Updates:
12:14 CD 12 roll call. Sipprelle appears to be running away with it.
11:58 Lance wins CD 7--78 to 12. No surprise. Voting for CD 12 will start soon. Sipprelle and Halfacre are working the floor.
CD 6 results: Total Gooch 104, Little 39, Wright 3. Gooch gets the line.
Dunnellen: 5 votes Little
Edison: 1 Little, 1 Wright 39 Gooch
I can't keep up with the count. Gooch is winning the big towns. Little is a strong second.
11:29 Mike Halfacre just told me he didn't see the sand bag coming. "Class act."
11:25 Thompson is lecturing Halfacre, finger in his face. I've never seen anything quite like this. Sam Thompson told me this week that this convention would be like nothing I've ever seen. He his right.
11:23 The voting is starting town by town.
Halfacre is sitting on stage two seats removed from the rest of the candidates. Ouch.
11:15 Sipprelle: "I am the candidate that will win a debate against Rush Holt. If he won't debate me, he will see my smiling face on TV every hour condeming his socialists ideology." Sipprelle hit it out of the park. The crowd loves him.
Sam Thompson is publicly scolding Mike Halfacre for distinguishing himself as a life long Republican. The crowd is cheering him on. Holy molly. Thompson placed Scott Sipprelle's name in nomination even though Sipprelle did not win the endorsement of the screening committee.
Halfacre just got sand bagged. Joe Leo introduced Thompson to do it. Sipprelle knew it was coming. If Sipprelle doesn't win this Thompson will really be angry.
"Just five months ago the 12th district chose a live long Republican lawyer over a Wall Street millionaire"
11:06 Mike Halfacre gets the most enthusiastic welcome from the crowd so far.
"You don't have to be a rocket scientist to cut taxes."
THE MAIN EVENT CD 12
11:05 Save Jersey just posted pre-covention video
11:00 Congressman Leonard Lance, CD 7 is speaking. His opponent, a guy named Larsen went to the Union County convention and sent a surrogate. Lance declares the GOP will win back the House this year.
That's all for CD 6.
10:50 AM Sam Thompson nominates Diance Gooch. Gooch is getting better at her speech too.
10:46 AM Anna Little...her speech keeps getting better. The crowd loves her. " I will do everything in my power to take part alone out of office."
10:42 AM Fabrizio Bivona is up.
10:36 AM Shannon Wright, CD 6 is up. Conservative, pro-life, pro 2nd amendment. Health care that works. "I am an evolved Republican, which means former Democrat."
"I'm running for Congress because my neighbor shoveled by driveway during the snow storm." That was probably a good story, but she didn't deliver it.
10:30 AM Senator Tom Goodwin, Bill Baroni's replacement is speaking. "Governor Christie is on the right track!" The crowd loves it.
MMM is live from the Middlesex County Vocational School this morning. The site of the Middlesex GOP Conveniton.
There are over 800 people here. The auditorium is set up like an national convention, each town has its own section with signs designating who they are.
Supporters of all the candidates are in the vestibule and outside the building passing out literature, holding up signs and general electioneering. Signs and banners for Halfacre, Sipprelle and even a few for Leonard Lance adorn the walls.
There is a power point presentation with announcement and ads for the Congressional candidates scrolling stage.
I'm here with Save Jersey's Matt Rooney. We'll be sharing updates.
MMM will also be providing updates from the Monmouth Democratic convention where we have a mole.
The Legacy of Thomas Lifson
5 hours ago
Posts
7 comments:
I am totally FOR these kind of gatherings: participation by the masses is what our troops fight and die for.. we are in danger of losing these precious abilities to campaign and support whom we choose.. way-back-when, the only NJ State GOP convention in memory was held at Rutgers by then-Chair Bob Franks.. all the counties had similar sections, clubs sold their elephant pins to make a few dollars, there was music and enthusiasm, and candidates and wannabe candidates got a chance to practice their skills, all-in-all, a great celebration of our unique ,US democracy.. would it be that our county and state chairs seriously consider staging such "pep rallies": there's nothing like them to get the grass-roots engaged and involved!.. good for Middlesex!!!
Gooch has very apparent weaknesses: her presentation style, formal education is lacking, no government exp., articulation is very poor, and knowledge of all the issues is absent. Can we secretly agree that she is not qualified but has alot of money to spend ? Shame on the Republican party for overlooking all of these weaknesses for big dollars to spend.
11:59: you are correct,sir/madam..wow,it's appalling that Middlesex, who I don't think has elected a Rep. in their county in ages, would be this snowed by the dollars- over- substance: this does not purport well for Monday night, as we go down this same Pollyanna,money-talks mentality, and path.. sorry, Anna, you're the right candidate in the wrong race..really expected a closer vote spread there.. it also spells a real problem for all under Gooch in all or parts of 28 towns of the 53 in Monmouth!.. whoo, boy, in a year the Rep's should own, we'll really have to pull out all stops in Monmouth,if our whole ticket is to succeed!!..dig deep, Mickey, everybody needs your bucks, now!!
RE: CD 6 I don't think anyone actually has to "secretly" agree...I have heard so many basicaly say it is a "no brainer - the $$ is needed to have any shot at defeating Pallone" as the reason to support Gooch. I do not necessarily agree, but that is the strong sentiment of the majority. The reality is there is not an "Anna Gooch" or "Mary Pat Gooch" candidate and the not only the party elite, but based on the Middlesex result, it appears that the involved rank and file think the best bet is to go with the money. We shall see.
Agree with all the comments, love the open convention, money over entire package. Another thought - while normally i find "negative campaigns" distateful, I think if Gooch is eventual candidate that should be the route together with pics of Frankie Boy and Pelosi, running Pallone's own words OVER AND OVER AND OVER with the MickeyMoney. May be he can beat himself. ...one can dream
12:32, from your fingers to God's ears.. and, she'll need big, red STOP signs, "STOP Pelosi and Reid, elect Gooch".. it'll show if CD 6 is really mad at Obamanation, or still ok with excusing and allowing it to keep ruining us..
Art and SaveJersey: thanks, what a nice job, and fun coverage- saved us all on gas, showering, and getting in trouble for "being seen" elsewhere!!..now, what's the plan for covering the secret-room in Monmouth, Monday night?.. glass up to the wall, kneeling at the crack of the door, x-ray goggles??..
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