NO COWARDLY LION HE

I want to make it clear that I like Dan Damon and consider him a friend; but not an intimate. I also appreciate the service he does to the Community through his “CLIPS” blog.

Never the less I cannot resist taking not umbrage; but the advantage to fleer his most recent blog, alluding to Christie as the Cowardly Lion. Dan,  like a good party card holding  Democrat belittles  Christie because Christie chose to hold a special election in October to fill the vacant Senate seat; rather to have the Special election in November concurrent with the General Election.

Some in their complaints about the cost and stating that Christie was afraid of the probable increase in Democrat turnout that would put Christie in danger they include the costs of the Primary Election which would have had to be held under any circumstances. The bigger the numbers the worse it sounds.

It is under our electoral freedom laws that the Democrat Candidate for Governor was selected; and she has openly not received the support of many of the power brokers in the Party.

It is obvious that it is unlikely that Christie will be defeated in November; Even the selection of the Vice President of the teacher’s” Service Employees International Union” will not help.

I am not sure that if any election where either my man Booker or Holt or Pallone who has powerful backers; is running against a non-entity Republican could result in a big enough coat tails threat to Christie.

Yes that could be a realistic possibility; but perhaps there are enough disenchanted Democrats who are finally objecting to electing such stalwart outstanding governors as Florio, McGreevey, and of course that outstanding financial genius Corzine. All these”peoples advocates” hold the responsibility for NJ’s fiscal problems and high taxes.  Unlikely but they could by protest votes result in the unthinkable; election of a Republican Senator.

Dan, give Christie credit; instead of being Jerry’s alter ego and consider the Republicans the source of all evil; in your political bent there can be an exception to include the wrong Democrats in Plainfield.

Let us not ignore the fact that on November 5th there are already two elections with two distinct ballots scheduled. There would be gross confusion among the electorate if in addition to the School Board elections which many municipalities have oped for, if a third separate ballot for a special election was added. I am not excluding the possibility of referendums on the ballot; we have not yet received the Charter Commissions report.

I am not sure that the voting machines could  handle that. I do not know how they are going to handle the two ballots already on the docket. The General election and the BOE elections are separate entities and I doubt if they can legally appear together.  Will we have to revert to paper ballots? I am sure you have the answer.

You know New Jersey’s has two versions on how to fill a Senate Vacancy in the same section of the law. Thank goodness each State has its own right; not dictated by those politicians in Washington.  

I have combined the two by reprinting the two problem clauses in sequence but in different color.

“If a vacancy shall happen in the representation of this State in the United States senate, it shall be filled at the general election next succeeding the happening thereof, unless such vacancy shall happen within 70 days next preceding such election, next preceding the primary election prior to the general election, in which case it shall be filled by election at the second succeeding general election, unless the governor of this State shall deem it advisable to call a special election therefor, which he is authorized hereby to do.

The red wording gave him the legal right to appoint a Republican who would have been entrenched for over a year. Think about that; The Democrat's hold on the Senate is tenuous as is, and incumbents do have an advantage. Also don't forget that if Christie had chosen to postpone the election until 2014 there would have been the savings of the cost of the special primary.

Don’t you think that he may have hurt his standing with the right leaning Republicans?

(7am additions)