PRINCETON – Republicans remain giddy about their chances in this year’s gubernatorial election.
And so it was fitting Sunday night that four Democratic candidates attending a forum here were each asked why they are the best candidate to keep a “blue” state blue.
(Those attending the forum by the Princeton Community Democratic Organization were Ras Baraka, Steve Fulop, Sean Spiller and Steve Sweeney. Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill did not attend, although John McKeon, a state senator from Essex County, spoke on Sherrill’s behalf).
The question near the end of the debate elicited interesting responses from the four candidates on hand – in fact, the best responses of the night.
Baraka, the mayor of Newark, enthusiastically jumped to his feet to boldly proclaim: “I actually believe if I’m not the nominee, we lose.”
Baraka, who did have an encouraging (for him) second place finish (to Sherrill) at the recent Hunterdon County convention, seemed to suggest that the Dems’ gloom and doom is misplaced. After all, New Jersey still has about 900,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans.
The challenge, he said, is to meet people where they are – church basements, barber shops, bars – and excite them.
“If you can’t inspire people, they’re going to stay home,” he said.
And you inspire people by letting them know you are fighting for them. As an example, the mayor referred to a press event he hosted last month to condemn an ICE raid at a city fish market.
He said that when “Trump came … Newark responded.”
Sweeney, who long has been a centrist among state Democrats, eschewed fiery rhetoric.
“I’m going to reach out to the people who lost faith in the Democratic Party,” he said.
By that, he meant blue collar workers.
Then, he offered quite the sobering history lesson. He said JFK got just about universal blue collar support, but 20 years later, those workers were Reagan Democrats.
“Now, they’re not Democrats.”
This is a national trend and some of the blue collar migration away from the Democrats has been offset by more party support from suburban professionals.
Still, Sweeney, the one time Senate President and an iron worker by trade, wants to recapture a traditional party constituency.
To do that, he said Dems need to focus on what average folk think is important – that being New Jersey is unaffordable.
Fulop’s answer seemed more in line with Baraka’s.
He said one reason Kamala Harris lost was because “she was all over the map.”
That makes it imperative to have a core message, which Fulop said he has – one centered on party principles.
Referring to his track record as Jersey City mayor, he said the city was outfront in welcoming refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine and in protecting transgender workers. He also took pride in opposing George Norcross – now under indictment – and the recently convicted Bob Menendez.
Fulop also warned that the election is going to be difficult and that if Democrats nominate a “Republican-lite,” they are going to lose.
He also took a swipe at his opponents, saying (without naming names), “You have people here that represent the status quo in every single way.”
Spiller, the president of the state teachers’ union, was sort of in line with Sweeney, saying you have to listen to people.
He added that one can do two things at once – meaning support child care, more housing and good health care – while still fighting the excesses of the Trump Administration.
He said the state has never had an educator as governor and it’s about time that it did.
As for fighting, Spiller said he’s been there, noting how then-Governor Chris Christie tried to demonize the NJEA.
Spiller’s point was that he has experience dealing with bullies.
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