Booker-Lonegan II

 

As we look forward to the NJ Senate election next week we see two candidates in stark contrast. Lonegan, stressing the need for self reliance and individual responsibility and the other, Booker, playing the liberal violin about helping the downtrodden because they don’t have the tools to pull themselves out of the morass they find themselves in.

Booker’s message is getting tiresome and doesn’t resonate  any longer. After years, decades and now generations of failed social  engineering, the city of Newark remains an empty shell of what was once a great city. The Public Relations wordsmiths can change  the city's nickname anytime they like: “Brick City,” “Renaissance City,” but really the best moniker would be failed city. Can anyone really look at Newark and say the city has made great strides under the leadership of Cory Booker the last seven years? Booker can. He cites statistics showing how well the city is doing. But like any good football coach will tell you, stats are for losers; moreover they can be easily manipulated. Do we believe Mr. Booker and his team or our own eyes when we see Newark residents up in arms and worrying  about the safety of their families?

His sleight of hand has  distracted  from his lack of leadership and even his responsibility to help the citizens of Newark. Who would have  thought we would pine for the days of Sharpe James? Aside from all his faults, and there were many, he personified Newark. Booker, too, personifies Newark  a little differently,  with hat in hand as he slithers his way from talk show to talk show and cocktail party to gala reception. He has gotten some substantial help from his celebrity friends but I don’t think these friends will be so generous if he leaves City Hall. Then the taxpayers of New Jersey will again  be forced to pick up the shortfall to keep the city  on life support, as Lonegan   intimated in their final debate.

Booker is a new, “new age” politician. He’s attractive, well packaged by his handlers, focused group to the nth degree, subscribes to the theory that the more you can blame the tea party the more you help your chances of looking intellectually superior. The only item not required for the new age pol is accomplishment. Does he remind you of anyone?

Lonegan has been vastly outspent in this senate campaign  and yet he has kept the race close. Can he win? At least he has a puncher’s chance to pull it out and I don’t think anyone thought he’d still be on his feet in the 12^th round.