The Hurley Line:
Van Drew vs. Grossman: The General
Election Race for Congress is on
By HARRY HURLEY
Political Columnist
The race to fill the seat left open by retiring United States Congressman Frank LoBiondo, is now underway, as the general election season has begun.
The next congressman from New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District will either be the democratic nominee, New Jersey State Senator Jeff Van Drew, or the republican nominee, Seth Grossman.
Based on the primary election campaigns waged by both men, they each deserve to be their party’s respective nominees. Van Drew dominated the democratic primary, garnering more votes than his other three challengers combined. Van Drew also skillfully navigated politically shark infested waters. His primary challengers were running very hard to his left. It could have placed Van Drew in a tight box, whereby he was open to their attacks that he’s too conservative.
It didn’t work. Van Drew was masterful in not taking the bait. It left him unmarked going into the general election, when his well-earned conservative democrat bonafides will serve him well.
District 2 is a slightly center-right leaning district. If you’re too conservative, you lose. If you’re too liberal or progressive, you lose.
The voting composition of the district is approximately:
Independents = 207,000
Democrats = 150,000
Republicans = 132,000
For his part, Grossman scored a stunning victory in the republican primary, by running nearly a perfect campaign on a shoestring budget, totaling just $ 25,000. This is far less then is usually spent in a local council race by one candidate
After winning his Party’s Nomination, Grossman enjoyed a few days of peace and after glow. Then, the first political attack was fired with blistering speed and market saturation intensity.
The national media desperately wants the democrats to win back the majority of the United States House of Representatives. They are willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.
The 2nd Congressional District race is in the Top 10 of every major list in America, in terms of current republican districts that are the most likely to turn democrat. This is a big boost for Van Drew.
A YouTube video clip of Grossman discussing “diversity” was recently unearthed. Get ready. It will be the first of many. Grossman is a very well documented public figure with many hours of audio and video floating around the information superhighway.
Van Drew won’t have to lift a finger. This is not the type of campaign he wages in the first place. Van Drew does not attack first. However, if you attack him, he will then unleash his own disproportionate retaliatory response. That’s only fair. Van Drew is the consummate gentleman, however, he’s not a punching bag.
Outside groups, along with other interested and uninterested third parties will be smothering Grossman with one attack after another. It’s already started and it will not stop until General Election Day, Tuesday, November 6, 2018.
Further, the political tactic these days is to conflate and use partial statements, and portray them as incontrovertible facts, and relentlessly attack a candidate. Grossman will endure the same fate as President Donald Trump in this regard. President Trump recently stated that “MS 13 Gang Members are animals.” The national media and their fellow liberal partisans purposefully distorted this into a bald faced lie that President Trump was calling all immigrants in America “animals.” It was an absolute falsehood, but they ran with it for weeks.
The tactic is to put a candidate marked for electoral death on a daily uneasy footing, whereby they’re placed in the position of always having to explain themself with one attack after another. Therefore, they’re losing in the court of public opinion.
Van Drew has a nearly 30-year voting record at all levels of government: from Dennis Township Committee, to mayor, Cape May County freeholder, New Jersey assemblyman, and state senator. His record is consistent and impressive. He votes against budgets that are not responsible. Van Drew is a rare democrat, who is not part of the typical monolith. He’ll vote his conscience. It’s rare to find these days.
Van Drew has also proven that he will work effectively with the other side. This is almost lost in today’s politics. Van Drew worked very well with former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
If Christie was right about something, he could earn Van Drew’s support. If Van Drew didn’t agree, he would vote against a measure. This gives Van Drew credibility, and although this issue is never poll-tested, I strongly believe that voters want our elected officials to work together for our best interests.
Today, both parties refuse to support a measure proposed by their loyal opposition. It’s become a filthy game of posturing to win the next election at the expense of doing what’s right by the American people.
In this issue, we’ve done a three question lightening round with Senator Van Drew, and, we’ll do the same with Mr. Grossman in the near future.
- What is your (Van Drew) philosophy of governance:
“First of all, I have been, and will be known, for excellence in constitute services. We have actually helped to save people’s lives; to make sure that our citizens get needed medical coverage from insurance companies. I have, and will continue to, work on a bipartisan basis, to work on both sides of the aisle. You can do important work. There is much more that brings us together then separates us. Particularly these days, congress doesn’t work together and look for common ground. I will do my level best to try find common interests.
The behavior that I want to exhibit…I want to be a congressman that my children, grandchildren, friends, and the entire district can be proud of: that’s my congressman. That’s Jeff Van Drew and he’s trying to do what’s right. The bad behavior certainly doesn’t increase our confidence in the American system. I would hope to act with honor, decency, and intelligence on behalf of the citizens of District 2,” said Van Drew.
- Van Drew’s campaign focus will be?
“To speak about the issues that are so important to everyday people. The high cost of flood insurance or health insurance. The high cost of education. So many of the people that I know and meet throughout our diverse district, one characteristic that they have in common is that they are working their backs off with 2-3-4 jobs and still having a difficult time paying their mortgage, taxes and other expenses.
Medicare, Social Security, veterans’ issues. We must keep our commitment to our veterans. They have kept their commitments to us. They’re willing to bleed to death for us. They have to receive the kind of treatment and healthcare that they’ve earned. I don’t want to hear about things such as homeless veterans, or veterans without educational opportunities. We can do better than that.
Bipartisanship. I’ll be talking about that. The need for infrastructure improvement in our area. Some of our main businesses: fishing, recreational and commercial, aquaculture, tourism. We must expand our economic base; including Eds and Meds, so that we’re not relying on one industry; rather to expand industries from one end of the region to the other,” said Van Drew.
- Van Drew believes that he is the most qualified to be the next Congressman from District 2 because:
“Because I have exhibited bipartisanship. I’m willing to work extremely hard. I’m not always right, but I will always give it my best. I want to be a very, very, very good Congressman. My desire and passion will lead me to work extra hard, and do a good job.
Saving the Vineland Developmental Center, building bridges, making the Garden State Parkway much safer. I will stand up. I’m not afraid. I’m not looking for some government job. I’ve made my livelihood through dentistry. When I think South Jersey is not getting it’s fair share, I’m going to stand up and press forward. I will not worry about leadership trying to tell me to do something. If it’s not in our best interest, I will vote against the leadership’s wishes,” said Van Drew.
Harry Hurley is the president of Harry Hurley Consulting and Communications, LLC. He hosts the daily talk radio program “Hurley in the Morning” 6-10 a.m., weekdays on Townsquare Media, WPG Talk Radio 104.1 FM & 1450 AM, where he also serves as the senior programming consultant. Harry was elected to both the Philadelphia (2014) and New Jersey (2015) Radio Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Harry Hurley has also been selected (2015-2018) as one of the Top 100 Most Important Talk Radio Hosts in America by Talkers Magazine. Hurley is also doing regular national fill-in, on-air talent work for FOX News Radio on their nationally syndicated platforms. He has hosted various programs for local television and is the editor and publisher of his news and information website, www.harryhurley.com. Send comments to HarryHurley@aol.com
