New Jerseyans aren’t always civil, but it’s still possible for a liberal Democrat and a conservative Republican to have a rational and pleasant conversation about politics in the state. Dan Bryan is a former senior advisor to Gov. Phil Murphy and is now the owner of his own public affairs firm, and Alex Wilkes is an attorney and former executive director of America Rising PAC who advises Republican candidates in New Jersey and across the nation, including the New Jersey GOP. She is currently the campaign manager for Curtis Bashaw’s U.S. Senate race. Dan and Alex are both experienced strategists who are currently in the room where high-level decisions are made. They will get together weekly with New Jersey Globe editor David Wildstein to discuss politics and issues.
Based on what you’ve read or heard, how is Bob Menendez’s federal corruption trial going for New Jersey’s senior U.S. Senator?
Alex Wilkes: Well, first, I just want to cue the Curb music for the several fiascos that led to the jurors being trapped in an elevator and prompting a week-long delay. Just when you thought this thing couldn’t become more of a circus, you were wrong!
I think when it comes to the dueling trials taking place in lower Manhattan, the coverage of President Trump’s is far exceeding anything we’re likely to hear about Bob Menendez and the cash stuffed in his shoes. And it’s kind of crazy when you think about it because like all of the other Trump cases, the prosecution’s case in the hush money trial is turning out to be another dog.
Bottom line: in the short-term, the timing here could really work out for Bob’s own political prospects—and his son’s primary campaign, in particular.
Dan Bryan: I agree with Alex – President Trump’s trial is overshadowing Senator Menendez’s, to a point. (Side note: what an awful time for American politics. My God.)
I think it’s notable, though, the extent to which neither case is garnering all that much coverage. Talking to a journalist at a prominent national outlet this week, I heard the Menendez coverage is getting very little traffic. I think that’s likely a side effect of not having cameras in the courtroom – if they were, I think we’d see wall to wall coverage. But reading daily recaps of the day’s events in court feels far less dramatic.
The special Democratic primary for the remaining months of Donald Payne’s term in Congress has quickly become quite a spectacle, with nominating petitions facing challenges as to their legitimacy. You only need 200 valid signatures to get on the ballot, so why is this so hard?
Dan: I think, to be generous, we can chalk it up to young people getting involved in politics to an extent they haven’t before. Council President McIver has never run for federal office, and those around her have never set up a federal campaign. So although there’s no excuse for misrepresentations, I think there does need to be some leeway for a lack of experience.
It’s a good reminder for everyone in politics – often, the problem isn’t the issue itself, it’s the work someone did to cover up the issue. If Council President McIver had filed incorrectly but quickly noticed and remedied it, I don’t think many in the press would have cared. But the back and forth about who collected petitions, and who signed for who, gave the New Jersey press corps a story to talk about for weeks.
Alex: Honestly, I’ve found in our business that there are a decent number of hucksters selling “cheat codes” to campaigns for basic voter contact and organizing, so it doesn’t surprise me so much that a ridiculous scheme like this exists. What does always shock me is the lack of common sense – and regardless of who said what to whom, the candidate is ultimately at fault.
Ballot access is the bare minimum responsibility for any campaign, and any candidate or advisor who is sold on some kind of end-run for this threshold requirement—particularly when it involves getting just 200 signatures—needs to ask themselves why they wanted to get into the race in the first place.
Rob Menendez has a new TV ad alleging that Ravi Bhalla “wants to run against my father because he’s scared to run against me.” Seems like something he needed to do. How do you handicap his race — and how helpful is it to Congressman Menendez that Senator Menendez’s trial is getting a week off so close to Election Day?
Alex: I thought it was objectively a great ad—subtle, but high production value with a simple message. Menendez looked poised for a fight, and the tone and substance clearly put Bhalla on the defensive. I can’t say I agree with either man politically, so I don’t really have a dog in this fight, but what is at the heart of Bhalla’s campaign except for opportunism? Is this a challenge the Mayor would have really sought if Gold Bar Bob hadn’t been front page news last fall? No one likes seeing someone kicked when they’re down, and to that end, I think the Menendez campaign is forcing Bhalla to make a real closing argument—one that doesn’t involve trashing your opponent’s dad.
Dan: Alex is right – it’s a great ad. And that’s no surprise given the firm that produced it, Message and Media, has been winning competitive races in New Jersey since before Alex and I were born.
I also agree that Mayor Bhalla’s campaign should spend these next few weeks talking about what they’re for, rather than what they’re against. I did see him come out strongly for Medicare for All, which was a smart play and seemingly strikes a substantive contrast with Congressman Menendez. He should build on that, rather than continuing to attack the Congressman for the sins of his father.
A political campaign where the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court won re-election against a former congressman who made abortion into a campaign issue. Does watching a judicial campaign like this make you believe New Jersey got it right in not electing judges?
Dan: I think New Jersey has it right. Whenever I travel to other states in election season, I find it odd and gross that judges have to campaign for their positions. Don’t we want them making their decisions based on the law, rather than the latest political trends? And do we really want judges raising money, making campaign ads, and worrying about their job security rather than focusing on their job?
Alex: Despite the disastrous Murphy-Scutari record in confirming judges, I do still believe our state should follow the federal model and not put the judiciary on the ballot. The people of our state already have a voice through representation in the legislature and the direct election of our executive (not that the current leadership represents us all that well). The judiciary functions best, in my opinion, when it is able to interpret the law impartially, free from partisan distractions.