Strange Bedfellows

by: deciminyan

Tue Oct 18, 2011 at 06:15:00 PM EDT

Who would have thought that there would come a time on this blog when I would agree with firstamend07 and disagree with my good friend and former colleague Jeff Pickens? Well, as implausible as it sounds, it’s true – in at least one instance.

It started when Jeff posted an excellent diary entitled “I’m Not Sure I Can Hold My Nose This Time” where he excoriates his Democratic District 4 legislators for their unresponsiveness to some legitimate questions he has asked them. In that diary, Jeff asks what he should do on Election Day to express his disgust. Staying home and voting Republican, he says, are not options. Should he write in someone else? Should he vote for a third party candidate?

I responded in the comments, saying that if Jeff does not vote for the Democrats, he essentially is voting for the Republicans.

Jeff pushed back, and Aegletes, whose opinion I also value highly, wrote a great comment supporting Jeff.

And then there’s firstamend07, who writes with as much nuance as a Tea Bagger and who thinks that Steve Sweeney walks on water.  But he wrote “Only the maintaining of a Democratic Majority will prevent New Jersey from becoming Wisconsin.”  And I agree with him. We may not agree on how he came to this conclusion, but we agree on the conclusion.

In the strange world of New Jersey politics, I met firstamend07’s patron, Steve Sweeney, for the first time this past week. While I disagree with Sweeney’s evisceration of collective bargaining and his unholy alliance with George Norcross, I found Sweeney to be a gentleman and someone willing to listen to opposing sides, unlike our governor.

And there’s another twist. I recently met the Republican slate that is running in the 4^th District – the folks that Jeff would never vote for. And two of the three candidates I would not vote for either. But if I lived in the 4^th District, I would seriously consider voting for Republican Patricia Fratticcioli.

I disagree a lot with Fratticcoli, especially on her position of no new taxes no matter what. But she reminds me of another Assembly candidate, Marie Corfield. Both women are fiercely intelligent and independent-minded. Both are passionate about education and Fratticcoli is much more supportive of public education than most Republicans. I believe if elected, either would vote her conscience and buck the party bosses when necessary.

So why should a lefty vote for a Republican even if her platform doesn’t align with my views as much as I’d like? Because we need a GOP that has moderates and not Tea Baggers. Moving the Republican Party to the center gives the Democrats room to move to the left, a position they abandoned decades ago. I’m not endorsing Fratticcioli, but she at least deserves serious attention.

So my advice to Jeff is to learn about Fratticcoli. You won’t agree with much of her platform, but I think you will find her to be worthy of your consideration. But if you can’t find it in your soul to vote for a Republican, then go ahead and vote your conscience – the empty suits on the Democratic side, an independent, or a write-in. But vote!