New Jersey’s “first lady” is running for Robert Menendez’s Senate seat. Because she’s qualified? No way! She’s never done anything of significance beyond tolerating husband Phil, least of all holding any elective office. Because no one else will run? You might think Phil would toss his hat in the ring, but I guess he’s tired and just wants a cushy job in Biden’s new administration? In any case, he’s not running for Senate, but he’s happy to ride on Mrs. Murphy’s coattails all the way to DC.
Moreover, House Representative Kim is running and he’s much more qualified than Mrs. Murphy. What’s pathetic about all this is that Mrs. Murphy has used her husband’s powerful position—yes, husband Phil is the current governor!—to coerce NJ’s democratic establishment, excluding Mr. Kim, to make sure she’s on the top ballot line above Mr. Kim. It’s old NJ politics at its dirtiest.
Mikie Sherril, for example, once a respected House representative and USN helicopter pilot before that, who I thought was a smart centrist and hard worker, has caved to Gov. Phil Murphy’s pressure and now supports Mrs. Murphy. Maybe others applaud this kind of shenanigans, but I don’t.
It’s deja vu all over again in NJ’s dirty politics. (Yogi Berra was from Montclair, but his gaffes were actually funny because he wasn’t part of the political establishment.) Sometimes NJ voters get so desperate and disgusted with this sleazy stuff that they elect someone like Chris Christy governor. People get tired of dirty politics; I’m tired of the Murphys, Mendendezes, and Mikie Sherril.
No one, Democrat or Republican, should vote for Mrs. Murphy. That would just be feeding the maws of that old NJ political monster. And I won’t be voting for Mikie Sherril either. I prefer to leave my vote blank to voting for either one.
Good news! As this is coming to press, the mayor of Jersey City stopped supporting Mrs. Murphy and threw his support behind Mr. Kim. Hopefully more NJ politicians will change their minds and redeem themselves! The soon-to-be ex-mayor of Montclair, though, must have other sneaky plans in mind…maybe the governorship? He’s certainly advertising a lot, although no one knows yet what for. Don’t you just love dirty NJ politics?