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. 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.
New Jersey Globe: News 12 announced 30 layoffs this week, with eight in New Jersey, including Alex Zdan. How does letting go of one of the state’s top political reporters give “as local as local news gets?”
Alex Wilkes: Ok, let’s be honest here. Whenever there are massive media layoffs, we often see people expressing their outrage and sympathies simply because that’s the nice and polite thing to do under the circumstances – not necessarily because we’ve lost some stellar reporting. This is different. When I read this news, I cannot even convey how deeply sad I felt both for Alex, who has been a true professional in his work, and our state.
What a complete disservice News12 has done to its viewers. It’s obviously the network’s prerogative to choose their own programming, but to pretend that they don’t bear any responsibility to the community they serve is short-sighted and wrong. They have to know – as we do – that Alex is one of the last tough, unbiased, and responsive journalists here. Without him, there is virtually no one to ask our leaders the important questions from week to week.
I know that there are more seasoned observers than I to offer why New Jersey faces a particularly acute deficit when it comes to local media, but some days it really just floors me. I’ve done work in media markets a fraction of our size that have five Alex Zdans and papers whose opinions and reporting can move mountains. I don’t know what the solution is here, but man, this just sucks for all of us.
Dan Bryan: I couldn’t agree with Alex more. I work in other media markets that have millions less people (and far less wealth), yet they have dedicated and more robust media ecospheres. Every time I go to Vermont, a state with fewer residents than Bergen County, I’m floored by the fact that they have their own thriving public radio network, independent public television network, and a series of daily independent newspapers throughout the state covering important local issues.
I can’t fathom why News12 would let Zdan go if they want to be taken seriously as a New Jersey news source. Alex is a fearless questioner, and on Power and Politics he asked tough, relevant questions to those in the highest ranks in our state. We didn’t always agree (OK, we rarely agreed), but I always respected him. I’m glad to see Eric Landskroner ably fill in on Power and Politics moving forward, but Alex will be missed.
News12 is being hit with the same consolidation and cost cutting as so many other media companies in New Jersey. Our media ecosphere, already anemic, is now approaching irrelevance. That’s bad news for nine million New Jerseyans who deserve far, far better.
NJ Globe: The U.S. House of Representatives deposed its Speaker this week for the first time in U.S. history. New Jersey’s election is five weeks away – will the drama in Washington and the departure of Kevin McCarthy play a role in who New Jerseyans in swing districts support of the state legislature?
Dan: It certainly shines a spotlight on the out-of-control nuclear disaster that is the modern-day national Republican party. For the first time in our history, the House of Representatives has removed a Speaker. McCarthy wasn’t a great Speaker by any means, but I don’t believe he did anything more or less than anyone in his position could accomplish, given a tenuous hold on his volatile caucus and a slim majority.
In my opinion, though, the story is less about McCarthy than it is about the extreme far-right lunatics that drive the Republican party in Washington. Congressman Matt Gaetz (R – Sex Criminal) led a revolt against McCarthy for no clear reason other than self promotion, and with no endgame in mind. Republicans are now picking between two far less ideal candidates in Steve Scalise, who reportedly calls himself “David Duke without the baggage,” and Jim Jordan, a man accused of ignoring and covering up systematic sexual abuse at Ohio State.
I can’t imagine a worse-case scenario for Republicans going into 2024.
Alex: I honestly don’t think so for a few reasons.
First, this internecine fight may have been completely asinine, but it was one that was driven by a personal score – not ideology. And to the extent those personalities matter here, Kevin McCarthy routinely earned high marks among Republicans of all persuasions in public polling (also, I might be mistaken, but I don’t think I’ve missed a massive Matt Gaetz voter base in my time here). In short, I don’t think either Congressman is going to significantly ramp up or depress turnout for us.
Second, I have genuinely seen more of a focus this year on New Jersey-specific issues, like electrification mandates, cost of living, parental notification, and offshore wind, rather than a preoccupation with national figures and stories. I would imagine that Biden’s historically low marks might be of concern for Democrats worried about turning out their own base and animating the other side, but whoever is President will always factor into voters’ minds. Truthfully, in terms of Washington figures who might have an impact on this race, I think the Menendez situation, with its ability to generate continuous news cycles specific to New Jersey, is much worse for Democrats than two feuding, out-of-state Congressmen are for us.
Finally, if the argument is simply that there will be an uprising against generalized “chaos in Washington,” voters already think Washington is out-of-control, but with historic inflation and an open southern border, I think they blame Dan’s team (at least for this year).
