Thursday, November 05, 2009

Pallone Is Vulnerable. Will He Face A Credible Challenge?



For better than a decade, the GOP has given Frank Pallone a free pass back to Congress because he couldn't be beat.

Now, despite his $4 million war chest, he can be beat.

As one of the prime sponsors of Obamacare, Pallone has made it known that he sides with Nancy Pelosi over the will of the people he has been elected to represent. His town hall meetings this summer made that very clear. His popularity has taken a hit and he could should be taken down.

Pallone was Jon Corzine's campaign chairman and he orchestrated the political theater called Congressional hearings into Chris Christie's deferred prosecution monitor awards.

Chris Christie proved this week that a Republican can win in Middlesex County against an unpopular incumbent. Pallone has never been less popular that he is now.

The Monmouth County portion of the 6th congressional district is rich with Republicans who could beat Pallone given adequate organizational support and fundraising.

New Jersey Republicans are already mounting serious challenges to two incumbent Democrats. Mike Halfacre has Rush Holt running scared in the 12th. Ocean County chairman George Gilmore will find away to win back the 3rd, despite John Adler's fundraising success.

As RNC Chairman Michael Steele, NJGOP Chairman Jay Webber, Monmouth GOP Chairman Joe Oxley, and Middlesex County Chairman Joe Leo look to 2010 they should not concede CD 6.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

I could not agree with you more. We need to get somebody good to take this seat from Pallone. We all need to be on the same team to do it & listen to our leaders.

Anonymous said...

Art for Congress..

sign me up!

Anonymous said...

I have been speaking to people about this since the summer. The arrogance of Pallone in Red Bank towards his constituents was obnoxious. This is winnable - but who? We need someone soon, though. If we don't have anyone in the district is there a high quality credible candidate that could move in? (remember Mike Ferguson moved and won)

Anonymous said...

Is Pat Angelini in that district?
How about bringing Coredemus out of retirement?
Anna Little would shake up Washington. Rob Clifton is in that District.

Anonymous said...

let those who have won other things go for it: as with Kim this year, timing is everything: Beck, Little, Handlin, all should try and take on a really tough race, and could just make it..look, it's been 22 years he's gotten away with doing next to nothing on our dime, except voting down the lib line and bluffing on anything meaningful: time to show him, and all the other miserable leaches who steal our money and freedoms every day, that we are NOT taking it in 2010!!

DavidE said...

A bigger problem than the $4 million warchest is that Pallone has consistently won each race with more than 60% of the vote. And he has that $4 million warchest.

By winning with more than 60% of the vote consistently, Pallone has effectively protected himself from a challenge. Steele is looking for those races where the Republican received at least 45% of the vote or where Sen. McCain won or was very competitive in the district.

This is not to say Pallone can't be beat. Ellen Karcher's $2 million warchest couldn't save her. But it will be tough to find a top-tier challenger when the national party probably won't help with fundraising.

Unknown said...

Remember! You don't have to live in that district to run for Congress!

So the list could grow. Jen Beck? Joe Kyrillos? Hank Butehorn? Art Gallagher? Amy Handlin? Bill Baroni? (trying to avoid names that are already interested...)

Anonymous said...

Does the map show Rumson as being in that district?

Frank must go ! said...

What we need to beat him:

At least 1 Million Dollars.

250+ dedicated people that will walk their towns for who ever is against him.

Constant letters to the papers detailing him as against the will of the people in his district and a puppet of Pelosi /Obama.

Average citizens need to donate to our candidate whatever they can afford, be it $10, $20 or $50.

We need to start NOW, and get the negative Pallone publicity rolling even though we do not have a candidate yet.

I write Pallone constantly to complain about his position on Cap- N-Tax, Obamacare and illegal immigration. All I get back is letters full of his platitudes telling me how his positions on these issues are the right ones.

To Americans who believe in the rights our founding fathers passed on to us, Frank Pallone is a clear and present danger.

Frank must go !

Anonymous said...

I don't know if you would want to have a big name go after him. If there is a loss (given that Pallone has his huge war chest and has been a 13 term congressmen in what is an incredibly gerrymandered district)… then that could potentially damage that candidate’s future and embolden Pallone & the Dems.

What I would like to see is us having a very viable & fairly young “up and comer” go against him with both guns blazing… heavily supported by the republican establishment. The likes of Clifton, Little, Coredemus, etc … do have some background / baggage that would / could be used against them. Why not run an engaging / enthusiastic / young conservative candidate who has a fairly clean slate / record and nothing to lose?

Anonymous said...

Frank is very vulnerable. John Lynch gerrymandered his district to assure a democratic majority, giving him the northern portions of Old Bridge, Marlboro and Manalapan which were considered heavily democratic. But look at the results in those districts this week. Covered Bridge in Manalapan, which generally delivers an 800 to 1000 vote margin to the democrats gave democrats virtually nothing this year. Other districts which are normally democratic were heavily republican this week. The theme against Pallone is simple. We fought a war over taxation without representation. The people of western monmouth are simply not being represented. These two congressmen, Pallone and his puppet Holt are representing Pacific Heights, California, voting however Nancy Pelosi tells them to vote. We need to elect people with enough courage and integrity to vote their districts, not their party leadership. I think a lot of formerly safe congressmen are going to be shown the door next year.

Anonymous said...

Clifton, Handlin, Beck strong candidates. But do they want it?

Anonymous said...

Kyrillos, Oxley or maybe as suggested earlier some new name, with a good fight in them...could take down Pallone

Anonymous said...

Handlin and Beck are too liberal.
We would have to worry about them being scozzfazzed by the right.
Plus Becks not in the district.

Anonymous said...

Beck still lives in Red Bank: RB is still in District 6..agree she and Handlin are Rep-lite: first choice Oxley: he would make Frankie cry in a real debate!.. second, Little: women disarm him..but, first question is: does the RNCC see it as a possible add-on, if they won't fund, save your train ticket money going down to DC to ask for it!!..

Anonymous said...

PS: Kyrillos already ran once against Frank and lost..Corodemus,too.. Judge Kapalko nearly took him out in '90, a few more dollars and he'd have been history.. Azzolina did well in '88.... most others got whacked by Daddy's ground game out of the dealership on Broadway!..

Anonymous said...

The more I think about it the more Anna Little sounds like a good idea.
she speaks well. She is smart. She is both fiscally and socially conservative. She has a reputation with the press of being incorruptable willing to buck her own party and not being beholden to special intrests.

She does well in a town that is not a republican stronghold by any stretch and she has some name recognition.

Plus she is a women.

Sounds like a kick (pallone) ass candidate to me.