I do not deny that the reason the Adler won in 1991 was because of Norcross' fund raising. Lets put that into perspective though. In 1991, the Democrats controlled no aspects of pretty much anything in Camden County and South Jersey. The Assembly and Senate seat in the 6th were solidly R and had been for years. They needed a leader, Norcross stepped up and took the reigns. You have to applaud him for turning this region from solid R to solid D. That in itself is an accomplishment.
From a political standpoint, Norcross is certainly the most successful party boss New Jersey has seen in decades, probably since the Hague machine.
So, yes, Norcross is an amazingly smart and talented guy. Just like Bob Torricelli was an amazingly smart and talented guy.
The other thing I would say to you is this, don't take everything you read in newspapers and magazines for the truth. I know firsthand that the level of which that article states the relationship of legislative decisions is not completely accurate. On matters dealing with Banking and Insurance and stuff like that, yes he does consult with leaders like Norcross, as he is one of the leaders of that industry in South Jersey and the 6th. I think that the degree to which the Philly Mag article takes it is unwarranted, which is why I said that Adler is an independent thinker.
I'm smart enough not to take everything I read as the gospel—after all, I spent time as a reporter myself. I have a very in-depth knowledge of how New Jersey
really works, and most of it is ugly, ugly stuff.
I know exactly what kind of Congressman he would be, an amazing one. Adler cares deeply about the people of the 6th District and the State of New Jersey immensely. What does someone carrying "The Workers World" banner mean?
I would certainly hope Adler does care. [Of course, Jim Saxton "cares" too, so I'm not sure that's exactly the basis on which I'd base my vote.]
And when I said that I'd rather vote for a "Worker's World" candidate, I meant to say that I would sooner vote for a third-party socialist that I could trust than I would for John Adler.
To say Norcross first, Adler second, is completely not true. If you ever met the Senator then you would think otherwise. To say that George Norcross owns John Adler is just DEAD WRONG.
All I will say here is that John Adler's reputation preceeds him among those familiar with New Jersey State government. Everything I know about New Jersey politics says otherwise, so we'll have to agree to disagree on that point.
No one wants to touch Adler with a ten foot pole because of his
incredibly close ties to Norcross. (More so than most other South Jersey politicians, certainly.) While he would no doubt be able to raise enough money to be considered a serious challenger, there's no way Adler can outraise Saxton on a similar level that he outraised Laskin. And that's the only way Adler could possibly win here.
By the end of the campaign, Adler's negatives would likely be astronomical, especially in places like Ocean County. The truth of the matter is that two-thirds of the votes in Adler's State Senate district come from outside of the Third Congressional District, leaving him the same exact base as Susan Bass Levin had in 2000. (Cherry Hill is the only overlap.) I just don't see how he'd outpace Susan Bass Levin's showing, considering that she plays so much better outside (and probably inside) Cherry Hill than Adler ever would.
