Kevin O'Toole, Author at New Jersey Globe

The O’Toole Chronicles: RINO – What’s in a Name?

June 16, 2021 12:01 amJune 15, 2021 1:29 pm

Growing up as a mixed-race child in the 1970s, a lot of names were hurled in my direction. When I was younger, those names cut and hurt. As I got older, and my skin got thicker, they bothered me less...

The O’Toole Chronicles: In Need

June 10, 2021 12:01 amJune 9, 2021 8:29 pm

I was talking to my friend, Victor, the other day, and he told me that he was reaching out to a friend who had suffered a recent loss, a rather public defeat—which is a rare thing these days. Our conversation...

The O’Toole Chronicles: If You Could See What I Hear

June 1, 2021 12:01 amMay 31, 2021 7:28 pm

Back in the 1970s, I read a biographical book titled If You Could See What I Hear, and it has had a long-standing impact on me. The book tells the story of a rather free-spirited young man, who grew up...

The O’Toole Chronicles: Time To Say Goodbye

May 27, 2021 12:01 amMay 27, 2021 8:08 am

As I write this column, I am listening to Sarah Brightman singing the stunningly beautiful song, “Time to Say Goodbye.” Because we in the political world are creatures of suggestion, I suspect a number of readers will open their music apps,...

The O’Toole Chronicles: Politics of a Funeral

May 18, 2021 12:01 amMay 18, 2021 9:47 pm

Some politicians are famous for the amount of wakes/funerals/Shivas/Janazahs they attend. Former County Executive Tom D’Alessio was known for prolifically making the rounds at wakes, in particular. It got to the point that some days seemed like one prolonged campaign...

The O’Toole Chronicles: Captain’s Log 2.0

May 14, 2021 12:36 pmMay 14, 2021 12:53 pm

Pulling up to the State House after four years was a jaw-dropping experience. The stately building is a classic example of the American Renaissance style, with a soaring dome and rotunda bearing an inscription of the Latin phrase Fiat Justitia...

The O’Toole Chronicles: Captain’s Log, Planet Trenton

May 13, 2021 9:00 amMay 18, 2021 11:35 am

May 13, 2021, 9:00 a.m. — seas calm, winds favorable. The New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee has requested my appearance. It has been 1,521 days since I last testified before the Committee, and I look forward to it. My purpose is...