NJ Democratic Senate Primary - General Discussion

[Verily]

I'm perfectly serious. Andrews has no appeal at all to North Jersey

Doesn't he have some serious machine support up there?

Parts of the Union County machine endorsed him, but there was resistance even then. He won't get slaughtered there, at least, not the way he'll get slaughtered in Bergen, Passaic and Hudson, anyway. Still, he didn't really have a chance after he failed to win over more than a handful of machine supporters in the north.

[Verily]

An important sign of this are the columns. Andrews is all on his lonesome in Column 1 on most of the North Jersey ballots (often with dueling Democratic tickets for lower positions in Columns 3 and 4; Cresitello is in Column 2). Locally, we have the oddity of Lautenberg being in Column 4 with Column 3 empty for the Senate primary (although I'll be voting straight-ticket Column 3 for the rest of the primaries).

[JohnnyLongtorso]

An important sign of this are the columns. Andrews is all on his lonesome in Column 1 on most of the North Jersey ballots (often with dueling Democratic tickets for lower positions in Columns 3 and 4; Cresitello is in Column 2). Locally, we have the oddity of Lautenberg being in Column 4 with Column 3 empty for the Senate primary (although I'll be voting straight-ticket Column 3 for the rest of the primaries).

For us non-New Jerseyites, could you explain this column thing?

[Verily]

An important sign of this are the columns. Andrews is all on his lonesome in Column 1 on most of the North Jersey ballots (often with dueling Democratic tickets for lower positions in Columns 3 and 4; Cresitello is in Column 2). Locally, we have the oddity of Lautenberg being in Column 4 with Column 3 empty for the Senate primary (although I'll be voting straight-ticket Column 3 for the rest of the primaries).

For us non-New Jerseyites, could you explain this column thing?

I'll see if I can scrounge up an old sample ballot from Google. A picture is worth a thousand words.

[Verily]

In the meantime, here's the only poll of the race, from mid-May:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_senate_elections/new_jersey/election_2008_new_jersey_democratic_senate_primary

Lautenberg: 49
Andrews: 19
Cresitello: 7

[Verily]

Here's a sample ballot from Hunterdon County. There, they apparently use rows, but the effect is the same:

www.readingtontwp.org/sample_ballot_june_3.pdf

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Here's a sample ballot from Hunterdon County. There, they apparently use rows, but the effect is the same:

www.readingtontwp.org/sample_ballot_june_3.pdf

I was under the impression that most counties in New Jersey used rows rather than columns.

Then again, I was a Hunterdon County voter, so I may be biased.  Interesting that Whitman fielded a Freeholder candidate for her slate.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

It's worth noting that virtually all the campaigning in New Jersey primaries is not candidate based, but column based.  It's to protect the machines, of course.

"HUDSON COUNTY ORGANIZATIONAL DEMOCRATS—VOTE COLUMN A"

It's that the "endorsed" candidates have full slates in their columns.  Non-endorsed candidates usually don't.  Those of us who follow New Jersey politics call it "the line."

A Hunterdon County voter can see that the row starting with Pennacchio is the official Hunterdon GOP line.  He's running with a slew of popular incumbents and other county-wide office holders, such as Len Lance, Susan Hoffman, and Erik Peterson.  Dick Zimmer is just...there...by his lonesome.

You may not think that has a huge effect, but you'd be dead wrong.  Miscellaneous Candidate A vs. Miscellaneous Candidate B will typically be an 80–20 blowout if Candidate A has the line.

[Verily]

Here's a sample ballot from Hunterdon County. There, they apparently use rows, but the effect is the same:

www.readingtontwp.org/sample_ballot_june_3.pdf

I was under the impression that most counties in New Jersey used rows rather than columns.

Then again, I was a Hunterdon County voter, so I may be biased.  Interesting that Whitman fielded a Freeholder candidate for her slate.

I'm only familiar with Bergen County, so I just assumed it was mostly columns. Either way. Maybe it depends on what type of voting machines are in use.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Looks like its columns in Ocean too.  Here's another sample ballot, showing the "column" form.

http://www.clerk.co.ocean.nj.us/election/08june_files/tomsriver.01.pdf

Zimmer has the GOP line there (which is a major get in a GOP primary).  Andrews and Adler appear together in Column A for Democrats; Lautenberg is in the official Dem column—Column C—though it is missing a candidate for US House.

[MarkWarner08]

For the Ds, the octogenarian by 10 points over the architect of the Iraq War. On the GOP side, the guy who lost to the Torch and a five-time winner of Jeapordy will trounce the Paulite and the crypto-fascist.

[Keystone Phil]

For the Ds, the octogenarian by 10 points over the architect of the Iraq War. On the GOP side, the guy who lost to the Torch and a five-time winner of Jeapordy will trounce the Paulite and the crypto-fascist.

