In the eighth and final segment of my interview with CD 12 candidate Mike Halfacre, we continue to discuss campaign finance, his assessment of his chances to win the party lines and his future ambitions. That segment can be viewed here.
I thank Mike for interviewing with me, and for his willingness to debate his opponents. No doubt he felt it would benefit his candidacy to do so. Never the less, it is the right thing to do.
All too often during the fall we hear average voters and pundits complain over the quality of candidates. "These are are only choices?!" and "None of the above!" are sentiments that can be heard over the water cooler and on the letters to the editors page every year.
A large part of this blog's audience is comprised of the people who choose those candidates that voters complain about in October. In Monmouth County, that is true for both parties. Statewide, it is true for the GOP.
I hope that this interview, and those that will follow this week and next, will help the convention delegates and screening committee members to make the best choices, not the expedient choices.
In this five minute clip from segment seven, Halfacre makes his case for why he is the best candidate to challenge Rush Holt. He speaks of this primary race as a fight for the soul of the Republican party. He says that we have a choice between the "rich candidate and the right candidate, the rich candidate can be the right candidate, but that is frequently not the case."
I don't know yet if Halfacre is the right candidate. I think Mike is a good candidate, but he really haven't heard from Scott Sipprelle yet.
Sipprelle is probably not going to be interviewed by me or by anyone else with the knowledge to challenge him between now and the conventions/screening. That he is playing it safe and counting on the county parties to award him the line because of his money is both selfish and raises questions about how good a candidate he will be and should he win, how good a congressman will be. I hope he has a change of heart and sits with me, or Matt Rooney, or anyone else who will challenge him.
Scott's invitation is still open here.
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The self-made rich candidate is the right candidate. Well liked, personable, brains, and money, to boot...can't go wrong with that.
Scott Sipprelle, He will win it for the party!
The wrong candidate is Mike Halfacre, mark my words.
Thanks for your honesty of opinion, Art.
My opinion, though, is that this is not Mike Halfacre's time. Congress is not where he should aspire. I see him more as a Freeholder. I also think he needs to finish one term as Mayor. He has no finished term at any elected office under his belt. His only experience is in the political arena of Monmouth County. He does not have the economic credentials of Sipprelle whose wealth can be attributed to his smart decision-making.
Sorry, Mike.
Sipprelle is far more impressive than Halfacre and can really beat holt. Halfacre simply cannot. Sipprelle is playing it smart. Arts blog is fun for insiders but meaningless to the general electorate which is all that matters in the end.
Strange seems anyone who wants to talk to Sipprelle can contact him directly and avoid the filtering by partisan reporters and bloggers
I don't think either candidate is wrong. They both have different strengths.
To me it has come down to who do I trust more.
I have met both candidates. I have known one of them casually for quite some time.
I know which one I trust more and that is who I am voting for.
Art: Sipprelle is being "selfish" by not sitting for an interview with you? Art, I think you're losing it a little. Sipprelle has given other interviews and he's out talking to the folks. It's not like he's hiding somewhere. I think the problem is that you have gone out on such a limb for Mike Halfacre that Sipprelle is probably concerned that you are not objective. After your latest Halfacre-related fiasco in which you accepted hook, line and sinker Mike Halfacre's false claim that Sipprelle first registered as a Republican in 2007 instead of doing your own independent research to determine what the facts were, I can understand why Sipprelle would be suspicious of your motives. Unfortunately, I think you've lost your objectivity regarding the CD-12 race.
14 days, only 14 more days of this, thank God!..
If Halfacre means what he says about endorsing the right candidate not the candidate with money he will endorse Anna Little.
How about it MIke?
I live in your district.
You do that and all my doubts about wether you are being straight with us will be erased and you will have my vote.
Prove you mean what you say.
The silence is deafening.
Who got the Middlesex County line? Was that assigned yet? I expected to see the results here. If it has not been decided yet what is the date?
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