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Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Primary over, Plainfield Dems focus on Obama and November


With Tuesday's primary election now history, Plainfield Democrats briefly honored the winners, acknowledged the challengers and turned their attention toward the November general election, in which the question of President Obama's second term will be settled.

Remarks by victorious candidates Tracey Brown and Adrian Mapp were rather subdued and city committee chairperson Jerry Green was gracious in conducting the ritual celebration: Everyone has their eye on the November election and Plainfield's importance in it.

Besides thanking her supporters and saying she would work very hard if elected in November (the 'if' brought smiles to the faces of the knowing audience), Brown said that she and challenger Roni Taylor have long been friends, complimented Taylor on the tone of her campaign and said she looked forward to their continued good relationship.

Taylor, showing her classiness even though defeated this time around, decided against a phone call to come and congratulate Brown in person.

Though foreign observers often marvel at America's primary election system, folks in communities like Plainfield, where one party dominates the registered voters (here it is about 10 to 1 Dems over Republicans), quite often forget that the function of primaries is to give adherents of a political party a choice of candidates for the general election.

2012 was the ELEVENTH year in which Plainfield Democrats have had different candidates to choose among in the June primary election -- a sure sign that small-d democracy is alive and well in our community.

Although President Obama received 4,109 votes on Tuesday (according to City Clerk AJ Jalloh's as-yet-unofficial figures, see here), that number is relatively modest compared to the 2008 presidential primary in which 5,762 ballots were cast for Obama (40% more than this year), giving Plainfield the largest margin in Union County. (Do folks remember that up to that point Assemblyman Green had backed Hillary Clinton?)

Nevertheless, the New Dems, who were early champions of Obama in the 2008 election cycle, swept that year's local primary, with wins by Annie McWilliams and Adrian Mapp widely considered to be a rebuke of Green's machine by the voters (see the 2008 poll results here, and Plainfield Today's analysis here).

This year, with Obama in office, the New Dems chose not to put up a candidate, and Taylor's supporters faced an uphill battle to get voters to go off the line. However, Obama will not be eligible for a third term and the possibility exists for Plainfield voters to continue to enjoy the blessings of democracy with primary choices into the foreseeable future.

There may be more to candidate Brown's 'the best is yet to come' slogan than anyone can imagine at this point in time.

ASIDE: It was reported to me that PMUA commissioner and former Councilor Malcolm R. Dunn was seen at Plainfield High School campaigning for ... Mr. Abdul-Haqq. This so soon after Councilor Mapp helped seal his appointment as a Commissioner. Politics, as they say, is transactional and friendships count for nothing.



-- Dan Damon [follow]

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7 comments:

Unknown said...

Hello, my name is Gloria Henriques, and I want you to know I am running as an independent for the Plainfield City Council at large seat currently held by a woman I admire and hope to emulate, Annie McWilliams.

You will learn more about me and my plans for the City as the days draw closer to November. However, I do want you to know that I filed my petitions to run for office, petitions circulated by and signed by Democrats, Independents and Republicans, before the polls opened on Tuesday. When I filed I was not running against Bill Amirault, the Rev. Tracey Brown or Roni Taylor.

I am running for the City of Plainfield, and all 50,000 proud residents.

I may have met you through the Democratic City Committee, through volunteer service with Netherwood Heights Neighbors or at the recent FOSH city council debate. It was listening carefully that evening which convinced me to run.

You will hear more from me soon.

Gloria Henriques
Henriques for Plainfield

Bob said...

I saw Dunn on the corner near the High School and was wondering what that snake was doing there. He'll get his when he meets his maker. We can see he is scum with no loyalities except to himself.

Anonymous said...

So does Jerry now appoint someone to Gloria's seat now that she is a member of the Independent party?

Anonymous said...

This election proved that the people of Plainfield are Clueless (Queen City a/k/a Ghetto City. I will be voting Republican come the November election. The people of Plainfield need to stop being loyal to people that do not care about them. The "Slave Mentality" is alive and well in the City of Plainfield.

In my opinion, the only people that voted during this primary were the senior citizens and former drug addicts (Look at Newark during the Sharp James era). Aren't the people of Plainfield tired of the failing schools and poor representation from City Hall. I just wish for once the citizens of Plainfield STOP being gullible and, go against the grain for once. The City of Plainfield has the potential to become a thriving city with the right leadership. The change we all hoped for, disappeared quickly.

Skeet

Anonymous said...

Plainfield continues its race to the bottom. Annie McWilliams, who showed so much potential to lead, inexplicably changed her vote and gave us Dunn and Sanders as PMUA commissioners, then handed Jerry gift of an open seat for the unqualified candidate of his choice. Mapp, with all his impressive credentials, has been dancing around his own change of vote on the same issue. Who knows what other promises he made to secure that precious line and other as yet to be discovered benefits? Now we have the Rev. Brown--who, instead of supporting her candidacy with an honest debate of the issues, basically told the electorate to kiss her @@@--and won by a landslide.

Pat Turner Kavanaugh said...

Hey, Anonymous at 10:37 a.m. It is not the independent party. Roni Taylor and Rasheed Abdul-Haqq ran as "independents" and remain Democrats. The New Dems regularly run off the line, yet consider themselves Democrats. Tony Rucker did. a

Anonymous said...

Due to my hectic schedule -I missed this blog and very sorry I did. It is a shame no one addressed Ms. Henriques. I would love to help her in her campaign.

Ms. Henriques -you should've given a website, blogsite, email, facebook page . . . something!