Election Endorsements 2021

There's a big storm where I live - late October is fast becoming my least favorite time of year (especially after Sandy, nine years ago this time) - but that isn't going to distract me from doing my duty as a citizen and issue my election endorsements for 2021.  I voted already - early voting is now in New Jersey - but, thanks to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's cynical hijacking of the Postal Service and his decision to emaciate the agency and make service slow and unreliable, I would not advise voting by mail unless you pick up the ballot yourself form your county clerk's office and put it in a ballot drop box rather than a mailbox.

That out of the way, I now offer this blog's endorsements for Election Day next week.

For Mayor of New York City: This blog endorses Democrat Eric Adams.  Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, whose group is famous for patrolling Times Square, has diabolical ideas for New York City - like getting rid of COVID vaccine mandates. Eric Adams, who was a real cop, wants to make the city safer both from crime and from COVID.

For Governor of New Jersey: This blog endorses incumbent Democrat Phil Murphy.  Murphy's progressive record is based largely on initiatives first introduced by the Democratic legislature under former Republican Governor Chris Christie and re-introduced over and over until we finally had a Democratic governor to sign them into law.  And he did.  Even if our governor is more reactive than proactive, he's still pushing New Jersey forward, and as he said, New Jersey isn't going back.

For Governor of Virginia: This blog endorses former Democratic governor Terry McAuliffe.  Really.  He compiled a fine record in Virginia when he was governor last time, so why not give him another term?  Besides, his Republican opponent Glenn Youngkin is trying to seem moderate and accommodating to people who may disagree with him while giving a nod and a wink to Trump supporters by endorsing some of their policy objectives - no COVID vaccine mandates, no teaching of critical race theory in public universities but pretending it's meant for elementary schools - but saying that he personally can't stand their tactics.  Virginia doesn't need a governor who gives the voters two faces for the price of one. 

For Mayor of Boston: This blog is making no endorsement, because, quite frankly, I have not followed that campaign.  All I know for certain is that the winner will be a woman because there are only two candidates to choose from, both women.  I'm sorry to say, though, that nether one of them is an Irish Catholic.  Didn't God decree that the mayor of Boston should always be an Irish Catholic? Or the Muses, or St. Patrick, or someone like that?

Those are my endorsements.  Now go out and vote.  Boston, you're on your own. 😉    

Election 2009: Endorsements

Oh, gee whizbangers, is there an election coming up? Well, I always make endorsements in the most important races in any election, including off-year contests, so I might as well swallow and get them out of the way.

The problem with making endorsements this year is that the choices are mostly dismal. Far from being a year of hope and change, 2009 has been a year in which we've been trying to dig ourselves out of the mess we were left with George Bush The Younger, and the candidates for public office - most especially the gubernatorial campaigns in New Jersey and Virginia - seem underwhelming and not so much up to the job. Obama can only do so much at the national level. At the state level, it seems we in New Jersey and Virginia both need an experienced Yoda to pull our craft out of the muck but have to choose between a group of minimally experienced Luke Skywalkers who are just beginning to understand the Force.

So, with apologies to the master George Lucas, here are my endorsements:

For Governor of New Jersey: This blog endorses Jon Corzine, the incumbent Democrat, for a second term. Corzine continues to support expanding health care options, especially for women, and he has a record of slowing the rate of increase in local property taxes. Chris Christie - who is not a ditto machine salesman - is pro-life, would cut state spending in some of our (I'm from New Jersey, remember) most essential services, and his tax plan makes no sense. Plus, he seems to be too friendly to big business. Corzine's best asset is that he's mitigated the systematic problems that have affected this state since Corzine was still a Wall Street executive and not even in politics, so, like Obama, he has to deal with a mess that's been around for too long. Christie shows no understanding of the mess.

For Governor of Virginia: This blog endorses R. Creigh Deeds, the Democratic candidate, over Republican Bob McDonnell. Deeds, consistently behind in the polls, isn't likely to win, but he deserves my recommendation. While the economic and educational policies both candidates espouse are similar, Deeds gets my vote (or would, if I lived in Virginia) for several reasons. His transportation proposals, for example, would create a bipartisan commission to produce a comprehensive transportation plan for the state and raise money for it with taxes from Virginians. McDonnell, a tax increase opponent, wants to charge motorists tolls entering the state from North Carolina on Interstates 85 and 95, which is tantamount to paying an admission fee to get into Virginia. But these proposals are nothing compared to his energy policies; McDonnell would drill off the Virginia coast for oil and gas and support more coal production in addition to environmentally friendly energy sources, while Deeds would concentrate more exclusively on green energy.

But here are the biggest reasons I can't support McDonnell: He against renewing the order signed by outgoing Governor Tim Kaine banning discrimination against gays on the grounds that the order was illegal. He is also against a proposal to close a gun show loophole that allows firearms to infiltrate the streets in Northeastern cities. Deeds supports both.

For Mayor of New York City: This blog endorses independent Michael Bloomberg for a third term. Bill Thompson, the Democratic candidate and Bloomberg's biggest challenger, doesn't have a stellar record at education while the Bloomberg administration has helped push up grades and test scores. Also, New York City has been run more efficiently than any mayoral administration in recent memory, and it's produced obvious results. If Rudolph Giuliani cleaned up the city, Bloomberg has done a good job of keeping it clean, and without the fascism of his predecessor. The best reason to endorse him? He's cheap labor. He only makes a dollar a year as mayor. Bloomberg has been a very good bargain so far for the city at eight dollars.

On New Jersey Public Question #1: This blog endorses a "Yes" vote to acquire more open space. This endorsement is not based on costs, which are expected to be steep for this ballot initiative if it passes; it's based on common sense. New Jersey is already the most overbuilt state in the Union, and much of the development is spread out so much that it gobbles up more land than it should. In fact, a new senior housing complex is going up in Verona, New Jersey, in Essex County, where the population is actually decreasing. Why is Essex County, the only county in New Jersey without a state park, losing open space even as it's losing people? Because developers will build stuff we don't need just about anywhere. A "Yes" vote on this public question will save more land from those with an appetite for construction.

For West Caldwell, N.J. Town Council: This blog again endorses Robert Issetts, because a) he is a Democrat running to join an all-Republican council, and b) he's my neighbor. :-)

That's it for this election. Oh gosh, are the midterms coming up next year? See you then, in 2010.