Posted on 10/02/2002 7:04:20 AM PDT by TonyInOhio
New Jersey Public TV is carrying this hearing live. Click on Watch Live Online, and post what you hear, here.
Tony
I think that the Democrats are simply trying to maximize their chances of winning. You're question assumes that Torricelli has a snowball's chance of winning, which even the Dems fully admitted he does not.
A write-in for Lautenberg will be too confusing for 10-20% of the Democrat base in NJ. Another 10-20% of Democrats will be unaware that Torricelli is no longer running. Still another 10-20% will vote for Torricelli because they like him or because they have no idea who Lautenberg is. Unfortunately for the Dems, they've pandered a bit too much to the totally disfunctional, illiterate and down-right ignorant.
Leave Torricelli on the Ballot. Let the Democrats play by the rules like everyone else. That's fair!
No it doesn't. It assumes that all the Democrat voters would know that voting for Torricelli is really a vote for some other Democrat.
My pie in the sky dream is if the NJSC came back and agreed to take toricelli's name off the ballot, but refused to put lautenberg's on. That would be true justice.
I know it could only happen in a parallel universe, but that would be sweet.
This would be the least disruptive remedy and is the correct decision under the law. Let the ballot stand and have a write-in campaign for Lautenburg. Torricelli's position on the ballot does not belong to him and he cannot withdraw it. He made a committment to the people of New Jersey, and the court should force him to honor it.
You know that, and I know that, but when have the Dems ever worried about legalities when it comes to campaign finances?
Arrg! You don't wanna know!
Looks like the NJ Supremes are trying to find a way to give the 'Rats what they want. I would not be at all surprised to see them go completely round-heeled for the 'Rats and put Lautenburg on the ballot. Then Forrester has to win two elections before he can join the Senate.
Sympathy is beside the point, it's not the motive it's the process I'm pointing out. In MO they voted for the Dem out of sympathy, in NJ they vote because they are Democrats. There is no doubt that Torch would have won this if he didn't have the ethical baggage. The voters in NJ just didn't want HIM. They did want a Dem.
Now the fact is that most people in NJ see this for what it is, a cheat, and are unlikely to support it. But if the Dims had simply recognized that the were too late to change the names and the governor had made an announcement that if Torch's name did win he would appoint someone else until the next election, then all the Dem voters could have voted next to Torch's name without problem.
Two of them did. Both participated in oral arguments. I don't know if they will recuse themselves from the voting. Probably will if it looks like it is in the bag for the 'Rats.
Never vote 'Rat. Not for President, Senate, Congress, Assembly, County Freeholder, DA, Town Council, School Board, or Dog Catcher. Never vote 'Rat.
However, unlike Carnahan the Torch is way down in the polls, there's no sympathy vote and Forrester doesn't have Ashcroft's controversy. Add to this the aforementioned mental deficiencies of the Dem base ...
ALBIN, BARRY T
EAST BRUINSWICK, NJ 08816
WILENTZ GOLDMAN & SPITZER
| TORRICELLI, ROBERT G VIA TORRICELLI FOR U S SENATE INC |
|||
| 02/23/1999 | 1000.00 | 99020070166 | |
-PJ
I just called NJSC hotline and said I was a US Serviceman that voted for Torricelli (lie for theoretical purposes) and if I knew that Forrester would have been running against Lautenberg I would have voted for Forrester because I dislike Lautenberg as much as Torricelli does. Then I said what about my vote that I want to change to Forrester if you change the slate to include Lautenberg and not Torricelli. She said she would forward my concern to the clerk.
Makes perfect sense, except for one point. You need to remember we're talking about Rats, the folks who don't even know how to punch a chad. What makes you think they'd know how to write in a name.
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