Except for my years in undergrad and law school, I have lived my whole life in NJ. Unless you are a multimillionaire like Corzine or Murphy (who are just as in the pocket for these industries -- they just didn't need them to win), any candidate running for a Congressional seat or governorship simply will not win with out the support of these industries. There will never be a Bernie Sanders populist elected from NJ -- the parties and the lobbiests will not allow it.

I voted for him in the special election and will continue to vote for him because Booker is the best we will ever get.

When the Telecom bubble burst in the early 2000's - I moved here for work.

There's a reason why Lance keeps getting elected - look at how much 'massaging' he does of big pharma.

But the good news is - Clinton won Lance's district - so we have a shot in 2018.

I agree - the new 'populism' falls flat - and it does not address the diversity of our state - and those issues that are brought about by our diversity.


Population by Races https://suburbanstats.org/population/how-many-people-live-in-new-jersey


Race Population % of Total
Total Population 8,791,894 100
White 6,029,248 68
Hispanic or Latino 1,555,144 17
Black or African American 1,204,826 13
Asian 725,726 8
Some Other Race 559,722 6
Two or More Races 240,303 2
American Indian 29,026 Below 1%
Three or more races 16,542 Below 1%
Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander 3,043 Below 1%
Native Hawaiian 674 Below 1%


Cory reflects us - and like you - I'm proud to have cast my vote twice. If they dont' want him on the national stage . . . that's fine. But I'm against anyone who is against our largest industries. I refuse to vote for that person.

Have you seen how ridiculous Kim G's lawn signs look yet? It seems like her slogan is "better" but the font is small and it looks like the slogan is "butter".

Unfortunately, I live in the 4th district in a town that leans heavily Republican do to the demographic, so I have to see a lot of Trump/Pence and now Kim G signs.

I ended up on her mailing list! I've gotten two letters begging for money from her!

My husband is an artist / sculptor but can 'paint' and 'draw' if necessary. He's going to make me a 'Party First' yard sign in wood with a donkey kicking it's hind legs this weekend.

I don't want 'those people' knocking on our door!

There is a high likelihood that it would be ran over by some guy with a pickup with confederate flags and Trump bumper stickers if I put that sign up in my yard, but I do like your idea.

It is a good thing she has next to no chance of winning especially
when Murphy points out that she is Christie's lieutenant governor - - since she is trying like hell to make it seem that she is not a Republican that works for Christie.

And they would be running that pick up truck onto the former home of a beloved state Republican leader. A house Reagan used to visit regularly. I take pride in my Democratic flair!

Kim Loves Chris!

...Chris Christie is not associated with her.

Between me and you - whomever wins the nomination next week takes it all.

Last stats I saw (Saturday?) show it Murphy 1st, Johnson 2nd, and Wisniewski 3rd.

My preference is for Murphy but I would vote for any of the three.

But, whoever wins will be good for NJ. That said, Murphy has such a lead on the other candidates and has the bulk of the endorsements that I know he will win.

After that, it will be a landslide for Murphy.

None of the Democrats you mention are "in the pocket for these industries".

that Booker stands up for his upper middle class constituency (although that strategy failed us in the 2016 presidential race).

No doubt it has worked in the past for keeping a (D) in that seat.

No doubt that he is a model for the pragmatic wing of the party.

We just need to quit blowing smoke about him being a "progressive" and say that pragmatists are as welcome in our party as progressives (and, just maybe, QUIT saying that progressives are not equally as welcome).

How about that?

grew up with, and works with on a daily basis, our brothers and sisters who are indeed "poor folks" that your lack of regard for those who have not achieved your success is astounding.

By "lack of regard" I point specifically to your comment that people who demand that people of color receive JUSTICE instead of merely "opportunity" are advocating a "pat them on the head and throw them a bone" approach. What we are actually saying is that what you accuse us of advocating is exactly what incrementalist and centrists gave us for decades and are still giving us now. What we demand is IMMEDIATE jobs, directly from the government if necessary, not trickle down handouts to corporations that NEVER build in our communities. What we demand is the IMMEDIATE cessation of the war on people of color that goes by the name "the criminal justice system." What we demand is the IMMEDIATE rebuilding of our homes, our infrastructure, and our communities, directly by the government if necessary. Do I need to go on, because I can? Quite frankly, we don't care if it takes money directly out of the pocket of the wealthy, the corporations, the drug companies, etc. because the ONLY reason they have it now is because they stole it from us in the first place.

Booker is your Senator because people like you have forgotten about the people I see every day and the people who are privileged enough to have those great jobs Cory has indeed helped bring to New Jersey never knew us in the first place. As I have said over and over, that is a good thing because a (D) is a (D). If I were a resident of New Jersey, I would vote for him every day and twice on Sunday because I cannot agree more with the pragmatists when they say that our demands mean nothing to Republicans. Like you, I am not willing to give back even one inch. In addition, it's great that some of the people who look like me (and even me, myself) have overcome.

