I'm here at the New Jersey League of Municipalities convention in Atlantic City. It's a mammoth event every year and it attracts public officials at every level from throughout the state as well as all the people who work for them and those who provide the ancillary services associated with government. It's a Big Deal.
I'm attending many Republican social events and here's what people are telling me: They're damned sick and tired of losing! Believe me, most of the rank and file party people that I know -- the people on the ground -- work their butts off for the party. Time and again they're told they're on the cusp of a big win and then, POOF!, it fizzles. And now, in a year when they were seemingly poised for a win, Republicans actually lost six seats in the state legislature! You can imagine how dispiriting this is to the troops.
As usual all kinds of excuses are being thrown around but the simple response is there simply are no excuses for this. It's inexcusable! And I, for one, and damned tired of hearing after election speeches where some GOP official gets up and says things like "we came really, REALLY close this time" and "the truth is we have nothing to be ashamed of" and "next year's our year." Quite honestly, that's bulls--t! And it's just plain wearisome.
I'll be talking about some of this at a breakfast confab here tomorrow and I'll be offering some suggestions for the way forward for the NJ GOP. You'll see the entirety of my remarks here tomorrow. Stay tuned!
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