OMG! How to begin to tell you about last Tuesday night's New Jersey Republican primary gubernatorial debate?
The first word that immediately comes to mind is UGLY. It was ugly to watch; it was ugly to listen to; it was almost embarrassing to be in the same room with these people. It was a shambles and it that's not good for the party. Not. Good. At. All!
Who's fault was this? You can start with the moderator, Laura Jones. At the outset Jones elaborated a series of ground rules for the evening and them promptly ignored them. For all intents and purposes, structure was thrown to the wind. And it was a very windy night, both outside and inside the Rider University venue. But, in fairnes, the candidates did not make Jones' job any easier.
Here's an example of how things went wrong: questions were posed to the candidates as a group, without giving said candidates which order they should answer in. So, they'd all start answering at once and the loudest respondent won the stage. An atmosphere like this (with no discernible rules) is made for a grandstander. And so, radio talker Bill Spadea took advantage of the moment and moved to dominate the evening like a burly broadcasting bully.
We'll give Spadea this much: he's got a wonderful voice; a distinctive voice that makes you want to keep listening. And he knows how to use his voice to command attention. In fact, at one point John Bramnick (who sounded a bit raspy last night) had to remind Spadea that this was not his show and he was not on the radio. But nothing deterred Spadea.
The hostility between Spadea and Jack Ciattarelli was palpable. And the vitriol was unending. Spadea called Jack a loser who's supported by "deep pocket, backroom elites" adding: "this man has been unemployed for nine years, permanently running for governor." Looking to Ciattarelli, Spadea said: "the loudest, most deceitful, most annoying person does not win."
But Jack gave as good as he got. He was determined not to let Spadea get the best of him. He called Spadea a "grifter" and a "professional liar" adding that he's "an indecent man who will do anything to get your vote." And Jack went after Spadea on his political action "Common Sense Club" alleging that it paid back a hefty fee to Spadea himself. When Spadea, explaining, seemed to boast that the group was profitable, Jack shot back: "Profitable? It's a non-profit!"
Since Ciattarelli is the frontrunner in the race, he proved to be a frequent target. When Jack pointed to his business success and the independence it has given him, declaring that "no one owns me," Bramnick retorted: "You're owned by the people who write your talking points." When Ciattarelli rightly cited the grassroots time he's put in on behalf of the party and its candidates throughout the state, Ed Durr accused Jack of ignoring him when he ran his uphill race against Steve Sweeney in 2021, scoring a dramatic upset that made national news.
And then Durr (aka "Ed The Trucker") declared himself the only true outsider in the race, branding all the others "part of a cabal" and declaring "The only way to win is by doing something different. I'm different. I represent you."
As for Bramnick, he spent almost the entire evening pointing to the fact that he has repeatedly been elected to the state legislature from a district that is solidly Democrat. "In you want to win, you've got to be able to gain the votes of Democrats and independents. I've shown that I can do that," Bramnick had one of his best moments when, as the other candidates argued over who was the real Trumpster, he asked: "Do you think the people of New Jersey want us to debate who loves Donald Trump the most or who loves New Jersey the most?" Still, Bramnick elicited jeers when he criticized Trump and tried to interject the events of January 6, 2021 into the mix.
Of all the candidates, Durr is the one who probably most represents Trump's followers and most closely mirrors their views. His working class creds seem real and when he was asked if he would live in Drumthwacket, the governor's mansion in Princeton if elected, he demurred, saying "I like South Jersey." In the midst of all the bellicosity and bluster, it was a refreshing answer.
In fact, though he's often dismissed by the pols and the pundits, Durr could be a key factor in this race. If he stays in the race, he would most likely take votes away from Spadea, as "Ed the Trucker" and a veteran conservative radio talker would seem to appeal to the same constituency. If he drops out, his endorsement of one of the other candidates could be the deciding factor.
Spadea played his ace card in his closing remarks saying that, if elected, he would only serve one term. But how much could a governor really accomplish in just one term -- especially a novice governor with no experience in elected office and without control of the state legislature?
Bottom line: this wasn't a debate. Rather, it was mostly mayhem providing little or no illumination for the voters, most of whom, mercifully, were not watching. Let's hope for something better as we move forward.