General Category > 3DHS

Hardball Politics in New Jersey from the Scion of a Legendary Family

(1/1)

domer:
Democrats may well lose the Senate seat in New Jersey, now held by Bob Menendez, to Tom Kean, Jr., the son of the beloved governor. In this dark blue state, this is somewhat of a surprise. But the quality of the candidates matters ... and the fixes one of them has managed to get in.

In a fair analysis, I believe, Kean, Jr., can appeal to NJ voters on his own merits (and on the inherited, moderate legacy of his father). Junior poses the possibility of developing into a maverick Republican like Lincoln Chaffee, a prospect acceptable to NJ's Blue Horde.

Junior, cagily, has come out this week for the outright resignation of Denny Hastert, the belabored Speaker of the House, in a move that just reinforces his independent potential (and signals an appetizing tilt to hardball politics).

Most damagingly to Menendez, perhaps, Junior has crafted a brand new TV ad bellowing Menendez's troubles with the New Jersey US Attorney: the Senator is under investigation for some legal form of corruption for steering an appropriation from Congress to a non-profit organization in Hudson County, New Jersey -- maybe defensible on its own merits -- but then accepting over $300,000 in rent from that group, which was a tenant in a building he owned. As the attractive, middle-aged, matronly woman finishes her explanation of the issue by quoting the Newark Star Ledger ("Menendez is just one scandal away from becoming a Bob Torricelli"), Junior appears on the screen, fresh-faced and buoyant, and announces, "I'm Tom Kean, Jr., and I've approved this ad." It's effective. Apparently Junior is banking that, at least in NJ, the link of Republicanism is less onerous than the link of a shady personality, especially at a time when scandal, broadly speaking, is consuming the American electorate.

Navigation

[0] Message Index