Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Little Staying Power

Highlands Mayor Anna Little is staying in the CD 6 race despite losing the party lines in Monmouth, Middlesex, and Somerset to Diane Gooch, and the Union County line to Shannon Wright.

Little told Politickernj's Max Pizarro that she did not expect to win the party lines and that she remains encouraged by the grassroots support that she is getting.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

In her case, she is doing the absolutely right thing.

Since Diane Gooch has never felt the intense prolonged heat of a political battle, there is a possibility she may not be able to withstand it for the duration... maybe not in the near future, but down the line. If she and Anna Little maintain their mutually respectful relationship, it might be a blessing to have Anna right there in the wings ....

Also, with the current discourse escalating in D.C., voters are becoming more engaged and savvy....and one has to wonder, in these changing and potentially disastrous political times, if voters have learned to read ballots horizontally and not just vertically when intensely motivated.

JMO, guys...

Anonymous said...

Anna Little is the better candidate and the party bosses know it.

They think that no one can beat Pallone so they want someone with a lot of money to run because they figure they can get their hands on some.

So they agree to back someone who does not live in the districy and in fact has no connection to the district, has no real platform other then she is not Frank Pallone
and is not by any stretch of the imagination a conservative. It would be funny if it where not so pathetic.
Dianne Gooch has no idea what she is up against. She does not stand a chance.
The people will rally to Anna and she will win the primary. Then watch out Frank Pallone.

Anonymous said...

The idea that Halfacre was smart to withdraw but Little is smart not to is ridiculous. Little was defeated by greater margins than Halfacre in every single screening and convention. As for Gooch having "no connection" to the district, owning a business in Red Bank, being identified with countless Monmouth charities, etc., doesn't count as a "connection"? Gooch has won every competitive head-to-head appearance (except Wright's hometown of Plainfield, where no other candidate competed), while spending no money. Why? Because she's the best candidate. The idea that Little can win a four-county primary without a single line is just silly -- it's never been done at the Congressional level. Little should do the right thing and withdraw. Halfacre preserved his political future and Little should, too.

Anonymous said...

hahahahaha

You are of course deluding yourselves-

But it obvioulsy doesn't help the wiining candidate (Gooch) run a campaign and begin to focus on the end goal when there is a side event (Little).

My advice to Gooch, would be act like Little doesn't exist. Little couldn't rally the vote in an open convention in Middlesex- so her 100 or so "grass roots" supporters won't make a difference in a primary where she doesn't have any lines.

Halfacre ran a good fight and did the right thing (dropping out). Gooch actually beat Little by more than Sipprelle beat Halfacre in Middlesex. So Little is toast. But it is a shame Little doesn't realize it.

Little is going to be helping Pallone over the next couple of months- I'm sure she has her own agenda-

Anonymous said...

Little still in the race.. boy, thanks for the hearty laugh after a long day.

Timing is everything said...

staying in does not hurt either Anna or Diane, or, oddly, either the district or the party,since there's no acrimony, and everyone knows Anna'd be the choice if not for the money... Diane will likely lose to Frank on Nov., and will likely never run again,go back to the paper,Rumson, her good life of society and do-gooder-ness....on the other hand, it's just what Anna does, if nothing else, she hangs in... with her mayor's term ending and local friction, there's nowhere else for her to go at this time.. she is young enough to go for something in the future, like the legislature, and there's no harm in her spreading the badly- needed conservative message that voters need to keep hearing, if change back to sanity will ever come..however much charity-good she has done, or people who work at her paper, Diane will not be able to articulate this message, that she is not comfortable with.. it's who Anna is, it's who Diane isn't.. on the outside chance Diane gets swept in,in some 2010 landslide nationwide, I hope she hires Anna to write her speeches, do her research, run her ofc...they could actually help each other, in the end, and, everyone wins: we get better than Frank, the Pelosi water-carrier, they both get good jobs, everybody's happy!..

Anonymous said...

She can't even hold onto her seat in highlands, so now she is going to run against the party's nominated candidate for u.s. congress. that make lots of sense. She should learn a lesson from halfacre and get out.

Anonymous said...

Can anyone name any of the Tea Party endorsements Anna claims to have. Shannon Wright almost got as many votes as Anna did in Monmouth. That should tell you something about Anna's electability, which can be considered an oxymoron since she was never elected as a Freeholder and would not get re-elected as Mayor.

Anonymous said...

So Little stays in eh?- some future legislative career bolstered somehow by a loss in a primary?- I don't see that making a future for herself in Monmouth County and certainly not with the Republicans- thats for sure.

She will be an outsider for ever- maybe thats what she wants.

Beating dead horses? said...

look, like her or not, she showed guts when barreling into Freehold, ruffled the big-boys' feathers, and got the most mean-spirited dumping of a winning incumbent I've frankly ever seen in this county, a sad time for our org... why continue to beat the crap out of her?.. it does not do anything positive for the GOP, and again, we don't have to support or vote for those whom we dislike/disagree with,(at least, until Nobama changes all that "liberty/freedom" stuff, for good, which'll be soon)..let her do her thing, and stop trying to squash somebody some seem threatened by, like a bug, go do something to help Diane cut the mustard, and not mess up too badly, for the rest under her, on the ballot! Sheesh!!

Art Gallagher said...

she was never elected as a Freeholder and would not get re-elected as Mayor

Not so.

She was elected as Freeholder in 2006, the same election that Barbara McMorrow was elected.

She probably would have been elected if nominated in 2007...meaning we would have kept control and D'Amico would not have been elected. D'Amico probably wouldn't have run if she was on our ticket...but that's water under the bridge.

She never lost an election in Highlands. She'll carry Highlands in June.

Anonymous said...

