The bullies in Camden, and the rot in the Democratic Party | Moran

March 24, 2024

First Lady Tammy Murphy says she is “proud of the overwhelming support” she received from Camden County Democrats at last weekend’s convention.

And that, in a nutshell, tells you why she is unfit to a U.S. Senator. Because the bullies in Camden set up a fake election to hand her the win, one that only Vladimir Putin could love.

And this time, there’s video. It shows five burly white men standing shoulder to shoulder to physically block a determined Latina woman running against Murphy, Patricia Campos-Medina, who wanted only a chance to speak for a few moments, to make her case to the delegates before they voted.

I bounced this off Julia Sass Rubin, the Rutgers professor who is a leader in the drive to kill the line and has done the definitive research showing that it’s usually decisive in primary campaigns. Is the real problem the line, or the rot in the party that we saw in Camden?

“It’s all of the above, not just the line,” she says.

But the line is at the root of it, she argues. It gives party bosses the power to be dictatorial, should they choose. It puts that temptation within reach.

“As long as the county line exists, it’s not realistic to expect reform,” she says. “It gives them the ability to control outcomes. So, there’s a huge incentive for a few people to take that power.”

Besides, she says, the notion that a small cabal of party elites gets to make this decision is offensive, even if they make good choices. “I don’t want a benevolent dictator telling me who the right candidates are for me,” Sass Rubin says.

This attempt to force Tammy Murphy down voters’ throats reminds us that the leaders of the Democratic Party have lost their way, that their dominance of state politics has corrupted them. And that goes beyond this race. We saw it when they tried to gut the state’s public records law earlier this month, bringing huge crowds to the Statehouse in protest, from lefty activists to the state Chamber of Commerce.

I keep thinking about the Roman dictator, Caligula. He lasted only four years before he was assassinated. This story is in dispute, but some historians say that came soon after he appointed his horse to the Roman Senate.

His arrogance hastened his downfall. Perhaps the bosses of the Democratic Party in New Jersey should give that history a fresh read.

NJ.com, March 24, 2024

Recent Posts

Prof. Toney and Lina Moe Named St. Louis Fed Fellows

St. Louis Fed Announces 2024-25 Institute for Economic Equity Research Fellows The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has announced a new cohort of nine research fellows selected to conduct research while in residence at the Institute for Economic Equity. “The...

Prof. Joel Cantor Reflects on Dr. Oz’s Nomination

Bracing for the Dr. Oz effect on health care Read the original post on NJ Spotlight News, November 21, 2024 The health insurance coverage for 3.5 million vulnerable New Jersey residents will be overseen by a cardiologist and former television personality known for...

The Virtues of Public Service with Bob Gordon

The Virtues of Public Service with Bob Gordon We return to our regularly scheduled EJB Talks this week with Bob Gordon, a Senior Policy Fellow who joined the Bloustein School earlier this year. Dean Shapiro asks Bob, a former New Jersey legislator and BPU...

Bhuyan Co-Authors New ABCD UrbanSat Study

Linking neuroimaging and mental health data from the ABCD Study to UrbanSat measurements of macro environmental factors Abstract Although numerous studies over the past decade have highlighted the influence of environmental factors on mental health, globally...

Listokin, Hughes, Edwards New Book: Rutgers Then and Now

Rutgers Then and Now Explores Transformation of Historic College Avenue Campus Over the Centuries See images from the book in the original post on Rutgers Today The book hitting shelves soon after the university’s charter day is the work of three longtime...

Upcoming Events

Event Series DEIB

Bloustein DEIB Committee Holiday Toy Drive

Bloustein School, Civic Square Building 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ, United States

The Bloustein School Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee invites you to participate in a Holiday Toy Drive benefitting the Harmony Family Success Center. Donate new, unwrapped toys for kids […]

Event Series CAREERS

Virtual Career Drop-ins

Virtual

Stop by virtually on Mondays (except for holidays) beginning September 9th through December 16th between 11 am and 1 pm to ask a quick (15 min) career-related question of Bloustein […]