Time to turn to the wisdom of the SDMB for help with the NJ Senate race.
My search of the forum came up empty on this, sorry if I missed something.
I don’t often start threads, but here goes. (I hope I’m not just venting here.)
I don’t want to support either candidate, and there is no viable third option.
What’s the best move for a Progressive Independent voter? Am I being too hard on Menendez? I feel like the Democrats should have dropped him like a hot rock.
The Democratic party leaders are still backing Menendez but in my book this only tarnishes their own reputations. Both Cory Booker and Gov. Phil Murphy are supporting him. Booker was quoted in today’s local paper saying, “New Jersey (and the nation) cannot afford to send another Republican to the Senate to back President Donald Trump’s ruinous agenda.”
I agree with Booker, but we can’t afford to send corrupt politicians either…
Menendez appears to be corrupt through and through. He should have done the right thing and not run at all, let someone new represent NJ. I can’t stand that guy – basically got off on a technicality.
If the senate weren’t so close, I would seriously consider voting for the Republican this time – NJ Republicans are usually not as right wing as those from redder states. They typically accept global warming, for example (don’t know about Hugin). Christine Whitman and even, God help me, Chris Christie are nothing like Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, Louie Gohmert.
That said, your choices are D or R. If you’re really a progressive independent and you’re worried about Republican control of the Senate on any progressive agenda, you basically have to vote for Menendez. That’s what I’m going to do – hold my nose and vote for the crook.
I think the best available option is to vote for Menendez, and then pressure him to resign in favor of a replacement appointed by the Democratic governor (is that how it works in New Jersey?).
Damn, I’m glad I don’t live in NJ. I suppose I would probably vote for Menendez if I did, since at this particular moment in history I feel like the numbers matter more than the character of individual legislators, but I would HATE it, not least because it would make me wonder whether I was, in fact, any better than the people who reflexively voted for Trump because he had an R next to his name.