Posted on 11/30/2004 12:46:51 PM PST by BroncosFan
Schundler launches bid for Governor
By STEVE KORNACKI PoliticsNJ.com
JERSEY CITY, November 29 - At first, it was a familiar pitch, a handful of well-known warm-up speakers invoking the various forms of The Bret Schundler Story that the former Jersey City mayor had hoped would resonate with the statewide electorate in 2001.
Curtis Sliwa, Steve Forbes and Peggy Noonan, national Republicans with ties to New Jersey , took turns signing the praises of the Wall Street whiz kid who beat the old Hudson County machine in the early ‘90s; the maverick Republican who’s more at ease spreading his message in black churches than at white country clubs; or the original compassionate conservative. Take your pick.
But then Schundler himself took to the podium in the atrium of the Harborside Financial Center in Jersey City and told his flock of 1,200 or so professionally-attired men and women not to expect many more nods to his mayoral tenure as he embarks on his second gubernatorial bid. “This campaign is going to be different,” he announced near the beginning of a speech that amounted to his formal unveiling as a 2005 candidate. “We’re not going to be talking about what we did here in Jersey City and we’re not going to be talking about me.”
Bloodied and battered by a Democratic assault on his stands on gun control and social issues, Schundler lost to Jim McGreevey by 14 points in ’01—a defeat so lopsided that most GOP insiders shudder at the prospect their party might nominate him again. With cameras from several television stations and reporters from newspapers across the street taking notes tonight, Schundler, a man with a reputation for being fickle and unbending, wanted it known that he was ready to adapt.
“You can’t really talk about your record that much, not at least when the other side has ten times as much money to spend against you,” he said. So instead he talked about property taxes—specifically a series of state constitutional amendments he’s submitted to the legislature that would guarantee the return of state revenues to municipalities in the form of property tax relief.
The amendments could technically appear on the state ballot next fall—if they were to receive approval from 60 percent of both houses of the Legislature. More than likely they will not. But if he is the GOP nominee, Schundler made clear tonight, he’d use the legislators’ unwillingness as a general election as a tool to rally anti-Trenton sentiment. “Every member of the New Jersey Assembly runs for re-election (in ’05) and you have the ability to look them in the eye and say, ‘Pass these amendments or we will vote you out!’” he told his fans.
Whether voters will respond to—let alone understand— Schundler’s property tax plan remains to be seen. But it represents his best effort to recast himself as a figure more appealing to the moderate and independent voters who swing statewide elections— and among whom Schundler fared poorly last time around. “Schundler has six months to let people know that he’s a lot more than what the Democrats called him in 2000,” said David Rebovich, the director of Rider University ’s Institute for New Jersey Politics.
Tonight’s event was technically a fundraiser, the GOP contender’s second in a month, but with the Republican primary race coming into focus recently— U.S. Attorney Chris Christie opted not to run two weeks ago and businessman Doug Forrester jumped in last week— it provided an opportunity for Schundler to stake out his turf in a crowded primary field many believe he heads.
His campaign had been charging $500 per ticket, but the event evolved into an unofficial campaign kick-off. Attendees were simply asked to donate what they could—if they could afford anything at all. Still, spokesman Sal Risalvato estimated that the campaign would take in around $500,000 when the checks were counted. The faces at the Harborside Financial Center were mostly white, though there were a fair number of African-Americans, Asians, and Latinos present. Most attendees wore name tags and few were the types of people who regularly take part in state Republican events. Booths were set up where Schundler supporters could sign up to receive “empowerment kits” containing a CD-ROM with instructions for how to help the campaign at the grass-roots level and DVDs containing Schundler speeches for distribution to potential backers.
That so many grass-roots Republicans turned out is a positive sign for Schundler, who is facing a challenge from the right in the primary from Steve Lonegan, the mayor of Bogota and the first elected official to back Schundler in ’01. Lonegan’s camp contends that Schundler permanently alienated a chunk of conservatives by embracing the party establishment after his primary win that year.
But Schundler loyalists scoff at that suggestion. If anything, they say, Schundler was treated shabbily by the inside crowd in the ’01 general election (Acting Governor Donald DiFrancesco refused to campaign for him), thereby driving his stock up among the outside crowd. “I think a lot of people here felt Bret got stabbed in the back four years ago and I think he fed off that tonight,” said Lawrence Lewitinn, a Bergen County Republican who said he thinks Schundler has evolved into a more forceful and concise speaker.
And receiving support from GOP regulars may not be out of the question for Schundler.
“I think he’s learned that the party needs to be united,” said Chris Rinn, a Republican from Monmouth County who backed DiFrancesco in ’01 but who said he’s ready to sign up with Schundler after hearing him tonight. In the primary, though, Schundler’s biggest threat likely will come from Forrester, who has signaled he’ll spend up to $8 million of his own money to win in June. With Christie out, Forrester’s camp believes their man is now positioned to run as the choice of the party establishment.
Schundler may have offered a clue as to how he’ll handle Forrester. Ostensibly referring to Jon Corzine, the Democratic U.S. senator who might also spend millions pursuing the governorship next year, he ordered the crowd to chant “New Jersey is not for sale!” several times.
You got that right. That retoric is only slightly effective with the swing voters. In the hood, you'll get dissed every time.
Ping.
Let's see....how many elections did Jack Kemp win?
I looked it up...9 terms as a Buffalo area Congressman. Nothing on the national or state level. Nuff said.
In the days of Kemp-Roth, he was great. But he seemed to think that just because he played football, he could play missionary to the minorities. And he was far too quick to say things like, "While some of my Republican friends have never even met a black person . . ." Ugh. Save it, Jack. And, then, there were always the, um, McGreevey rumors that never seemed to die. Oh, well, he's the past.
Pavonia-Newport PATH ping.
Seems to me he was very much a free-market Bill Bradley. A local sports hero who could win local elections, but beyond that, a political dud who didn't sell nationally, and who pinned too much hopes on using race relations as a centerpiece issue. Some kind of an RFK syndrome maybe.
It might've been a better idea to have done this event at the re-opened Exchange Place station. Go with a theme of rebuilding New Jersey and all that.
I am not saying that outreach should stop, but there is only so much outreach one can do. Bush has done tons and he gets spit in the face. Time to wise up and make sure that its clear that if they don't came across the aisle, then they will be left in the minority and get nothing - just like they have been for almost 8 years.
True story - Bret Schundler's first job was in Washington, DC, answering mail for a Democrat congressman from Maryland. My husband was his boss.
He has no chance. The GOP establishment detests him and they would rather have a liberal Democrat in Trenton than be ruled by a conservative Republican. The party bosses will make sure Bret Shundler NEVER gets their suppport.
Bret looks like a big nerd to me at least... hah
I'm thinking then that you agree with me?
LOL. Yes. I'm laughing cuz the internet is so funny, especially a forum like this one. Ppl will pick a fight when you're not itching for one. They'll take comments for hostility when they aren't meant that way, so I can totally relate to your question. YES. I agree that the Kemp strategy is a loser. And on the national level, Kemp has proven it by running and losing a few times in primaries or on the national ticket.
I'll be voting for Shundler and working for his election. During the Nov. elections he was having stuff printed up for his run.
Thanks for the ping. If you have a ping list for Schundler and Jersey Gov campaign issues I want on it. I thought this was a pretty fair and balanced article. Did you see the little blurb in the Wall Street Journal political diary about the party chairmanship election? Which candidate do you think will be most pro Schundler?
I think Richard Kamin would be more pro-Bret. He's Scott Garrett's choice and that speaks well of him. Wilson ran one of Whitman's campaigns, that tells me all I need to know about him. I believe the election's tonight. As for a ping list, I probably will put one together seeing as how it's the only big race over the next few months and one I have a hometown interest in.
Why did Dole pick Kemp as his running mate?
Beats me. Why did the GOP pick Dole?
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