New Jerseyans aren’t always civil, but it’s still possible for a
liberal Democrat and a conservative Republican to have a rational
and pleasant conversation about politics in the state. Dan Bryan is
a former senior advisor to Gov. Phil Murphy and is now the owner of
his own public affairs firm, and Alex Wilkes is an attorney and
former executive director of America Rising PAC who advises
Republican candidates in New Jersey and across the nation,
including the New Jersey GOP. Dan and Alex are both experienced
strategists who are currently in the room where high-level
decisions are made. They will get together weekly with New Jersey
Globe editor David Wildstein – or, this week, with New Jersey Globe
Washington reporter Joey Fox – to discuss politics and issues.
Thank you both for your comments at the gubernatorial
debate. It’s always helpful to have smart people
around. Now that we’re all not as rushed, I’d like to hear
what you thought of Jack Ciattarelli and Mikie Sherrill’s debate
performance.
Alex Wilkes: In our business, Dan and I often
advise clients to “answer the question you want to answer.” If
we’re being honest, we usually say that when there’s a sticky
subject we’re trying to avoid or a gaffe-prone candidate. That’s
what Mikie did, but not very well. Just like in the primary
debates, Mikie delivered meandering Washington-style word salads
that make your eyes glaze over and cause you to seriously question
whether or not she has the capability to govern a state as complex
as New Jersey.*
Jack, on the other hand, made it look effortless to answer the
question that was actually asked. He’s able to do that because he
is authentically, unapologetically Jack in every diner, church, and
house in this state. I think for the undecided voters tuning in,
here’s an instance where you do get points for answering
the questions and showing your work. Jack even gave her several
opportunities by pointing out when she did not address the
underlying question – or entire topic at hand – and you would see
her freeze out of fear of going off-script or – more tellingly –
alienating a special interest group she can’t afford to lose.
Jack looked calm and in command of the issues. Mikie came in a
little hot, in my opinion, often leaping forward to answer a
question (I had a side view), but that’s what happens when hours of
preparation and coaching weigh heavily on your brain: it comes out
like word vomit (tinged with a strange midwestern twang no one can
quite explain).
On another note: congratulations to NJ Globe, ONNJ, and Rider
University for another well-produced, professional debate!
*Standard disclaimer: not a gendered analysis. If Cory
Booker had been on that stage, for example, talking about love,
puppies, and certain Thracian gladiators, I would be even more
unkind.
Dan Bryan: In 2021, Jack Ciattarelli put forward two solid
debate performances. He was loose, quick on his feet, and well
prepared. I think those two debates with Governor Murphy are about
as well-contended on both sides as any we’ve seen.
But in 2025, Ciattarelli seems…different. He’s tighter. He lost
his train of thought a few times, he screwed up a few answers, and
he’s taking cheap shots (like the one against trans children –
quite an example he’s setting).
Mikie, on the other hand, defied expectations yet again. For the
fourth debate in a row, her opponents won the pregame shit-talking
contest, while she saved her energy and excelled on debate night.
She was sharp, engaging, and nimble as she went on offense early
against Ciattarelli and laid out her agenda throughout the
night.
I don’t know if any debate will swing an election, but I think
it’s pretty clear that Jack underwhelmed and Mikie shined.
The National Archives and Records Administration
released a record with some of Mikie Sherrill’s personal
identifiers, and I haven’t heard from anyone who thinks that’s
OK. But was this a devious plot hatched by Donald Trump and
the White House to help Jack Ciattarelli win, or simply a mistake
by a bureaucrat handling Freedom of Information Act
requests?
Dan: It’s hard to know where this administration’s incompetence
ends and their malfeasance begins – we know both exist in spades.
But with the amount of safeguards that are in effect to ensure this
doesn’t happen, especially to a member of Congress, it’s very hard
to see this as anything other than an intentional weaponization of
the federal government, something this Administration is all too
happy to do.
But whether incompetence or malfeasance, it leads to the same
outcome: a chilling effect on anyone who dares defy this
administration, and total disrespect for a Navy veteran’s military
service.
Jack Ciattarelli’s campaign took an illegally-obtained document
that included Mikie’s Social Security number and personal
information about her 80 year old parents and shipped it around to
multiple media outlets. That is repulsive.
In a way, this disgrace does more to lay out the differences
between the two candidates than either campaign ever could: one
candidate will be fully and completely controlled by the Trump
White House and would happily dox any of our personal information
for their political gain, and the other won’t.
