New Jersey College Democrats' Response to the Failure of S.1967

the next generation of Democrats.... (0.00 / 0)

....scratching their head at the new incoming leadership.

It's a pity.

Jay_Lass on Twitter.

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by: Jay Lassiter @ Fri Jan 08, 2010 at 18:00:01 PM CST

QOTD?? (4.00 / 1)

Brian Block, President of the TCNJ College Democrats.

"I can only find solace in the fact that the next generation of Democrats, which overwhelmingly support marriage equality, will not balk at the opportunity to confer civil rights on their fellow citizens."

Jay_Lass on Twitter.

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by: Jay Lassiter @ Fri Jan 08, 2010 at 18:01:10 PM CST

what this statement didn't say (1.00 / 2)

Until marriage equality legislation passes, no member of the New Jersey College Democrats will seek employment with or volunteer for the New Jersey Democratic State Committee or any Democratic candidate who does not publicly support marriage equality.

Going forward, we will focus the bulk of our efforts on supporting the efforts of primary challengers of elected officials and county committee members who have either publicly stated their opposition to marriage equality or have hidden behind the party's arcane protocols.

I guess that it is too much to expect College Democrats to make a real stand against the Democratic establishment and put their necks on the chopping block, especially during the current economic climate, particularly when it remains to be seen if anyone is serious about taking on any of the people who failed to do the right thing when they had the opportunity to do so.

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by: rachael'sdad @ Fri Jan 08, 2010 at 23:19:37 PM CST

What are you doing about it... (4.00 / 1)

...other than going on diaries of people you don't know and lashing out at them for not doing enough?  

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by: Scott Weingart @ Sat Jan 09, 2010 at 00:24:09 AM CST

[ Parent ]

not doing enough? (1.00 / 1)

If anybody was doing anything, they would be doing enough, but the only thing that I have seen on this site is a lot of bitching and moaning about the vote, but nobody is standing up and putting their neck on the chopping block and taking a stand against the Democratic Senators who voted against the marriage equality bill or abstained.

At the moment, my Senator (Scutari) and Assemblypersons (Green and Stender) are public supporters of marriage equality.  However, if my town of Dunellen were to be redistricted into Kip Bateman's or Tom Kean Jr.'s district, and there was nobody better willing to take him on in 2011, I would be more than happy to do it.  Until then, all I can do is nudge those who are in a position to do more to do so.

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by: rachael'sdad @ Sat Jan 09, 2010 at 02:14:46 AM CST

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rachael'sdad - peddle that somewhere else (0.00 / 0)

The marriage equality movement is full of young people.  

And behind its leadership are people getting ready to step up and take the ball. Disparage them if you want - I don't think you have a leg to stand on - but don't do it here. You're not in a position to pass judgment on the people who frequent this site.


It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.  

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by: Rosi Efthim @ Sat Jan 09, 2010 at 09:02:03 AM CST

[ Parent ]

passing judgment (0.00 / 0)

Passing judgment, whether it be on elected officials or party leaders or anybody of consequence is something that happens on a daily basis here.  Why is it wrong for us to look inwards and question whether or not there is anything behind our tough talk?

I think that it is fine that the College Democrats took it upon themselves to express their disappointment with their elected officials, but what does it mean if a year from now, they are volunteering or working for those same elected officials that disappointed them?

And if you look at the third paragraph of what I initially wrote, you will see that I don't expect them to go out on a limb over this issue when it doesn't appear as if anybody else was willing to do so.  I would go out on a limb right now if there was one for me to go out on, but I don't live in any of the Democratic 9's districts.  Prove me wrong if you want, but I am willing to bet that six months from now, nobody here is going to be talking about marriage equality or the Democratic 9 or 2011 primary challenges anymore.

We are going to be talking about protecting John Adler's Congressional seat, despite the fact that he hasn't done a damn thing to deserve being re-elected since being elected, and by moving from Trenton to DC, cost the marriage equality movement a much needed vote in the Senate as the person who replaced him, James Beach, your Facebook friend, chose to abstain.