Remember"The Little Train That Could"- right now staying in is OK. Let's see how Pallone comes out swinging, double barrels aiming at him is not a bad thing!
Let's be smart in this election, The Ladies are Ladies, and both have the same mission in mind, Get Rid Of Pallone. Double Ready,Double Aim,Double Fire

Anonymous said...

JMO Guys you got it.Diane Gooch will bust like a bag of water hitting the ground when dropped off the 10th floor of a building.For those neophytes out there her husband will be the target.There is no greater pressure than being beat up in the papers,or having some agency investigate an allegation some one made out of spite just because you are a political figure.
This Anon blogger has run grassroots campaigns and won.If Anna goes Tea Party and the Tea Party selects its own Sheriff and it's own Freeholders ,she will be in Freehold for a drawing to see if she gets Republican Line 1 or Line 2.What are you going to do Joe ,when she draws line 1??In Middlesex County Grass root Candidate Schundler won the line,and also won the Freeholder and Sheriff line.Can you see Shaun Golden's puss when he finds out Tea Party Sheriff Candidate( Art Gallagher) won the primary.With experienced people like Lonegan and Shaftan in this Tea Party mix Joe Oxley had better be making his plan.This could be Oxley's worst nightmare.Anna only started a few weeks ago,with NO money.Not bad for a no money candidate.
I have seen many surprised County Chairmen over the years.If Anna chooses she can win,and will win if she goes Tea Party republican Line 1.If the right people get behind Anna,Anna will clean Gooch's clock and Rob Clifton,Tom Arnone,and Shaun Golden will be looking for new jobs,that is unless they switch to Anna's Tea Party republican Line.Poles are showing Tea Party candidates will be the winning candidates this Primary.

Anonymous said...

Anon 5:30 is right, Anna should have her own slate. What about Kim Spatola and Gary Rich for freeholder and Mickey Donovan for Sheriff? Or Grace Cangemi for freeholder?

Anonymous said...

"The idea that Little can win a four-county primary without a single line is just silly -- it's never been done at the Congressional level."

I hear ya, but lately LOTS is being done at the Congressional level that no one would have ever DREAMED of. It is a 'new normal'.

Would you have ever thought 4 years ago that we would have mandated healthcare? How about our government summoning in top corporations to show their private e-mailings as to how healthcare is hurting them when they speak ill of it? Would you have insisted a first-term Senator could never become president and outdo the Clinton machine? We do not know the intensity of the current public ire, but to deny in this climate of change the possibility of voters voting off the line is simply denying the world has changed.

Anonymous said...

I never said halfacre was smart to drop.
M)be he was but I did not say it
Every district is diffrent every election is different.
Anna is wowing tea party groups.
Won the straw poll at afp.
The bosses hate her but the rank and file love her
I agree it is hard to win woth out the line but things are different this year.
Anna is the peoples candidate and will win the primary

Anonymous said...

Maybe Anna can get Gooch to articulate a position. As for Gooch running a business, it's a decidedly pro-dem local gossip rag with lagging circulation. Her big addition to the TRT after her husband bought it was "The Book," a wildly unsuccessful (and obnoxious) endeavor that was all about other rich folks like her, with gratutious shots at folks who were too poor to enjoy the benefits of plastic surgery. It is not possible to be more out of touch with the people of the district, even if you lived there.

Anonymous said...

Anon 12.43 Sniping- like a true socialist- If you are a Little supporter your attack doesn't help beat Pallone- If you are a Dem- then get off this blog!!

Anonymous said...

If Lonegan's involved with Anna, forget it! She has NO chance! Lonegan lost becasue he is Lonegan. Keep Anna away from Lonegan if you want true grassroot support. Bad move!

Anonymous said...

I see this is where the 10% of the vote Anna gets in the primary likes to gather. Let me ask this august group a question.. since when does achieving wealth become a disqualifying factor for being a candidate for public office? Aren't we Republicans the defenders of capitalism? Is the point to live in perpetual mediocraty? Also, can some one please name me 1 Tea Party group that has endorsed Little. She is claiming she has many, but I would just like to know of 1.

Anonymous said...

Nobody said wealth was a disqualifying factor.
in fact gooch would be a great candidate. IN HER OWN DISTRICT.

The coters in 6 will respond to class warfare and pallone will wage it wothout mercy.

Anonymous said...

Genius...Pallone is now a millionare. Read his recent disclosure statement.
Anna won't break above 15% in a primary which will be an embarassment.

Thou doth protest far too much said...

we often sputter and criticize that which we fear the most!.. good God, this is as bad as the earlier Halfacre attacks on Sipprelle..if one was confident of their candidate, one would be bolstering her up, raising her name id, teaching her to speak better,educating her on issues germain to the 6th district, learning which towns are hers, taking her to the salon for the makeover, or whatever..and, as Pallone himself always does, going forward and NOT even mentioning anybody else's name!.. you guys must really fear your fun,well-funded dream could be burst, or something..and many TEAS may be well-meaning and vocal, but most have no campaign smarts/records/money/experience, so by the time the filings are due, they will likely not have brought Anna either the money or bodies they've pledged: so, just let her do what she has to do:the chances are slim to none, and, if she gets"embarassed," why do you-all care so much?.. that's her choice for her name!!

Anonymous said...

Anna stays in, she runs clean and hard and passionate...and she wins a squeaker in June. Not a bad outcome for R's.

Go for it said...

yes,again, bringing such unexpected attention to that district and NJ in what we hope will be a turnaround, could only be amazing and positive, if we get past personal preferences/personalities/agendas, and focus on turning this sick puppy of a country around!

Anonymous said...

Gooch is a great candidate as long as the microphone is turned down very low and everyone claps continuously through speeches.

Anonymous said...

sadly, true..if nothing else, Little staying in could get Diane to step up and be better, quicker..