Party Bosses Select Menendez for Senate
I don’t really like linking to the big-time liberal/progessive blogs but there were some very interesting comments on the lefty blogs concerning Bob Menendez and the Senate seat for New Jersey. Both DailyKos and MyDD have posts up with great approval and joy that Representative Rob Andrews will not be challenging Bob Menendez in a democrat primary for the senate seat, basically letting Menendez save his energy and money for the expected race in November against republican Tom Kean Jr.
For the first 150 years or so of our democracy, voters didn’t select candidates. Instead they were selected by party bosses and monied interests in smoke filled rooms. It wasn’t until the 20th century that senators were elected in popular votes. Up until then they were selected and sent to Washington by the ruling party in the home state. Then in the 20th century there was a revolt against party bosses. The voters, the citizens should select the candidates. So we went to primaries where candidates would appeal to the party faithful in order to earn the right to run in the general election.
Now in 21st century we are reverting to the party bosses picking candidates but not in smoke filled rooms since smoking is now a no-no. Primaries are now bad, and the liberal/progressive bloggers would rather not let the voters pick the candidates. There could have been a democrat primary for governor in 2005, but Jon Corzine “convinced” acting governor Richard Codey that it wasn’t a good idea to run. Indications are that the voters may not have selected the bearded wonder with the Goldman Sachs resume, but too bad democrats, the party bosses had spoken. Get back on the plantation you rank and file democrats, the mansion dwellers will pick the candidates for you.
Now in 2006, the democrats don’t want a primary for the Senate and Menendez has been annointed the candidate. Lots of debate in the comments on the DailyKos post. There are at least a few liberal/progressive in New Jersey who are not happy that Mr. Hudson County party boss, Bob Menendez, will be representing the democrat party in November. One commenter even put up a link to this story at NJ Jewish News “In judging Robert Menendez, can voters ignore the machine?” which summarizes very nicely all the Menendez baggage.
Many commenters at DailyKos note that primaries can be a good thing for a party, but it looks like New Jersey democrats would rather not let the democrat voters pick candidates for statewide office.