Ciattarelli and Murphy to square off in Nov. election
I’ve got a few things to say about Jack Ciattarelli making his way out of the muck that is the New Jersey GOP and into the general election to face incumbent “King” Phil Murphy.
1) Well, congratulations, but sheesh: Of the 300,000+ Republican voters who made it out to the polls, Ciattarelli won with about 49% of the vote, with Trump lapdogs Hirsh Singh and Phil Rizzo effectively canceling each other out with nearly 48% of the vote.
Upshot: If there was only one Trump candidate, the result might have been very, very different, which would’ve really been something. I mean, it’s one thing to have been on Team Trump in 2016. It’s another thing to have been on Team Trump in 2020. But after the events of January 6, to be on Team Trump today is … well, it’s not a great look to a majority of the people in the state. And the fact the Team Trump train in New Jersey was only derailed because these two schmaroons couldn’t get out of each other’s way is telling.
2) If Singh or Rizzo had dropped out, and if the other won? Murphy would’ve won the general with shocking, shocking numbers because there is no world in which a Democrat or Independent on the fence would tilt to a Trump candidate in the general. Murphy might’ve gotten 75% of the vote.
3) Ciattarelli, on the other hand? Now that the primary is done, he still has time to issue a full-throated apology for jumping on Team Trump in the months leading up to the primary. He has to come out and say it was a political decision, whaddya gonna do.
Bottom line: He has zero chance to beat Murphy unless he peels away Democrats and Independents (duh). And it’s “duh” because that’s the game plan for any Republican running statewide in New Jersey, but the calculus has changed since Chris Christie pulled off the trick twice. Back then, you just had to be the better candidate. Today? No chance to win unless you distance yourself as far away from Trump as possible. If I’m Ciattarelli, I denounce Trump as loudly and quickly as possible. Sure, it might cost him a few GOP votes, but it just doesn’t matter. No way to win otherwise.
4) Property taxes! Oh boy. Ciattarelli seems to be hanging his hat on property taxes, which is always issue number one for New Jersey voters. Except uh … this time … I dunno. I don’t think property taxes are going to be the issue that gets people riled up. Why? Because if you’re paying property taxes, chances are, you’re doing pretty good, economically speaking. The stock market is rolling, your stimmy checks cashed, your child tax credits are coming, wages are higher. Basically, if you’re middle class in New Jersey, you’re probably doing better today than you were four years ago. And besides: G_d himself could be elected governor of New Jersey promising to lower property taxes, and then not be able to deliver. Property taxes are not going down unless we ditch home rule and rip up the pension system. The end.
5) So if it’s not property taxes, it’s … ? Well, that’s the question, right? Murphy is a popular governor (just take a gander at the latest Rutgers-Eagleton poll), is the incumbent, and is a Democrat. Going to be tough to beat. So how to do it? Paint Murphy for what he is: A far-left progressive. Just go hard at it, because even the self-proclaimed progressives I know are a little tired of Murphy’s schtick. Add in the “King” Murphy stuff, and maybe, just maybe, Democrats and Independents will start listening.