NJ Globe: The New Jersey Globe reported this week that Joe Viso, the Republican candidate for State Assembly in the 36th district, has a long history of drug and gun convictions, and severe personal financial problems – and I took no pleasure in writing this –and a guilty plea for criminal mischief for spreading fecal matter on the doors of a daycare center following a dispute with a local business owner. Do political parties need to do a better job vetting candidates, or does it just not matter anymore?
Alex: Definitely. What’s the point of an organizational line otherwise?
Dan: It’s hard to believe he got his party’s nomination. He serves as a massive black eye to the state GOP, as they limp into the midterm elections with no cohesive message, a weak ground game, and underwhelming fundraising. These elections will be tough, no question, but not because the NJ GOP is doing anything right.
In lieu of vetting from the state press, which now barely even covers competitive districts, party leaders must step up and ensure an embarrassment like Viso doesn’t make it on the ballot.
NJ Globe: This is a fundraising question in two parts: Andy Kim raised $1 million in his first week as a candidate for the U.S. Senate. Does showing his fundraising chops early, especially if it continues, make him even more formidable in the primary? Does Steve Fulop’s early fundraising success validate his decision to enter the 2025 gubernatorial race as early as he did? And if I can sneak one more question in: what would Jeff Van Drew’s entrance into the Senate race mean?
Dan: It always makes sense to start early and put some resources into your campaign. Look no further than Phil Murphy’s first campaign for Governor, when he announced more than a full year before the primary and immediately put serious resources into his campaign accounts. Neither of those are the only reasons he won the nomination, but both helped. If you can start early, you should.
Jeff Van Drew’s entrance into the Senate race would mean Tim Alexander, a phenomenal candidate, would have a real shot at flipping CD-2 from red to blue next year, especially if the Republican at the top of the ticket is an active federal inmate. It also ensures the Senate debates will include at least one tri-pointed pocket square, en route to a routine double-digit loss for the Republican nominee in November.
Alex: I think for both Kim and Fulop, the early money is undoubtedly impressive, but a few thoughts here.
I can’t say I’ve done an in-depth analysis (to the extent it’s even yet publicly available), but it matters what kind of money it is under the respective rules. Essentially, can each go back to the well for additional contributions in future quarters when the competition tightens, and the campaign apparatus expands, or have they maxed out their low-hanging fruit? In the case of Kim, did he simply meet the apex of the news cycle with Menendez or will successive stories, like the 2018 tragedy and potential coverup that came out this week, generate even more dollars?
I would imagine for both men that the entry of other competitors also looms large. For Fulop, you have to be looking at Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer’s notable passes on the Senate primary with some sense of dread given their own demonstrated fundraising prowess and national base of donors. And for Kim, he must know that the Murphy family money has the power to turn him from an MSNBC celebrity who captured the post-Trump zeitgeist to a forgotten suit hanging in the Smithsonian.
Finally, Congressman Van Drew would make a better statewide leader than the lot of them together and then some. Think it couldn’t happen? Both Republicans and Democrats have aimed the heavy artillery at him for years, and they haven’t been able to make a dent. He speaks with a clear, authentic voice that can move both parties.
The resignation of Billy Eppler as general manager of the New York Mets creates another vacancy. Dan, if you had to make a choice, would you rather have Chris Christie as the President of the United States or the GM of the Mets? Then Alex can plug the Phillies.
Dan: Give him this: Governor Christie is a true, die-hard Mets fan. Since we don’t agree on politics (or almost anything else, for that matter), I’ll say Mets GM without hesitation.
But I would like to take this opportunity to wish Billy Eppler a fond farewell from Queens. I’ll miss so much about Billy Eppler. I’ll miss his condescending, nonsensical explanations to the press. I’ll miss his disastrous roster constructions. I’ll miss all of his aging, overpriced free agents. Most of all, though, I’ll miss how he tried to run the Mets’ best position player of all time, Pete Alsonso, out of town.
So sorry to see you leave, Billy. If anyone in Phillies or Yankees ownership is reading this, please, take a chance on Billy Eppler and bring him into your front office.
Alex: “Plug the Phillies” Like I’m some candidate with a dopey end-of-quarter solicitation? David, that’s a pretty ungenerous way to reference an NLDS-bound team with the most incredible fans in the world. It’s ok though. ♫ No one likes us, we don’t care. ♫
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December 1, 2022 -
