Monday, June 14, 2010

Get On With It

Anna Little has been declared the winner of the GOP CD-6 primary by 84 votes.

As expected, the Gooch campaign has announced that they will file for a recount. With the vote count so close, the Gooch campaign is arguing that a recount is only fair.

Gooch campaign manager Tony Sayegh issued a formal statement reported by Poltickernj:

"With over 13,500 votes cast, unofficial results indicate that approximately half of one percent still separates the two candidates," Gooch Campaign Manager Tony Sayegh said in a formal statement. "A recount is the only legal mechanism we have to secure confidence in the result, ensuring that no errors in the tabulation of votes have taken place.

"This process will allow paper ballots to be counted by hand, require electronic cartridges to be re-loaded, and provide for the inspection of the machines and election materials," he added. "There are also some specific concerns we have about the treatment of Vote By Mail ballot requests, the security and custody of election materials, and electronic data cartridges arriving with error messages that must be investigated further. This will be done as expeditiously as possible; we look forward to determining a winner in the near future."


I certainly hope "this is done as expeditiously as possible" and that the winner is affirmed in the near future.

If there are irregularities they should be investigated. If fraud is discovered, it should be prosecuted. However, let's get on with it.

The Gooch team has brought in heavy hitting election law attorney W. Timothy Howes. Howes told the Asbury Park Press that a recount would not be filed today or tomorrow.

Why not?

The closeness of the race has so far benefited the Little campaign with a great deal of free media. A recount might take a couple of days and generate more free press. However, if the Gooch campaign drags this out for 15 days prior to filing for a recount, only Frank Pallone benefits, regardless of who the eventual winner is.

If Little is the winner, a delay only hampers her fund raising efforts. If Gooch is the winner, her team needs to evaluate what didn't work about their primary campaign and get to work on planning a general election campaign.

Let's get on with this without delay.

10 comments:

Michael Illions said...

If Gooch is the winner, her team needs to evaluate what didn't work about their primary campaign

I can tell you that one, Art.

Anonymous said...

If you look at Howes website the only recounts he won were where there was a one vote difference.
here we have an 84 vote difference.
Game Over!

Anonymous said...

Whats the matter? Brian Nelson lose his job?

Charles Measley said...

Diane ran a very good campaign but unfortunately she did not secure enough votes. Do not do a recount and drag this on longer. It's not like the olden days, voting machines are electronic and give an instant readout of the votes, having a recount is unnecessary. Pallone already launched his official reelection campaign this weekend it's time that the GOP has their official candidate selected to start this race please do not drag this out any longer. It is time that we unite as a party. United we stand divided we fall.

Anonymous said...

Replay of the tactics of the weasels in the Monmouth County GOP and in the end will accomplish nothing except to point the finger at a bunch of sore losers.

THE PEOPLE WANT ANNA !!!

Tired of the same ole,same old .....

Money only makes that other dame capable of owning a newspaper, not being a congresswoman.

Unknown said...

I'm all in favor of the recount.

The real issue is what The Gooch did wrong.

1. She was acting like the winner without ever winning anything. She was even running ads on PolitickerNJ about beating Pallone before her party chose her. This was a BIG TIME mistake by staff. In New Jersey, especially Primary Voters, you have to earn it.

2. She didn't have a ground game. While Little was out knocking doors and making calls, The Gooch was sending out mail and making TV ads. Gotta touch people if you want their vote.

3. The Monmouth County Line means nothing. Apparently Oaxly has become a little complacent with his big wins in 2009 and didn't put in a GOTV program for the line. It is clear that with the LG gone to Trenton, we can see the real Joe.

4. Just bad staff. Any staffer worth their salt wouldn't have let any of this happen. If I were a staffer there I deffinently wouldn't put this campaign on my resume.

5. As the great philosophers Lennon and McCartney said, "Can't buy me love." Nothing can buy hard work.

Poly Sci Students and Political Operatives should study the Gooch campaign to figure out what not to do.

Anonymous said...

Art, can you verify Pizzaro's recent post that Diane will now not seek a recount?.. breaking news?

Art Gallagher said...

Max's piewce is accuratew per my sourced. Ikm on jury duty blogging on blackberryM complete MMM coverage later

CONFIRMED a while ago said...

can't get more official than facebook announcement posted on gooch4congress a couple of hours ago

Anonymous said...

NJ 101.5 just said Gooch conceded rather than seek a recount.