Posted on 06/04/2013 2:38:18 PM PDT by nickcarraway
By scheduling New Jersey’s special U.S. Senate election for October 16, Chris Christie has avoided appearing on the same ballot as Cory Booker in November. But he’s also made it more possible that Booker won’t appear on the October ballot.
Booker, the Newark mayor and media darling, still has to be considered the odds-on favorite to take over Frank Lautenberg’s seat. But Christie’s decision to fill that seat with a special election this year, rather than waiting until 2014, makes it all but certain that Booker will face at least one challenger in the Democratic primary on August 13.
The opponent Booker really doesn’t want to face is Frank Pallone. For years, Pallone, a New Jersey congressman, has tiptoed up to the line of running for statewide office, only to get cold feet at the last minute because he didn’t want to risk losing his congressional seat. It was assumed he’d pull the same stunt with the 2014 Senate race. But now the calculation has changed. Pallone can run in the August primary without risking anything. Sources are now saying that’s exactly what he’ll do.
On paper, the quick primary should favor Booker, who has high name recognition and the ability to raise lots of money. But don’t count out Pallone. Not only does he have more than $3 million in campaign cash on hand. He’s also spent years memorizing the operating guide to the New Jersey Democratic Party’s machinery that Booker has never bothered to study. Christie’s announcement today means that Booker is going to have to take a crash course.
Did Booker do something to earn the hate of the White House last year during campaign season?
Did he??? I doubt it.
.
Naughty! But funny!
You've come up with something that no one else has noticed. It would appear that Christie's plan is to break the New Jersey Democratic Party's bank. I wouldn't characterize it as a chess move. More like a poker move.
I would have rather that Christie appointed a staunch Republican, after all turn about is fair play, but the Republicans never ‘turn about’ do they.
But I see a little bit of fairness that he tossed it to the voters to decide. Nationally Christie is toast within the GOP so I hope he doesn’t think he can actually win the GOP nomination, but he’s certainly solid within NJ.
Would have been funny if he appointed himself.
Ginning up the black vote costs street money. Two elections means twice the street money.
As to racism, this really isn't racism - it's tribalism. In Africa, blacks attach themselves to tribal politics because over there, it's a winner-takes-all world. If your tribe wins, it gets all the marbles. Here, it's just a case of race being the smallest political unit that is viable, and the law handing out all kinds of preferences in academia, the workplace and even small business specifically to people of a specific race, which is a proxy for what in Africa would be tribes.
Some people call my characterization essentialism. I call it genetics. Some breeds within the same species are gregarious, whereas others are loners. Natural selection means that different characteristics prevailed in different geographies.
Translation: The 'Rats are teed off at Christie because apparently they think he's hurt their chances at beating him, and they are camouflaging that by introducing the extra expense issue. (Since when do 'Rats really care about government spending too much, anyway?)
Federal races come before state races on the ballot. Booker would be at the top of the ballot.
I at first thought in terms of coattails too, but I think the powerful draw to the polls of Cory Booker could really bite into Christie’s vote. I’m sure Christie and his aides and advisers have thought this out carefully.
Everyone should not be so negative about Christie. New Jersey wants him. We want him to win in Jersey. We should be happy. He’s building his reputation as a statesman, but not at such a great cost. He will campaign with the Republican this year. In 2016 I don’t think anyone’s going to be looking at two-year-old vote percentages to decide about Christie.
Ah. But will he campaign for the Republican presidential nominee in 2016?
That's not so certain, is it?
He criticized on TV the Dem attack on Bain Capital. Said the attack on capitalism was nauseating. This made the Romney-haters furious and Booker was forced to take it back.
But maybe we don’t want him to.
I think you are underplaying it. He lost all support in the administration. I think he’s still on the outs with them.
I don’t think he intends to run at all.
Yes, I think you are right. Maybe wants to be chosen veep by someone or stay in Jersey. Unless he is irresistibly drafted by the RINO RNC.
Agreed.
Porkie can't be so stupid that he fails to understand how he is viewed outside of New Jersey, and outside of the liberal Democrat "mainstream" newsroom bubble. I'm sure there are already internal polls.
Still, I CAN see Porkie running as a turd party spoiler, just to help the rats win.
I'm not suggesting that Gov. Christie would run for president.
I'm asking whether he would campaign for the Republican presidential nominee?
I'm not so sure.
For better or worse, Christie likes to be his own man. Maybe he can be governor and do that, but maybe he doesn't want to be president and have to pull his punches. He may be nice nice with President Obama, but that could all change tomorrow. He's mercurial.
You had a primary today with a few compelling conservative candidates.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.