Zimmer won Jeopardy? Interesting.

Anyway, I don't think anyone will be trouncing anyone else in the GOP primary. And, if anything, the suggestion is that "Jersey Joe" unfortunately has the edge.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

For the Ds, the octogenarian by 10 points over the architect of the Iraq War. On the GOP side, the guy who lost to the Torch and a five-time winner of Jeapordy will trounce the Paulite and the crypto-fascist.

Rob Andrews is a pretty busy guy, but I'm quite sure he wasn't there in the situation room planning the war that Frank Lautenberg supported back in the 2002 campaign.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

For the Ds, the octogenarian by 10 points over the architect of the Iraq War. On the GOP side, the guy who lost to the Torch and a five-time winner of Jeapordy will trounce the Paulite and the crypto-fascist.

Zimmer won Jeopardy? Interesting.

He's talking about Rush Holt.

[Keystone Phil]

For the Ds, the octogenarian by 10 points over the architect of the Iraq War. On the GOP side, the guy who lost to the Torch and a five-time winner of Jeapordy will trounce the Paulite and the crypto-fascist.

Zimmer won Jeopardy? Interesting.

He's talking about Rush Holt.

Oh, I see. I read that one wrong. Rush Holt won Jeopardy? Interesting but not surprising. Is there anything that man hasn't done that's intellectually stimulating?

[MarkWarner08]

For the Ds, the octogenarian by 10 points over the architect of the Iraq War. On the GOP side, the guy who lost to the Torch and a five-time winner of Jeapordy will trounce the Paulite and the crypto-fascist.

Zimmer won Jeopardy? Interesting.

He's talking about Rush Holt.

Oh, I see. I read that one wrong. Rush Holt won Jeopardy? Interesting but not surprising. Is there anything that man hasn't done that's intellectually stimulating?

Mea culpa. In addition to misspelling Jeopardy, I forgot to separate those clauses. The typo dunce of the day award goes to...

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Rush Holt won Jeopardy? Interesting but not surprising. Is there anything that man hasn't done that's intellectually stimulating?

Serve as a U.S. Senator.

[Verily]

Rush Holt won Jeopardy? Interesting but not surprising. Is there anything that man hasn't done that's intellectually stimulating?

Serve as a U.S. Senator.

Full disclosure: I made up my mind driving to the polling station to vote for Lautenberg because, while I like Andrews slightly more (or, rather, dislike him slightly less), he would be in office for decades while Lautenberg definitely won't make it past 2014. Hopefully Holt will run in 2014 (or in 2012 against Menendez in the primary).

[Keystone Phil]

Rush Holt won Jeopardy? Interesting but not surprising. Is there anything that man hasn't done that's intellectually stimulating?

Serve as a U.S. Senator.

Good one. Let's keep it that way.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Rush Holt won Jeopardy? Interesting but not surprising. Is there anything that man hasn't done that's intellectually stimulating?

Serve as a U.S. Senator.

Good one. Let's keep it that way.

What is your objection to Holt?  I'm shocked you support Andrews, but oppose Holt.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Rush Holt won Jeopardy? Interesting but not surprising. Is there anything that man hasn't done that's intellectually stimulating?

Serve as a U.S. Senator.

Good one. Let's keep it that way.

What is your objection to Holt?  I'm shocked you support Andrews, but oppose Holt.

My best guess is that Holt is a heck of a lot more liberal than Andrews.

[Keystone Phil]

Rush Holt won Jeopardy? Interesting but not surprising. Is there anything that man hasn't done that's intellectually stimulating?

Serve as a U.S. Senator.

Good one. Let's keep it that way.

What is your objection to Holt?  I'm shocked you support Andrews, but oppose Holt.

My best guess is that Holt is a heck of a lot more liberal than Andrews.

Bingo. That and the fact that Holt is all about being oh so very smart.

"My Congressman is a rocket scientist!" -  Holt bumperstickers

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

True, but (to the best of my knowledge) Holt is one the very,very, very few honest electable politicians in New Jersey (Dick Codey also comes to mind).  After George Norcross, John Lynch, Jon Corzine, Jim McGreevey, Bob Menendez, the Torch, Sharpe James, etc, etc, etc; I would think any honest politician in New Jersey would be welcome.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

True, but (to the best of my knowledge) Holt is one the very,very, very few honest electable politicians in New Jersey (Dick Codey also comes to mind).  After George Norcross, John Lynch, Jon Corzine, Jim McGreevey, Bob Menendez, the Torch, Sharpe James, etc, etc, etc; I would think any honest politician in New Jersey would be welcome.

Setting the bar awful low, aren't we?

[WalterMitty]

okay.  ive had it.  can we kick nj out of the union now?