The New Dems also made a very respectable showing in the Wards 1/4 at-large race with candidate Dee Dameron, the first new candidate fielded by the organization for that seat in eight years.
As Plainfield Democratic party chair Jerry Green looks to have his leadership of the committee confirmed for yet another two years at next Monday's reorganization meeting, it is time for thoughtful Plainfield Democrats of all persuasions to contemplate the inevitably approaching post-Jerry era.
Word in the street is that Union County Democratic chair Charlotte DeFilippo has quietly let slip that this will be Green's final Assembly term, his 'last hurrah'.
Green will be nearly 75 when his next term ends (the 22nd District is still considered a 'safe' one for Democratic candidates, meaning his re-election in November is all but assured).
Some are also talking openly about the Assemblyman's health as a factor. He is rumored to be seriously unwell, with some even suggesting he may step down from his Assembly seat before his new term would be up, in order for his replacement to be made by the party without having to face a potential Primary challenge (similar to the appointment of Vera Greaves to the Plainfield City Council).
As the Assemblyman's base ages out, a younger generation is coming to the fore which has no great love for Green's addiction to the gutter politics of anonymous flyers, attacks on candidates' family members and 'bloody shirt' assertions that anyone who doesn't see eye-to-eye with the Chairman is 'a Republican'.
Add to that the inevitability of an increased Hispanic political presence. Though Hispanics will probably make up at least half Plainfield's population by the next census, Green has barely acknowledged their existence to this point.
Bearing all this in mind, thoughtful Plainfield Democrats will want to ponder whether they want Plainfield's Democratic future to be determined by outside forces, as it was when Green was transplanted from Roselle to Plainfield to be made party chair by fiat without so much as a by-your-leave from the County Democratic machine.
Then there is the question of whether an Assembly seat will continue to be 'reserved' for a Plainfield candidate.
Altogether, plenty for Plainfield Democrats to mull over.
And sooner, rather than later.
-- Dan Damon [follow]
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8 comments:
Good riddence to bad trash! I'll vote for a Republican rather than Jerry Green. Sorry, but you made me do it Jerry. Start thinking about your immortal soul, you have a lot to make up for.
The only ones to decided whether or not Jerry Green returns to his Assembly seat this November is the voters.
There are many who love Jerry, but even more who do not!
We must move this man out now! We cannot count on his failing health ,or otherwise, hoping that he'll step down.
We need to show the voters of Plainfield that Jerry Green has not done anything to elevate the quality of life for Plainfielders and only works to serve the few which he manipulates for their votes.
What right does Charlotte DeFillipo have to decide who runs for what in Plainfield? She lives in Hillside. Not that I have a problem with getting rid of Jerry, but there should be no such thing as a Machine whose leaders meddle in other people's municipalities. This is why I am running for City Council, 2nd Ward, on the GOP ticket. You never see GOP leaders do what Charlotte does every day.
Not being able to see the results for the Democratic Committee election, how did the "New Dems" fare in their quest to gain control of the committee?
And another question to pose....If there are so many "New Dems" interested in seeing Mr Green retired from his posts, why not back another Plainfield candidate in Joan Van Pelt? With the results of the last assembly election coming within 2000 votes of unseating Mr. Green, things may be a lot closer than one might expect. Would it hurt to cross "Party Lines" and vote for the better person even though they happpen to belong to another party? I know I will be in November. How bad do you want Old Jerry gone?
This is the 15th "Last" election for Jerry. He isn't going anywhere, and if he can walk and talk and vote, he isn't that sick.
If the New Dems want to get anywhere in this city, they need to first organize themselves, set a strategy, and get people who can explain what the New Dems stand for.
Adrian is a stand up guy, and should be at the helm. However, he is not charasmatic, and that is what the New Dems need. Adrian should lead in the background, and let others who can draw people to the New Dems work in front.
Dan, puuuleeeze! Cory has been on the council for what is it, 12 years? 3 terms? This assertion that there has been some struggle against the great "machine" to get him in is ridiculous. Cory is as much a part of the problem as anyone else. It's a lost cause and he's not helping at all.
Any reason why
Just so you know - the third most powerful position in the State is not even mentioned in the summary of the organization of the State of NJ.
It lists the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House. It then goes on to list the whips - no mention of Speaker Pro Tem. Laughable.
Even the State knows that the Speaker Pro Tem is a useless position.
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