If you follow new GOP chief Michael Steele lately, you can count on him bringing up New Jersey’s Gubernatorial race this year. He wants that blue state red again.
From top to bottom, the GOP is talking about New Jersey.
Here at the Conservative Political Action Conference in D.C., Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell reminded the crowds that the last time New Jersey had a conservative candidate for Governor, he won with 70% of the vote (Kean, 1984). That’s 70% - in New Jersey.
After that victory it is inexplicable that New Jersey’s Republican intelligencia determined their Republican candidates would do better if they were more liberal. That’s been proven quite wrong.
McConnell warned that the Republican Party risks becoming a regional party if they don’t start concentrating on places like the Northeast.
So how important is New Jersey’s race? Consider this: Newt Gingrich speaking here at CPAC called this year’s race in New Jersey “one of the most consequential in American history.”
It’s that’s important.
So you can imagine the interest here when New Jersey Republican candidate for Governor Steve Lonegan took the stage. Not only was there a huge live audience but also around the sprawling conference people stopped and watched the live feed on monitors in hallways and at the Exhibit Hall.
Steve Lonegan is a successful businessman and an accomplished Mayor. He is a conservative and a tax slayer. He won election and reelection in a town where the Democrat registration outpaces the Republican registration by a huge margin – which is what the Republican candidate will face statewide in New Jersey. He notes he is the only candidate in the race who has proven he can overcome that.
Such success doesn’t come without being a great communicator, and Lonegan proved once again here at CPAC that his skills in talking to folks is as exciting as anyone on the national scene.
A Lonegan speech tends to be politics infused with fascinating history and moral lessons in life.
Here at CPAC, Lonegan reminded a crowd sentimental for America’s beginnings that Washington’s battle at Trenton was the changing point in the Revolutionary war, emboldening the Americans who were widely thought to have already lost the war, and disrupting British plans.
Lonegan’s Republican campaign is metaphorical of Washington’s Trenton battle. George Washington’s troops were under great strain. One third of them had no boots. Their cause was losing and they faced a professional Hessian force that was well funded and thought to be too dominant for the Americans.
But as Lonegan pointed out, the Hessians would later say they knew the Americans wouldn’t lose just by the look in the eyes of Washington troops. The underdog Americans turned into a mighty military at the fight and took the battle of Trenton.
Fighting on the side of the righteousness can do that to a man.
Lonegan notes he faces Corzine, a man who spent $120 million of his own money to practically purchase victories in his New Jersey Senate and Governor races.
Lonegan also faces a man in Corzine who give millions of dollars in “gifts” to the head of New Jersey’s largest union who then endorsed him, while federal prosecutors sat back and passed no intention on that matter. The Republican Party in New Jersey has been forced to file civil lawsuits to find out more about those “gifts.”
Lonegan invited America at CPAC to join today’s “Battle of Trenton.” The crowd loved the line and in the hallways people could be heard yelling to “win the Battle of Trenton!”
While American Republicans are enamored with Lonegan, his biggest challenge comes from Republicans in New Jersey. Monmouth County, a Republican stronghold, awarded the party line to another candidate by fiat, without allowing Republican Committee members to be heard.
It has been reported that one Republican Assemblyman in New Jersey has said that Lonegan is “too right wing.” I wonder which Republican policy that assemblyman disagrees with? He certainly didn’t say.
George Washington’s troops were down with the cause. Will New Jersey Republicans be loyal to theirs?
Comments