Alex: Okay, I’m sorry, but I am laughing out
loud at the idea that Donald Trump sat on the patio at Bedminster
this summer and singled out a bureaucrat at the National Archives
to authorize the release of confidential information in a FOIA
request. Her attempts to tie this back to the President are good
for fundraising and trying to desperately galvanize a base who has
to be reminded to clap for her at her own events – but let’s be
serious: will undecided voters who have heard just about every
accusation that can ever be made about one person be persuaded by
this? No.
This clerical error from the Archives shouldn’t have happened,
particularly because it’s occurred more than once over the last few
years against candidates on both sides of the aisle. I welcome my
liberal friends reading this to join me in a lifetime of skepticism
and dislike of the ever-expanding federal government! Never too
late!|
And, yeah, if I were trying to deflect attention away from a
massive scandal that strikes at the heart of all my little
helicopter-adorned signs, I’d probably try this, too.
Mikie Sherrill says she didn’t walk in her Naval Academy
commencement because she was being punished for not turning in a
friend during a cheating scandal. I’m asking this question of the
two of you not as partisans, but as crisis communications
professionals: If she didn’t do anything wrong, should she just
authorize the release of her disciplinary files (if any exist at
all) and prove it?
Alex: From a professional standpoint, it’s a bad story, and
sometimes that calls for not getting clever, but being practical
and taking the path of least resistance. In this case, I think it’s
releasing the files (unless there is something even worse in
there).
The “I wasn’t a snitch” answer here doesn’t really put out the
fire. In fact, it raises the possibility that when faced with
upholding a sworn oath to the country or protecting friends, you
would do that in political office if you faced trouble. A guy named
Phil Murphy did just that on his 2017 campaign when he promoted and
covered for top aides who created a hostile work environment
towards women on his campaign, including a sexual assault.
No one I know believes her military service, in general, is
anything but commendable, but we are allowed to ask
questions about her record, particularly when she has made it the
centerpiece of her campaign.
That is especially true for a good friend of mine who made the
lawful FOIA request for her records and was smeared for doing so by
the Sherill campaign. In their desperation to obfuscate this
serious issue, they tried to sully the name of a fellow veteran who
served four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Allow me to explain the
difference to Team Mikie: the guy you tried to smear faced the
Taliban in combat; your candidate can’t even face legitimate
questions from reporters.
Dan: I apologize to all of my friends in the
media and those in the Republican party, but I’m not going to get
pulled down into a slanderous news cycle of pure, unadulterated
bullshit. |
Here are the facts: Mikie Sherrill graduated from the Naval
Academy and was made a Navy helicopter aircraft commander, serving
her country for nearly a decade in the military with honor and
distinction. She then served our country again for years as a
federal prosecutor, and then again in the United States Congress.
In other words, in addition to her military service, she has
dedicated her entire adult life to service to her country.
Meanwhile, what has perpetual political candidate Jack
Ciattarelli been up to? He spent decades as a career politician,
raising taxes in Somerset County and enabling Chris Christie’s
wildly destructive agenda in Trenton. He made millions off of the opioid crisis,
profiting while New Jersey families suffered. And more recently,
he’s been running for Governor again…and again…and again.
You know what Jack Ciattarelli doesn’t want to talk about? A
positive agenda to help New Jersey families that are living through
a historic affordability crisis. Instead, it’s gutter politics and
personal slander against a decorated military veteran.
Maybe that’s why he keeps losing.
So while I apologize to the New Jersey press corps and all of
the brave right-wing trolls on Twitter, I will not be involved in
any attempt to further denigrate a decorated military veteran’s
service to their country with swiftboat bullshit. Nor should any of
us.
Who won the week: Mikie Sherrrill or Jack
Ciattarelli?
Dan: Mikie Sherrill won the debate, continued building a winning
coalition at events throughout the state, and kept a cool head
while the extreme right did all they could to slander her service
to the country. She wins the week.
Jack Ciattarelli disgraced himself and dragged his campaign into
the sewers. He lost the week, and he’ll lose (again) in
November.
Alex: Whether at the debate or in the press,
Mikie Sherrill was put on the defensive this week just as voters
are starting to pay attention. And while Republicans are all jaded
by public pollsters at this point, I would imagine that for
Democrats, Emerson showing a tie in September would be kind of a
tough pill to swallow. All-in-all: a net positive for Jack.
The post Stomping Grounds: Ciattarelli, Sherill and their
debates and the cheating scandal appeared first on New
Jersey Globe.
