As the campaign turns

David Rebovich offers an interesting appraisal of the mudslinging match between Democrat Robert Menendez and Republican Tom Kean Jr., outlining the strategic imperatives behind the race, but pointing out the difficulties that both candidates will have as this race moves forward.

The issues boil down to whether the Democrat can avoid being labeled a pit boss or being considered too liberal or too urban, and whether the rich and inexperienced Kean can avoid being tarred by his own questionable background and his philosophical ties to a president who is more than mildly unpopular in New Jersey.

Right now, I’d bet on Menendez being able to ride this thing out — Democrats have a natural momentum in New Jersey these days and he has escaped, so far anyway, the fallout from the budget shutdown and anger over property taxes.

But, much will depend on what happens over the next few months.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie. View all posts by hankkalet