| Outside the entrance there were about 5 Larouche people aggressively handing out their literature and engaging anyone in conversation that would listen. It seems there were others who came in just to take their turns at loudly disrupting the debate; but they failed.
As you'll see in the video, the disruptors were asked to leave; fortunately the violence remained at the psychic level. If anything, the participants and the audience became all the more determined to stay on track.
Gordon again, explained himself and apologized.
It was good to hear Nibot repudiate Ferriero-ism and to express her antipathy toward bossism and political machines in general.
One of the questions directly asked Nibot if she had colluded with the BCDO in any way and she issued an unequivocal denial.
I'm content to take her at her word and I apologize to her for my prior stated assumptions that she was overtly in league with Ferriero.
My sense of the outcome is that the Republicans know they don't have any real chance of winning this one and they don't want to go all out grasping at mud covered straws.
In fact, at least in rhetorical terms, they actually agreed with the spirit of much of what Weinberg had to say about reforming machine politics/pay to play in NJ.
I didn't hear any surprises in terms of the actual issues discussed (but y'all can hear for yourselves in the morning when the video is up).
So, for me the bottom lines here are that the rabid BCDO line of attack falsely characterizing Gordon (and anyone who supports him) as some kind of anti-semite; and the rabid LaRouchite attacks that characterize anyone who was strongly critical of Gordon's contributions as a racist all failed......and failed wonderfully.
My own sense had been that Gordon might be damaged goods in terms of future campaigns; but I may have been mistaken there too. I hope so. Time will tell.
After the dust settles I believe Gordon's constituents deserve to hear a more complete/in depth accounting of the details of how Gordon was taken in by the Larouchite's con job. I think it might benefit all of us to come to a clearer understanding of just how and why cults "work". (The question/issue of detoxifying the emerging gang culture in Bergen County seems like it could be illuminated by more practical study of the underlying dynamics.)
I would like to think that the BCDO folks would just let the whole thing drop; but I doubt it. After all, what else do they have? What else can they do?
There's no way the machine can engage in illuminating, real, free and fair debate on its modus operandi of legalized bribery...so distortion, distraction and deception will likely remain the names of their games.
I/we need to become more proficient at not getting sucked into their world of feculent slime and, instead, focus all the more sharply on the positive ends we wish to achieve together.
So, let's all pull hard for a sweeping/solid victory in the 37th next Tuesday!!!
Stay tuned for some very amateurish video (I'll have to use a better camera next time :-)
Here's a recent quote from politicsnj (yesterday) from Clara Nibot...
"I can't stand (Ferriero). Even if he gave me a million in gold I won't take it. If anyone tells me 'This is coming from Ferriero,' I say throw it in the garbage." -- Clara Nibot, the GOP candidate for State Senate in the 37th district, on Valerie Huttle's suggestion that her information on Gordon Johnson came from Joe Ferriero."
Need I say more!!!
Here's the Assembly Debate Video
Here's Loretta!!!!
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