Wed Nov 03, 2010 at 12:20:04 PM EDT
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| As carolh posted about in her diary, there was a sweep in Bergen County - knocking the Democrats out on all levels from County Executive to Sheriff to Freeholder. And it wasn't even really all that close either.
And as it goes, "all politics is local" - I think this is even more true on a, well, local level. None of these Democrats voted for health reform, they didn't have any hand in what was going on nationally and while there was more "Republican voter enthusiasm", that is a mere excuse for the real reason for what happened in Bergen County last night.
This was not a repudiation of Obama or Menendez or Lautenberg or even anything close to an affirmation of support for Christie. This was about what the Bergen County Democratic Organization did when it was in control and a resounding rejection of those policies.
But it goes even deeper than that. |
| Adam L :: Will this be a "lesson learned" for Bergen Democrats? |
| Back in the early part of this year, before there was a candidate for Congress (regardless of how that campaign was run, which I'll get to later in the week), there was talk and even movement by many at high levels to "write off the top line" in order to save their own positions. I know because I heard some of this directly as we were trying to recruit a candidate for Congress. The thought was so anti-Democratic that only after a major grassroots push, the BCDO agreed to put a Congressional candidate on their top ballot line. And even then, there was not only no support but there were reports of phonebankers actually telling voters that there was no Congressional candidate running.
This is but one example of the hubris exhibited to deprive voters from a choice and a chance that a number of very dedicated activists were so turned off that they sat on their hands come phonebanking and canvassing time (and in the voting booth as well). On top of this, there was the unapologetic dual office holding (by Jim Carroll, who stood up at a "Town Hall meeting" in January 2009 and practically boasted about it). There was the stunning lack of leadership on pay to play reform - something that could have turned this election around if the Democrats were strong on this issue after the disgrace they went through over the last 2 years. There was little by way of actions that convinced voters that they in fact were the better choice - even if some of them actually were the better choice.
Actions didn't speak to that, and while I have nothing against Dennis McNerney or Leo McGuire, they simply didn't do enough to get out from under the BCDO mentality of self preservation at the expense of Democracy.
You'd think they would have learned after coming in 3rd and 4th in last year's 2 winner Freeholder race. But apparently not, as they came in 4th, 5th and 6th in a 3 winner race - and by a good margin. Maybe now it is time for self reflection of the direction and leadership that led to the second straight crushing loss and a revisiting of what priorities are best for Bergen County as opposed to those who previously held County wide positions and took the Bergen County residents for granted. |
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