Friday, May 08, 2009

American Spectator to New Jersey: "Stop Saying Crazy Things."

More New Jersey jokes on the national scene, thanks to the Lonegan campaign.

It is nice to know that J. Peter Freire at American Spectator, a widely respected national conservative journal reads MoreMonmouthMusings.

I would have preferred to gain notoriety for another story. Being linked twice in a story on a national web site would be pretty cool if the point of the story was other than, "To everyone, and I mean everyone, in New Jersey: Stop. Saying. Stupid. Things."

Freire's column, Crazy Talk (With A New Jersey Accent), is a lot like Bob Ingle's book, The Soprano State. It is hysterically funny, unless you live in New Jersey. In which case, it is maddening.

Freire mocks the Longegan campaign for issuing its condemnation of the Christe web ad that features clips of the Lonegan documentary Anytown, USA only to retract the condemnation a "squirrel's heartbeat later." Freire's biggest laugh comes courtesy of Lonegan strategist Rick Shaftan who responded to the news that the Democratic Governors Association would be funding attack ads against Christie during the primary campaign with his gem:

Relentlessly on message, Lonegan campaign strategist Rick Shaftan charged the DGA with leaking the story to the New York Times as a way of trying to generate mega press coverage prior to the ads running, which he argues undermines the argument that they truly want to damage Christie.

“If they really wanted to hurt Chris Christie, they would just run the ads, but they want publicity for the ads, which means they fear Steve Lonegan,” Shaftan said. “It’s reverse psychology.”


To which Freire delivers his punch line:

Yes! That's it! The hidden code that reveals the meaning of life! AT LAST! Quick, to the Fountain of Youth before the Illuminati and Opus Dei swoop in and destroy it with their black helicopters!

That's definitely Tweedledum. I don't even know what that means. Do you know what that means? Is that English?

To everyone, and I mean everyone, in New Jersey: Stop. Saying. Stupid. Things.


For better or worse, Freire wrote his column before he read yesterday's lunacy from Lonegan and Shaftan.

Besides endorsing Christie, there is something that each of the statesmen that Lonegan bashed in his press release yesterday have in common: They have all been elected as Republicans multiple times in jurisdictions larger than Bogota. Attacking these gentlemen in the crass manner in which he did is Crazy Talk.

Lonegan is delusional if he thinks he will be elected Governor by insulting everyone who ever voted for these men. Paul Mulshine, Michael Ilions, a couple of thousand tea baggers and 600 Joe the Plumber fans are not going to defeat Corzine. Do the math.

5 comments:

JustifiedRight.com said...

First, congrats on the National coverage for MMM. Hope it continues.

That said, I'm crying FOUL! FOUL! on this post.

I read this post and thought the National Review piece bashed just Lonegan.

When I read the piece, only then I saw the author went after Christie with equal vigor.

Careful Art - your endorsement is showing! Better cover that up if you want to remain objective! ;-)

Art Gallagher said...

When I read the piece, only then I saw the author went after Christie with equal vigor.Not quite equal vigor, and if Lonegan hadn't retracted Hank's statement and if Shaftan hadn't issued the "reverse psycology" quote, the author would have had nothing to write about.

Sadly, my forthcoming endorsement will not be based on issues or policy. We never had the opportunity to have that debate due to Lonegan's strange campaign.

I'm furious with Lonegan for squandering the opportunity that a pragmatic, adult, conservative campaign could have made to New Jersey.

He has set back the conservative conversation in New Jersey dramatically.

Anonymous said...

Excellent, well said.

JustifiedRight.com said...

You shouldn't wait on your endorsement. Your posts are already a tell and it's not right to keep posting under the veil of objectivity when you have already picked a side.

Time to spill the obvious beans, my friend.

Although if you don't I get to keep busting your chops, so maybe you shouldn't :-)

Art Gallagher said...

not right to keep posting under the veil of objectivity when you have already picked a side.Save it for the NY Times and NBC. :-)

I have a lot more to say than "Vote for Chris." When I'm done writing, I'll send you a copy. :-)