But if you think for a second that Corey Booker "stands with" those who haven't overcome when he backs Big Pharma, or charter schools, or any of the rest of the centrist agenda, OR that they vote for him because they "adore" him when he does so, I must respectfully disagree.

That's why we won't sit down and shut up.

Go read my history in the AfAm Group - you made a lot of judgments about me being everything but 'uppity'.

You have no idea the depth and level of my activism in the black community.

And until you have personally spoken with him about these things -

"But if you think for a second that Corey Booker "stands with" those who haven't overcome when he backs Big Pharma, or charter schools, or any of the rest of the centrist agenda, OR that they vote for him because they "adore" him when he does so, I must respectfully disagree. "


You don't know the man. You don't know him.

And - most important - you have NEVER canvassed with me (not hidden behind a cell phone out in a square state) in Newark, Elizabeth, or Camden. He is us. WE are him. WE rub shoulders in NJ.

There are over 1 million of us - and we are 'together'.

"Now why would a bunch of non 'poor folk' minorities . . ."

Okay you identify with the "non-poor" group, you talk about your job in the telcom industry, you talk about "prosperity" for big corporations and then take offense when someone responds based on that?

What's more, for the second time, you disrespect me as a person of color (claiming I practically called you "uppity" when you know what that means AFTER you already pulled that "are you saying all black people are poor" sh** just for standing up those of us who aren't).

In both instances what you didn't do is tell us how those who are in the "poor" group of people who look like us benefit from the policies of the "pro-prosperity" branch of our party OTHER THAN what I've repeatedly conceded is the substantial benefit of having a Democrat in the Senate instead of a Republican.

So tell me, last week I met with a chronic who was fighting to feed her kids after her husband got 7 years (85% fed sentence) even after an 11(c)(1)(c), what does support for Big Pharma-which yes is great for some-do for her?

to represent a State.

and the place was not at all what I expected. AT&T, ITT, Bell Labs, Bellcore, RCA Labs, the enormous general aviation industry at Morristown and Teterboro airports...

And then there's Mars' headquarters and candy factory, Sony US HQ, Mercedes US HQ, and a whole bunch of others... Drug companies were rapidly moving international HQs and research labs to NJ.

Exxon and a bunch of others moved to snow-free Texas, AT&T is a bare shadow of what it once was, other electronic research operations have taken off or downsized, and who knows how many tiny companies (like ours) disappeared in the changes, but it's still big money over there and it is not a one-industry state.

And although the state was the most congested polluted in the country, it had places of incomparable raw beauty.

I remember Booker starting out in Newark when Newark was one of the crookedest cities in the country, if not the planet. Everyone knew he had to make deals to avoid getting shot, much less winning elections, but there was something about him that excited you. At least as much as you could be excited about Newark politics. If he could rise in that atmosphere with out auctioning his soul, he was one serious badass.

So, clueless wankers demanding Booker swear to a purity contract should really stop making fools of themselves.

To connect to 287 - Branchburg, Bridgewater, Whitehouse, Somerville -

202 is one Telcom supplier, pharma co, and finance co after another. Now I'm starting to see cosmetics out here - think Symrise the frangrance supplier.

Not for nothing - but it's a living you know?

the concrete business was booming.

202? I got into a fenderbender in the Raritan Circle after they "fixed" it. Have they fixed it again, or is it still a patented Joisey deathrap?

They are 'fixing' it again.

I never drive the circle. Never. The 'small one' yes - but the big one?

No way jose! Especially with all of the fixing? No way. Remember Tirpoks cleaners? Caught fire on Realville a few weeks ago - circle was shut down even the next day as a result!

most people I know have enough trouble getting their heads around jughandles. The circle is almost impossible to describe, and the terror entering it has to be experienced to be believed.

The only one worse was one Rome where there were no rules at all.

And Cory as well. There are a lot of naive people in the world of politics, and a ton of people who view the world through tunnel vision. All of our Senators represent state-wide constituents, and they won't be elected if they can't or won't work for what is best for the broad population. Further, prosperity of the state cannot be achieved by ignoring the corporations and people who fill the coffers. Having everyone in NJ on a bread line won't solve anything. I've known you on DU for a long time, and your passion fighting for the rights of everyone is indefatigable. For anyone to suggest that your own relative prosperity blinds you to the needs of others is absurd.

that when Booker is reported as having "taken" funds from various industries, all that means is that his donors are EMPLOYEES of those industries. (You have to report the name of your employer every time you give a couple hundred dollars to a candidate.) And since NJ is headquarters for the pharma industry, and a major bedroom community for ordinary people who work in NYC financial firms, OF COURSE he is listed as getting a lot of donations from these groups.

And he does. From the INDIVIDUALS who are employed in those industries. So everyone from a bank teller at Chase to a VP at Goldman Sachs gets lumped into the same category.

But a lot of these posts lot of it gets driven by news articles with shocking headlines (designed to drive up 'sharing' and 'clicks') - So any tenuous link that can be exploited towards that end is made use of.

Hopefully things will quieten down and this negative stuff will go away.