In a letter to the editor, Jersey City resident Dan Laine explains why Tuesday’s election results should be a wake up call for New Jersey Democrats.
Dear Editor,
The New Jersey Democratic machine system resembles nothing so much as one of those rusted lift bridges crossing the Hackensack: creaking, stiff, lacking the sheen of well-oiled vitality it must have once had. Its sprawling size is impressive but unwieldy.
It’s distinctly not pretty, but it works. Or at least it usually works; its worn gears and teeth get stuck with increasing frequency these days. You’ve doubted its sturdiness, but it’s always held up. Until now?
The existing power structure looks to have buckled in light of Tuesday’s results. Get-out-the-vote efforts by powerful Democratic county party organizations (machines) misfired, leading to lower than expected turnout for Harris across the state.
Two of three Hudson County Democratic Organization-linked candidates went down to defeat in the Jersey City Board of Education race.
Senator-elect Andy Kim seems to have outperformed other Democrats, perhaps indicating approval for his independence and anti-county line stance.
This election should serve as a wakeup call for New Jersey Democrats, who can’t take victory for granted in next year’s gubernatorial race or the 2028 presidential election.
Just as we need to replace those rusted bridges over our rivers, we need to replace the old way of doing things in New Jersey politics. It’s the only sensible way to move into the future.
The system of insiders and bosses that prevails has to end. It will only lead to bad candidates, bad government and bad election results.
We need truly open and fair primary elections, an end to self-dealing, and elected officials who genuinely want to serve the public in their role. We need competent public servants who act like they respect the people they work for.
We need meritocracy and fair competition, not nepotism and cronyism. This is the way to good government and electoral success.
New Jersey Democrats have a chance to turn things around before the next presidential election. In June 2025, primary elections will be held for the governorship and legislature.
These will be the first legislative contests without the heavy thumb of the county line on the scale.
Those who vote for the status quo candidates do so at the peril of turning New Jersey into a swing state.
Dan Laine
Jersey City resident
Does the liberal legacy press (CNN, MSNBC, NYT, ABC, CBS, etc.) understand that they are also largely responsible for Trump’s victory? Ironically, their blatant bias helps to motivate the vote AGAINST their candidate.
’Ive never watched “The View”. Held my nose and watched it yesterday to see what their reaction would be. They haven’t learned anything and i suspect the Democrats haven’t either. To them it was a case of America being a racist, misogynistic, xenophobic society that they now need to fight against to preserve their “rights” Watching The View is like having security cameras in an insane asylum.
I would’ve written that the Hudson Co Democratic machine is like the old joke about the lights on the Christmas tree: they all hang out together, some of them work but most of them don’t, some are pretty bright but others aren’t very bright at all . . .
Selected towns and % for Trump
Kearny 51%
Secaucus 49%
North Bergen 46% (that’s Nick Sacco’s North Bergen!!!)
West New York 42% (that’s Albio Sires’ WNY!!!)
Union City 41% (Brian Stack got the Dems his 10,000 votes, how does he explain the 7,600 Trump votes)
The leftist Democrats might win a primary but they will get creamed in 2025. There goes your patronage, kiddies!
The Red Wave is coming to New Jersey.
Get on board or get out of the way!!!!
Scared and stupid white women and macho male latinos unexpectedly turned out for Trump. Cowardly uneducated white males were always in his corner. Good people will suffer because of them. They’ll suffer too, but that’s hardly a consolation. Trump supporters will never believe that he only cares about himself and actually despises them.