Webber to replace Wilson as GOP State Chair

webber or wilson (4.00 / 1)

Jay Webber is the brightest light on the GOP intellectual candelabra.  The democrats should be ready.

On the other hand, if Webber is really radical  about stuff like gay rights (Wilson was NOT) it will spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E for the state's GOP.  I don't care how smart you are, NJ won't tolerate you if you're a hater.  So we'll see....

activist for hire.

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by: Jay Lassiter @ Thu Jun 11, 2009 at 12:09:21 PM UTC

Smart Political Calculation.... (3.00 / 1)

you can't win an election without your base, and this should sure it up for Christie.  

I don't see the correlation in Christie being moderate or conservative based on what was surely a political decision, not one of ideals.  It'd be like Corzine choosing a liberal to head the NJ Democratic Committee, would we be up at arms at that?  

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by: Matthew Jordan @ Thu Jun 11, 2009 at 12:16:31 PM UTC

Webber's votes (3.00 / 1)

I just did a Project Vote Smart search for Webber's voting record, and the partial one that they found was dismal. Webber is usually in the very small minority of radical conservatives who opposes any bill, from renewable energy bills for urban facilities to N.J. FamilyCare expansion to mortgage relief for N.J. families. If Webber represents Christie's "brave new Republican world," I find it to be a profoundly disturbing one.

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by: Martin @ Thu Jun 11, 2009 at 15:14:47 PM UTC

Wishing Tom Wilson well - really. (4.00 / 3)

I know my saying anything nice about Tom Wilson here will upset some of my sister and brother progressives.

I've harbored no illusions about how rabidly partisan Republican Tom has been in his job - and thus how much he's opposed the values we believe in.   Behind the scenes, he and I have really had some tough disagreements and I didn't give an inch.

But as a human being, he could not have shown more kindness to me and to others in the LGBT community.  His door was always open and he always returned calls rapidly.  

When there were crises that had nothing to do with politics, he was a total mensch who would reach out and wish you well.

He was caught in a rock and a hard place:  He is a true moderate on social issues - you might even say progressive - but headed a state party well to his right.

Again, I'm under no illusions about the harm that he, or any other Republican state chair, do to progressive causes because of the role they play.  Their partisanship outweighs anything else.

But Tom is the last of his breed.   Far-right Jay Webber will be the first state Republican chair in a long time with whom several of us progressive leaders will have no confidential relationship with.

I know folks here will protest, i.e. how can you say nice things about Tom Wilson when he's done this and that and more over the years, even though I twice said in this posting that I'm under no illusions as to his partisanship.   I'll point that out a third time for good measure.  

I wish Tom well.

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by: Steven Goldstein, Garden State Equality chair @ Thu Jun 11, 2009 at 17:55:46 PM UTC

It's not illegal... (0.00 / 0)

to have repsect and even admiration for people you differ from politically. I know I do.

"Where ever you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Bonzai

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by: William Weber (WjcW) @ Thu Jun 11, 2009 at 23:12:23 PM UTC

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