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 Endorsements 2020

Oh, good grief, it's that time of the year again, where I make endorsements with select election campaigns throughout the country.  Quite frankly, I don't know why I do this every year, because I could count the Republicans I've endorsed on this blog in recent elections on zero fingers.  Nevertheless, there are some Democrats I'm particularly interested in seeing win on November 3, and I want to highlight their various candidacies.  So here I go:

For President of the United States: This blog endorses Joe Biden.  Was there any doubt?  Not only will he effectively crush COVID-19 and end the pandemic in America, he'll rebuild our economy and infrastructure.  Also, there are all of these other reasons that I stipulated on this blog back in November 2019.

For U.S. Senate, Arizona: This blog endorses Mark Kelly, a true man of integrity with a record of service to our country as an astronaut and a real American hero.  Incumbent Republican senator Martha McSally is a conservative hack.

For U.S. Senate, North Carolina:  This blog endorses Cal Cunningham.  Because not only is he a nice guy, I believe that truthfully admitting to an extramarital affair and apologizing for it is far better than downplaying COVID-19 and then getting infected with it and acting like it's no big deal, which is what happened to Cunningham's opponent, Republican incumbent senator Thom Tillis.

For U.S. Senate, Maine: This blog endorses Sara Gideon.  I've heard rumors of both Trump and Biden showing cognitive disorder, but I would have to guess that there is something wrong with incumbent U.S. Senator Susan Collins' ability to think critically when she thinks Trump has been humbled by his impeachment and when she votes for Supreme Court nominees like Brett Kavanaugh.

For U.S. House of Representatives, Florida, 23rd U.S. House District: Incumbent Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz was challenged by progressive Democratic opponent Jen Perelman, a noted supporter of Bernie Sanders, Medicare for all and the Green New Deal, in the district primary but won renomination anyway.  This blog endorses Jen Perelman as a write-in candidate.  Because I can't stand Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

For U.S. Senate, Arkansas:  Incumbent Republican Senator Tom Cotton's only opponent in his bid for re-election is a Libertarian candidate, Ricky Dale Harrington Jr.  This blog endorses Ricky Dale Harrington, Jr.  Because even a Libertarian who wants to reduce government to just the military and the post office is preferable to Tom Cotton.

For U.S. Senate, Alabama: This blog endorses Doug Jones for a full six-year term.  No, he's probably not going to win, but he's a decent guy and he deserves a full term.

For U.S. Senate, Kentucky: This blog endorses Amy McGrath.  Because she's running against Mitch McConnell.  The end.

For Township Council, West Caldwell, New Jersey: I live in West Caldwell, though I will never reveal my exact address here.  Anyway, this blog endorses Jessica Almeida and Christy Lazarow, the first two Democrats running for the all-Republican West Caldwell Township Council in years.  They're running to bring more transparency to municipal government and redevelop the township to make it look more like a real town, with walkable streets and a real downtown area, than the ad hoc collection of suburban development pods it currently is.  And NJ 11th For Change, the local liberal-activist group in my U.S. House district, endorses them for the same reasons.

For U.S. House of Representatives, New Jersey, 11th U.S. House District:  This blog endorses incumbent Democrat Mikie Sherrill for her commitment to reinstating the federal state and local tax deduction  and preserving the Affordable Care Act. 

This is Mikie Sherrill.

Not to be confused with Janet Evans, the Olympic swimmer she bears a resemblance to. 😃

For U.S. House of Representatives, California, 48th U.S. House District:  Although I think Janet Evans, my Olympic heartthrob, is a smart cookie who would make a great congresswoman, she's not a political person.  Therefore, this blog endorses her current congressman, Harley Rouda, because, well, he's a Democrat. 

And that's it.  Now go and vote . . . if you haven't already.

Election Endorsements 2017

Election Day is less than a week away, and I am glad to see it come . . . and go. The gubernatorial race in my home state of New Jersey is heating up, and I can't bear the heat - all of those insults between Phil Murphy and Kim Guadagno are annoying me.  Many voters are hoping that New Jersey will be a more decent place after Chris Christie leaves office in January, and in fact it will already be a more decent place this time next week, because the election campaign will be over. 

So there are four major elections this year - the aforementioned New Jersey gubernatorial election, the Virginia  gubernatorial election, the New York City mayoral election, and the special U.S. Senate election in Alabama on December 12.  I will not be making an endorsement in the New York City mayoral election; I don't really know enough about the issues in the city to weigh in on it, especially given the October-surprise corruption charges against Mayor Bill de Blasio, and besides, how many sophisticated, serious, worldly New Yorkers are going to take seriously the unformed opinions of a suburban Essex County bridge-and-tunnel rube like me? So here are my endorsements for the other races:

For governor of New Jersey:  This blog enthusiastically endorses Democrat Phil Murphy.  A lot of folks are annoyed at the idea of a rich man swooping into the Democratic Party and cornering the nomination, but I suspect that these same people would have rejected Franklin Roosevelt for President in 1932 because he was an aristocrat.  Murphy grew up poor and had to put his way through college, so he knows what it's like to struggle. So, unfortunately, do a lot of New Jerseyans, thanks to Chris Christie and his lieutenant governor, Republican gubernatorial nominee Kim Guadagno.  Murphy, like Trump is a rich guy who says that insider politicians can't fix the messes they've created.  But unlike Trump, who once said, "I alone can fix this," Murphy says that while insider politicians can't fix things, "together, we can."  "Together." "We."  That's all you need to know about how Murphy would be different from Trump or Christie.

For governor of Virginia:  This blog endorses Democrat Ralph Northam.  He has made it clear that he will be a fair governor who will work for everyone, while Republican opponent Ed Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee chairman, has demonstrated with equal clarity that he will only work for those who vote for him.  Just like Trump.  Also, Gillespie is kind of creepy.  I hope his pledge to preserve Confederate monuments in Virginia has the adverse effect of increasing black voter turnout.

For U.S. Senate, Alabama: This blog endorses Democrat G. Douglas Jones. Jones supports quality affordable health care as a right, a first-class education for all children, protecting the right to vote, and working to slow or hopefully reverse the impact of climate change.  Meanwhile, Roy Moore, his reactionary Republican opponent, is . . . f--king nuts!  F--king nuts!  

Those are my endorsements for 2017.  No go out and vote on Tuesday, November 7 . . . or on Tuesday, December 12 if you're an Alabama resident.  And remember  - all general elections are on Tuesdays.  Don't miss 'em. 

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.