Does the NRCC have a one-seat pick-up strategy in New Jersey?

By Rubashov

New Jersey’s congressional candidates don’t even have districts yet. The challengers keep multiplying. At last count, there were at least three in CD03, two in CD05, two in CD07, and three in CD11.

And yet, it all seems to be about just one candidate in district whatever it might be… Tom Kean Jr.

After losing two congressional campaigns and one for the United States Senate, State Senator Kean appears to be leaving nothing to chance in securing a federal seat at the next opportunity. He controls the Republican side of the congressional reapportionment process. And he has promoted former staffers – with less than spectacular war records – to staff positions at the NRCC’s high command.

Perhaps this accounts for the remarkable attentiveness of the Republican Minority Leader, Kevin McCarthy, who joined Kean and Save Jersey’s Matt Rooney for a “diner booth chat” yesterday, the day Kean chose to announce his candidacy for Congress from a district whose boundaries do not yet exist. Next up for McCarthy is an interview with the “Mastermind” of Bridgegate. Perhaps Ken Kurson will join them and add luster to the proceedings? Does McCarthy even know any of this?

So, a district is being made to order in as much as that is possible. The trouble with this is getting the balance right. Too swing, and Kean risks a repeat of his last go-round with Tom Malinowski. Too Republican and he risks a challenge from those wild guys on the right. And they won’t wait. They’re like McCarthy. The moment they smell blood in the water, they’ll be there and everyone will know it.

One other thing…

Kevin McCarthy isn’t a household name in New Jersey. He is a very powerful and influential figure but remains ill-defined in the minds of most voters. But that is changing – and that change presents risk.

Have a look at this video. It is from an episode of Tucker Carlson, the most watched cable news host in America and someone who is wildly popular with the GOP base in however you carve a district. It is about the GOP, the NRCC, Kevin McCarthy, and messaging. It is also about opioids… and responsibility – and assigning blame. So, pay attention.

America's most popular cable news host lays the blame...

“This is the guy Republican leaders just went to this week for, quote, messaging guidance on hot topics. And you wonder why you no longer recognize the party that you vote for.”

Tucker Carlson

Tony Ghee shows us how a Republican should behave

On the one hand, you have the campaign of John McCann, gleefully sharing every attack made by the Left on conservatives and his conservative opponent, Steve Lonegan.  While on the other, there stands Major Tony Ghee, United States Army.

Tony Ghee knows how to tell his friends from his enemies.  He is new to politics, but not so new that he's going to sit by and watch some scumbag liberals attack his Republican opponent's family.  Tony is a dad himself.

So Tony stepped up and stood with his opponent, conservative Assemblyman Jay Webber, against the attacks of leftist like Democrat State Senator Nellie Pou, who disgraced herself and her party.  Speaking of Pou, a supporter of Democrat congressional candidate Mikie Sherrill, here's what Tony Ghee had to say:

"Has our political discourse gotten so bad, that we need to drag the children of candidates into political statements about the critical issues impacting our community?"

"It’s 2018 and we should all be able to agree on three simple concepts:  political corruption is bad and should be repudiated by everyone, regardless of party; everyone deserves equal pay for equal work and government has a responsibility to ensure that; and the family of a candidate for public office is off limits, especially their children."

“This campaign should not be about scoring cheap political points, rather it should be about putting the people we are seeking to serve above partisan politics.  We need leaders who are dedicated to serving a cause greater than themselves or their party, because the issues at stake in this election are too great to be mired in soundbites and cheap petty politics. Senator Pou owes an immediate and unequivocal apology to the Webber’s for dragging their children into this campaign.”

Bravo, Major Ghee!

Meanwhile, back at the McCann campaign, one of his top supporters -- West Milford Republican Chair Matt Conlon -- actually sided with double-dipping Paterson Democrat Pou's attack on a Republican Assemblyman and his four daughters.  That is a real poor move by Conlon.

This is really unfortunate behavior for a local Republican leader.  Conlon is a bad role model.

We need more Republicans like Tony Ghee!

Has McCann been put-up by Democrat Gottheimer?

Liberal Democrats are working overtime this year to damage Republicans' congressional chances next year.   In the 11th congressional district, liberals have found an out-of-district unaffiliated voter to become a Republican in order to challenge incumbent Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen in the GOP primary next June.  According to media reports, lawyer Martin Hewitt is running as a "moderate Republican" in order to challenge the national Republican Party platform.

The same thing looks to be happening in the neighboring 5th congressional district, where lawyer John McCann is also running as a "moderate Republican" in the tradition of Democrat turned Republican turned Democrat Arlen Specter.  McCann is a political patronage holding Republican who is employed by the elected Democrat Sheriff of Bergen County.

It was McCann who helped deliver Bergen County into the hands of the Democrat Party machine, splitting the party and helping to defeat the Republican County Executive there.  After that defeat, McCann responded to the Republican County Executive's claims that it was "traitors" within the GOP who caused Republicans to lose power in Bergen County.

John McCann's candidacy seems designed for failure.  Not only has he dropped out of the last two races he got into, but his recent problems with tax liens and such make him a very dubious choice.  This has led to speculation that he is the favored candidate of the Democrats and the candidate who incumbent liberal Democrat Josh Gottheimer would prefer to face in November 2018.

The Democrats have a real interest in controlling who runs against Congressman Gottheimer next year.  The liberal Democrat's district was carried by President Donald Trump and is decidedly Republican as well as a top target of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).  The Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has acknowledged that it will be a challenge to keep Congressman Gottheimer's seat in their column in 2018. 

So it makes all the sense in the world for the Democrats to help "engineer" who becomes Gottheimer's Republican challenger.  McCann, who is actually on the Democrats' payroll, appears to be their perfect choice.

This will be a drama worth watching.  So, as always, stay tuned...