Tammy Murphy v. Andy Kim is the US Senate race the world is watching and scrutinizing. The two squared off last weekend and Kim romped. The press briefing afterwards didn’t go great for Mrs. Murphy.
Congressman Andy Kim and New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy, the leading candidates to replace disgraced Senator Bob Menendez, were in Burlington County on Sunday seeking the county Democratic Committee’s endorsement.
I attend the BurlCo event and experienced firsthand a pattern I’ve noticed since Tammy Murphy began her campaign.
With a jarring frequency, Mrs. Murphy most answers questions from the press (and from voters) with something like this: “what I would say to you is this…” She then proceeds to change the subject to a canned rely. This rhetorical strategy almost always includes some version of:
- “I didn’t leave the Republican Party, the party left me.”
- “I’ve worked hard to build the NJ Democratic Party these past 8 years.”
As for which version the Republican Party Mrs. Murphy was okay with, she won’t say. Murphy also won’t acknowledge her generosity during her decades-long allegiance to the Republican Party. Murphy voted twice for George W. Bush and gave over $100,000 to Republicans before switching parties less than 10 years ago.
At a press briefing following her lopsided loss, it was more of the same: deflection and canned bromides from Tammy Murphy.
Mrs. Murphy, who’s married to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, began the press briefing by rejecting charges of nepotism.
She called it “crazy” to suggest nepotism might be supercharging her campaign.
(If you’d rather watch or listen, the audio clip is here. Click here for video.)
Tammy Murphy: “No one else is doing this for me. And besides that, I would say to you, my husband has been my partner for over 30 years. he knows me better than anybody else so I’m not asking him — he’s probably doing less than he would be able to do if he were a normal spouse. So the whole nepotism thing is crazy to me, look at my experience, look at my history–“
Jay Lassiter: “Most of your history is Republican. You helped get Sam Alito appointed to the Supreme Court. How are gay people supposed to like ever forgive you for that?”
TM: “Uhhh, what I would say to you is the following: many people are leaving the Republican Party here and now. I will tell you I took the same values since day 1. Absolutely same values.”
JL: “So then you certainly must regret the role you played putting Sam Alito on the Supreme Court and overturning Roe v Wade?”
TM: “I would just say this: I still do the same values forever, I will stand for the same values…you’re shaking your head at me, it’s really crazy….”
JL: “It’s painful to contemplate the roll you played setting my people back by a generation and now you’re sitting here telling me how I should feel, that’s weird and that’s why I shook my head, Mrs. Murphy.”
TM: “I’m not telling you how to feel, I’m just telling you, I can’t even answer so let me just say this: Babs Siperstein was one of my dearest friends. I have a lot of friends in the LGBTQIA+ community. I will stand with that community, and any marginalized community, every day of the week, every day of the week. So I would say something else, let me just talk about being a Republican. I grew up in a moderate conservative house. We were not politically engaged. It’s only over the course of my life where I have always been working on the same value statements . And I’ve looked for people who could represent and prioritize those values—
JL: “George W. Bush??”
TM: “And over time, I found that I had, there was no one left, the party left me. But furthermore, I have been building the (Democratic) party and a lot of the things that have happened here in NJ have happened because I helped strengthen the (Democratic) party.”
JL: “A lot of the things that are happening in half of America where women can’t get a abortion are happening because of you too, Mrs. Murphy. And I guess what I’m trying to reconcile as a Democratic primary voter is how am I supposed to….you say (nepotism and your GOP background) it’s irrelevant and I actually think it’s very relevant and that’s probably why you’re not getting traction.”
TM: “I disagree with you on the traction piece, I really do.”
JL: “You’re certainly getting traction with the gatekeepers, I’ll give you that much.”
And with that, Murphy’s press person finally stepped in, something I was surprised didn’t happen sooner.
My first thought afterwards was if Tammy Murphy makes it to the US Senate, loathsome guys like Ted Cruz are going to eat her alive.
Secondly, regarding the “lots of LGBTQ+ friends” remark yes, she went there. The comment didn’t register in real time but sounded worse and worse every time I listened afterwards.
I’m an Andy Kim supporter. I know my own biases are at play here so I shared the clip with others. And I’m not the only LGBT person upset about Murphy’s “lots of LGBTQ+ friends” line, something several people called Trumpy.
One friend, a mother of a gay high schooler, called Mrs. Murphy’s comments “100% disqualifying.”
Marsha Shapiro and Louise Walpin were the lead couple in NJ’s legislative battle for marriage equality from 2009-2013 and one of the lead plaintiffs in the court case that won gay marriage for New Jersey in Oct 2013.
If New Jersey had a gay Mt. Rushmore, as first same-sex couple in NJ history to wed, Marsha and Louise would be one it.
And they were not happy that Mrs. Murphy would namecheck a dearly departed activist sister to dodge a question about supporting George W. Bush in 2000 and again in 2004.
“We were enraged that Mrs. Murphy invoked Babs Siperstein’s name to avoid answering if she regretted her role in helping Alito to be appointed to SCOTUS,” the iconic duo told InsiderNJ. “To add insult to injury, Mrs. Murphy made this statement at a time when Alito wants to chip away at the Obergefell ruling that same sex couples have a fundamental right to marry, which would have upset Babs greatly. This is particularly offensive to us as we were actually close friends with Babs in real life, not just as a political associate.”
According to Marsha Shapiro and Louise Walpin, lines like “some of my best friends are gay” suggest a lack of credibility.
“Social psychologists have said that statements such as this are an attempt to try to build moral credit when it is lacking,” Marsha and Louise added.
And for their part, Marsha Shapiro and Louise Walpin share the same concerns about Mrs. Murphy’s decades-long republican backstory as many democratic primary voters do.
“So, