My sister lives in NJ and has asked my advice about which gubernatorial candidate would be better for the NJ Primary. She is a Republican, but doesn't follow politics as closely as the average FReeper. (And I have been too busy to have followed the NJ candidates. I know I like Schundler, but don't know much about the other candidates.)
In particular, she is concerned about taxes and finding a candidate that will be a supporter of tax cuts. And once she decides on a candidate, she should be able to deliver at least 5-10 more votes, as she works her powers of persuasion over her loved ones...LOL...
So if you are a NJ voter and you have a minute, please let me know who'll be getting your vote and why. Then I'll pass on the info to her.
Thanks, NH Liberty
I use to live in NJ. There is a candidate from NJ who looks very good. Don't remember his name but he is the mayor of Bogota.
I'm not a NJ voter, but since I live next door, I've followed this race. Schundler lost my support when on a radio debate he said that law enforcement should not be used to enforce against illegal immigration - but Forrester said yes.
Say hello to Governor Corzine. At least we get to look forward to the possibilty of another emergency outing.
Bret Schundler by a mile.
I'm for Lonegan as well. Very strong conservative in the Reagan tradition.
He's the mayor of Bogota that was referenced in post #2, by the way.
Qwinn
FYI..check out the editorial on the topic in today's NY Post..
I'll be voting for Schundler...I like some of the other conservatives as well, but they have no chance...OTOH, against Corzine, no Republican has much of a chance :-(
There is no Republican party in New Jersey. I live there. There are people who are registered as Republicans and there are Republicans who hold local and state offices. The local Republican office holders are either someone who also runs the county organization for themself, or they are under the wing of the count head. Then there are those few who have made names for themselves and have some friends and allies among some of the county heads and/or among state office holders. There is no major organizational effort for any of this to work, plan, meet, organize or strategize together - other than in the private meetings of those who I just described. There is no major organizational outreach program to the "Republicans" as a body of people who vote. Either you are in the know or you're not and for the vast majority it is not.
Forrester seems more like a Christine Todd Whitman who is also trying to appeal to "conservatives". Yet his biggest beef is about "corruption" in Trenton and how Democrats are more at the root of it all. That's just bull crap. Political corruption in New Jersey does not have any party affiliation. As much as I can support some particular policy choices Forrester speaks of, I have no idea where are his actual political principles and that bothers me.
Schundler I like, from the past and current positions of his, but I am not sure that some of the mud flying his way is all unwarranted.
My sentiment is that there will never again be a Republican Governor or Senator from New Jersey until the party is rebuilt from the ground up - and leaves out many local Republican "leaders" along the way. That is what grass roots Republicans in New Jersey should give their attention to; not the 2005 or even the 2006 elections.
Individual groups of Republican voters should organize themselves around conservative principles more than policies and issues. After building their own local groups, away from the party, they can then find out where the secret local meetings are held and then go and vote their leaders in. From city to city they should work until they feel strong enough to take it to the county level, but up to that point they should not be more concerned about local officeholders and their priorities as they are about staying out of the fray until the organization is strong enough to field its own candidates at the county level. I expect it will take more than a year or two or three.
I have data that can show interested parties where the possible unregistered NJ Republicans are. There is a good chance that some counties have more unregistered Republicans than the number of votes with which Democrats win elections here. I'm sure they say why bother, when you're only going to get a RINO candidate anyway.