And when we are not talking about John Adler, we will be talking about Scott Garrett, Leonard Lance, and other Republican incumbents who we don't have a chance in hell of beating.  We'll talk about the 2010 midterm elections until we are blue in the face and they will come and go without our words having much of an impact at all as the Democrats will keep or lose its majority based primarily on races that take place in the other 49 states.

And after a year has passed and nothing has been done to prepare for the 2011 legislative elections, the new legislative district map will be announced with little to no input from the progressive community and the Democratic 9, including but not limited to John Girgenti (unless Hawthorne and Paterson remain in the same district and Nellie Pou finally gets up the nerve to take him on), will most likely run unopposed in the June 2011 primaries.

Aside from the fact that I do not have much faith in a judicial challenge of civil unions, another problem that it creates is other than asking for money for Lambda Legal, it doesn't create opportunities for the organization and mobilization that are still needed, but most likely won't happen within the progressive community without a cause celebre to rally around.

Prove me wrong, Rosi.  If there is anybody here who can do it, it is you.  Ask the State Committeepersons from Hunterdon County to nominate you for NJDSC Chair or Vice-Chair.  Run on the platform that you have linked to your signature.  Or in lieu of that, help create a New Jersey Progressive Democratic State Committee that is committed to establishing a progressive issues agenda and recruiting candidates for all elected offices that will implement this issues agenda.  Give the College Democrats who you champion an alternate route to leadership than volunteering or working for the Democratic establishment, which trains them to get along by going along.  Or you can continue to take the easy route by talking a good game about progressive values while also continuing to support the Democratic establishment.  You can also censor me if you want.  Nobody is going to stop you.

Nathan Rudy once told me that back in the day, Charlotte DeFillippo used to be a progressive who talked a good game about challenging the Democratic establishment until she became a part of it.  Now she is just a cog in the wheel.  You can be much better than that if you want.  You have all of the resources and tools at your disposal.  The only thing that remains to be seen is whether or not you have the will to do so.  I want to believe that you do.

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by: rachael'sdad @ Sat Jan 09, 2010 at 12:54:18 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Now it's Charlotte? Please! (0.00 / 0)

The Union County Board of Freeholders unanimously supported marriage equality--I believe they were the only Freeholder Board to do so.  Charlotte has been a supporter of marriage equality from the get-go.

Bertin, we all have to learn to focus and not bring up irrelevancies.

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."  (Teddy Roosevelt)

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by: DottieG @ Sat Jan 09, 2010 at 13:53:08 PM CST

[ Parent ]

was not referring to her position on marriage equality (0.00 / 0)

But anybody who remembers what Charlotte did to Maryanne Connolly in 2000 knows that she is no progressive.  She is a cog in the machine.

What the Union County Freeholders did was solely at the bidding of Ray Lesniak, who runs Union County.  However, if Ray was against us rather than with us, Charlotte and the Freeholders would have been against us as well.

If you want to say that party machines come in handy when they are on the right side of an issue, so be it, but that is rarely the case.

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by: rachael'sdad @ Sat Jan 09, 2010 at 14:15:13 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Do me a favor, please (0.00 / 0)

Don't slant quote me using your characterizations of things.  I do talk about Charlotte being an activist with my Dad back in the 70s, but I do not characterize her the way you did here.  By writing it this way, you are implying that I hold opinions I do not.

I have a lot of respect for Charlotte, and know she does a lot of good for progressive issues and causes.  The fact that the sponsors of bills banning the death penalty and legalizing medical marijuana are from Union County says a lot.  That all the Democrats representing Union County in the legislature voted for ME says a lot.  

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by: nathanrudy @ Tue Jan 12, 2010 at 07:58:10 AM CST

[ Parent ]

you weren't saying that... (0.00 / 0)

...when she screwed over Maryanne Connolly's Congressional campaign back in 2000.

Just because your position has softened towards her since then doesn't change the fact that the story remains the same.  She was a progressive activist in the 70s and now she is a tool of the machine who only serves progressive issues and causes when Ray Lesniak supports them.

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by: rachael'sdad @ Tue Jan 12, 2010 at 08:17:31 AM CST

[ Parent ]