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.

Advice to the incumbent

David Rebovich, the Rider University profressor, offers his thoughts on Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign visit to New Jersey the other day.

While, for me, the visit was unimportant, he offers what I think is an important suggestion to the Menendez campaign, one that I think could allow the senator to grow some distance between himself and the challenger, state Sen. Tom Kean Jr The issues would seem to favor the incumbent — aside from New Jersey corruption — but he remain in a close race with a candidate with high name recognition.

Menendez himself needs to realize that he can help his own candidacy in the last few weeks of the campaign by focusing on his and his party’s positive messages. New Jerseyans have heard enough of the negatives already. As Senator Obama’s visit demonstrated, people here will respond to someone who talks about vision and about a purposeful platform.

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

Watching the game, 6

I’m losing faith. I can’t help it. I am.

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

Watching the game, 5

I just put my Mets jersey back on — I’ve been wearing a Mets jersey or t-shirt every game day since the playoffs began. I got home tonight in the middle of the first, carrying some Chinese food and the bags from the story and realized that the General Tso’s had spilled on it. I took it off and was going to put some prewash on it, but forgot.

Just realized it was there. Maybe it will help the bats. Darren Oliver is doing well, though.

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

Watching the game, 4

After last night, I really wasn’t sure if I wanted to blog this game. I’m not feeling very bloggish right now. But Oliver did get through one.

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

Watching the game, 3

Two-out triple by Reyes leads to nothing. The old pessimism is boiling over — have the wheels fallen off? It’s still early but we have to keep the Cards from doing more damage.

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