McGreevey's Problems

I recently moved to New Jersey and I am a hard core Democrat. I feel like I don't know enough background about what is going on with McGreevey and his aides who are quitting under "ethical clouds" and fundraisers who are getting indicted for obstruction and blackmail. Who are these people?

I was hoping that some of you might be able to shed some light on this. Is McGreevey toast? Are we going to lose the "most powerful governorship in the country"?

Thanks in advance.

Erik
Hackettstown, Nj

I lived in NJ until 1990, and worked as a journalist there for years.
I'm sorry to say NJ politics has a long tradition of sleaze in both parties.
It was very difficult for me to vote Democratic sometimes, so I would cast ballots for third-party candidates in NJ. Or I'd simply hold my nose and vote for the Democrat if the candidate wasn't too slimy.

I don't know about McGreevey himself, but I believe he sold his soul to some major Democrat sleazebags to get elected.

Hope this clarifies things a bit.

I grew up in New Jersey, but I was never a Democrat until the Dean campaign last year, when I was living in Pennsylvania. DFA is meant to clean things up, so I guess I will be Don Quixote and try to do just that here in the state. ;-)Got any romance novels?

of how ultra-RW his challenger, Bret Schundler, was/is.

And the GOPers were promoting Schundler as the second coming of Ronald Reagan.

Unfortunately, dirty dealings = business as usual for poilitics in NJ. McGreevey makes himself more of a target for criticism due to his claims of being above it all.

"New Jersey" section, Bret is going to run for governor again. Someone should tell Bret to not waste his time. He was too uber-conservative then, and he's too uber-conservative now.

McGreevey's problem is that he sold his soul too many time to too many people to get elected and now the devil is rearing its ugly head. It's a shame because his policy initiatives, for the most part, have been pretty good. He's trying hard to create a pro-environment legacy, which unfortunately is being overshadowed by the fast-track bill (deal cut w/ developers to pass the Highlands preservation bill in June).

Here's how I see it playing out right now: If things keep going as they are, McGreevey will face serious primary challenges, likely from Congressman Rob Andrews and possibly from some other South Jersey folks. (Remember, McGreevey is a product of North-only power brokers and the South wants a piece of the action.)

The GOP primary will be dominated by Bret Schundler and Doug Forrester because of their money, their organizations are still in place and the age-old factor of name recognition. There will also be B-level candidates like Diane Allen, Leonard Lance, Paul DiGaetano and a few others who have already declared and don't have a snowball's chance in Hell.

Some people are calling for McGreevey to resign and I think that's premature, but people are connecting the dots to these fund-raising scandals and it's only a matter of time until this whole thing explodes.

It's a very sad situation because the guy had a lot of promise. I voted for the guy twice and I'm really disappointed.

conservative to have much of a chance, though.

I lived in New Jersey until 1997. One of my best friends was born in Jersey City and we cruised through there now and then.

I could never figure out what Schundler ever did that would make anybody vote for him. All the time he was mayor, most of the city went downhill. A few luxury buildings went up along the river, but as far as I could ever tell 90% of the city went even farther downhill, with more winos than ever staggering around all day. It's like this guy presided over the one place in North Jersey that didn't profit from the Clinton economy, and we're gonna let him run the whole state?

Nothing McGreevey did ever made me think of him as the second coming of Abe Lincoln. But if the Replonks are crazed enough to trot Schundler out again, they're more desperate than I could even imagine.

they can't put up a conservative RW'er like Forester or Shundler. Anyone who is pro-life like those two were will never win here.

Hopefully McGreevey hasn't completely sold his soul and I can vote for him in good consciousness