Open Thread and Poll: Randal Pinkett for LG?

You kidding me? (0.00 / 0)

This is not about being a nice guy or a smart guy, this is about being someone who can help Corzine get votes.

This guy adds nothing to the ticket. Plus ( obvious statement here) HE is not a SHE !

Is Corzine trying to lose this race on purpose?

This guy will not add one extra vote.      

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by: firstamend07 @ Wed Jul 15, 2009 at 02:20:44 AM UTC

What does Pinkett do for Corzine? (4.00 / 3)

Not much but he gives Christie and the media alot of one-liners and attack angles.  For example,

1.  NJ to Corzine:  You're fired.
2.  LG is not the job for an apprentice.
3.  Corzine thinks being Governor is a reality show.  Let's hire someone who knows it's business.
4.  If this is the Governor's best judgment, we need to elect a new Governor.

You get the idea.  Pinkett might be a good person, but given that he doesn't have much if any political background, he's going to be a liability for the ticket for awhile.   I don't see that he adds much except for the race factor.  But I think enough people will be disappointed by Corzine's racial pandering to consider voting for Christie as a result.  

Personally, I would recommend Gov. Corzine pick one of our qualified female candidates (Buono or Weinberg).  They would be serious substantial choices and we could avoid the media circus that Pinkett would bring to the campaign.

-pb

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by: princetonblue @ Wed Jul 15, 2009 at 02:38:39 AM UTC

Pinkett Is a Wild Card.... (0.00 / 0)

He clearly has the smarts to do the job; but he is an unknown to most of the state.

If Corzine believes he's going to lose unless he does something radical and spectacular that will change the whole dynamic of the race; he should take me up on the proposal that he run as a profoundly aggressive progressive and register another million new Democratic voters from the ranks of the disillusioned and disaffected and the poor and the minorities.

Again, a sitting governor with a few million to spend would kick ass with not one penny of support from the machines IF he ran as a progressive.

Pinkett is an ambitious  super smart competent guy who wanted to work for Donald Trump; I doubt he's going to be much of a threat to business as usual.

And the vast majority of New Jerseyans of BOTH parties are sick and tired of business as usual.

PS  Bookers "endorsement" is poisonous. It's clear that Booker doesn't want an LG who might actually run in 2012, eh?

If Pinkett spends 4 years as LG he will certainly want to run, so it looks like Booker is self servingly rooting for a likely loser.

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by: Nick Lento @ Wed Jul 15, 2009 at 02:46:02 AM UTC

I don't see it as a race card (4.00 / 1)

I think Pinkett's draw is exactly that he isn't from the stale bunch of party legislators.  People are tired of the old politics.  The independents are going to decide this race, and Corzine is going to have to make up for a lot of lost Dem votes as it is.

Pinkett is charming, well rounded and urban.  Corzine is going to have to get out party loyals AND compete with Daggett.  I see Daggett as more of a threat to Corzine than Christie.  

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by: Jim33 @ Wed Jul 15, 2009 at 03:42:07 AM UTC

Pinkett has no constituency (3.00 / 1)

Corzine doesn't need money, he doesn't need educated people, he doesn't need Newark, he doesn't need African-Americans, he doesn't need TV stars.

Pinkett may be a great guy, but he has no constituency that can help Corzine.  There's no union, no southern NJ votes, no conservative Democrats, etc. that Pinkett brings along.

I think that Corzine is once again trying to be a manager rather than a politician, picking someone he thinks could do the job if thrust into it.

But the problem is that every time Corzine does that he flubs the politics of it, and is doing so again.  Already it's being floated that this is just like McCain picking Palin, even though it is not.

This pick may be a good management choice if you are running Goldman Sachs, but is a lousy choice if you are trying to get reelected Governor.

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by: vmars @ Wed Jul 15, 2009 at 10:35:57 AM UTC

BTW (0.00 / 0)

I think Randal would run circles around Corzine, given the chance.

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

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by: William Weber (WjcW) @ Wed Jul 15, 2009 at 14:28:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

What about Randall Pinkston? (3.00 / 1)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R...

He would make as much sense.

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by: 12mileseastofTrenton @ Wed Jul 15, 2009 at 12:52:07 PM UTC

Pardon my skepticism, but... (0.00 / 0)

The LG candidate--black or white, male or female--should have some background in and understanding of the NJ political scene and how the political and legislative processes work. There's just no substitute for that kind of experience.  At least Corzine spent some time in the US Senate before running for governor.  McCain picked a #2 who was attractive, could make a rousing speech, and energized the base--and look what happened to him.

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."  (Teddy Roosevelt)

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by: DottieG @ Wed Jul 15, 2009 at 13:47:31 PM UTC

This choice would virtually be a concession speech (0.00 / 0)

I think this choice would concede that he isn't going to win, but would be an indication that he will slog on as hard as possible to give other Democrats a fighting chance to escape the tide of dissatisfaction.

It does little or nothing to energize the base. Since Pinkett's politics are unknown to the general public---including the political base---I wouldn't take the chance of having him in the Governor's seat should fate require him to serve.

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by: Teedyuscung @ Wed Jul 15, 2009 at 17:36:29 PM UTC