. Esposito constantly having to speaking in generalities and Senator Weinberg speaking in politician speak, the Sheriff was the one who came out on top. Also, she also gave some pretty clear answers and was forceful in her responses – which New Jerseyans want to see in this election year.

Loretta Weinberg. If there was any candidate who didn’t have a “good” night tonight, I think that it was State Senator Weinberg. However, that doesn’t mean that she came off horribly. In fact, I think that Senator Weinberg did a good job doing what she knows how to do best, which is act and respond to questions like a seasoned politician. Again, there is some value in that, but I think that New Jersey voters want something different.

The Venue. I’m not sure why Leadership New Jersey and Monmouth University didn’t let more people into the Pollack Theater – there were certainly enough empty seats that could have been filled if more people were let in. The audience was out of control and while that makes for good radio listening and television viewing, it doesn’t quite help in a forum format.

The Moderators. While strong, the moderators (at times) seemed to steal the spotlight from the candidates. That’s never a good thing, but it is certainly understandable when you are dealing with a Lieutenant Governor debate.

Overall, I wasn’t jumping up and down at the end of the debate. Hearing Dr. Esposito say that he supported in-state tuition for illegals stopped any chance that he and Daggett had of getting my vote. Student loans and the cost of going to college is my issue and that’s not what I want to hear.

More on all of this tomorrow…

Filed Under: The State of New Jersey Tagged With: Anacon Hall, Chris Christie, Chris Daggett, Debate, Frank Esposito, Governor, Jon Corzine, Kim Guadagno, Lieutenant Governor, Loretta Weinberg, Monmouth County, Monmouth University, New Jersey, Politicians, Sheriff, USA

Abraham Lincoln Event in Newark, More

October 8, 2009 by Joe Leave a Comment

The other day I received some information on two events taking place in Newark at the end of October that I wanted to share with you all. You can read the information that I received below – if anyone decides to go to these events, please feel free to send me a report to post on the blog!

On behalf of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, we wanted to let you and your organization know about two upcoming events that may be of interest to you.

On October 28, respected photographer Deborah Willis will unveil and discuss her new work entitled “Lincoln as Monument, Lincoln as Icon.” Held at the Essex County Historic Courthouse, this event will explore the various depictions of Abraham Lincoln in art and photography. Using examples ranging from the 1870s to the present, Willis will lead the audience in a discussion of this iconic American figure, and how changing artistic depictions of him have impacted public perception.

In addition to the presentation and discussion, attendees have the unique opportunity to take docent-led tours through the Historic Courthouse, and even take a photo with the Borglum statue of Abraham Lincoln prior to the presentation.

Deborah Willis’ show is also a wonderful opportunity for attendees and community members to familiarize themselves with Lincoln and his legacy prior to our town hall discussion on November 12 at the Newark Museum. A panel of esteemed speakers, including Pedro A. Noguera, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, Jeff Johnson, award-winning journalist, social activist and political commentator, and James O. Horton, Historian Emeritus at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, will lead a stimulating discussion on the topic of “The Humane City: Race, Ethnicity and Freedom in Urban America.”

Panelists will discuss issues surrounding our urban communities today, and how we can collectively utilize the resources available in those communities to work towards a more successful future. This event seeks to critically examine the current situation in urban America when viewed through the lens of differences in race and ethnicity, while bringing together a group of scholars who are willing to give their recommendations for how communities in urban America can best achieve their collective potential.

Both events are free and open to the public, but an RSVP is required. Please visit http://lincolnliveson.com/ for more information or to RSVP.

You can also connect with us and join the discussion today through Facebook http://facebook.com/Abraham.Lincoln.Bicentennial.Commission and Twitter http://twitter.com/lincoln200yrs.

Please share this information with other members of your organization, and anyone else that you believe may enjoy this opportunity. We hope that you will join us for these important and exciting events.

Again, if anyone decides to go to either of these events, please feel free to send us a report!

Filed Under: The State of New Jersey Tagged With: Abraham Lincoln, Borglum statue, Debate, Deborah Willis, Education, Essex County Historic Courthouse, Executive Director, Facebook, Historian, Historic Courthouse, James O. Horton, Jeff Johnson, Journalist, Library, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Nebraska, New Jersey, Newark, Photo, Politics, Smithsonian, Smithsonian National Museum, Twitter, USA

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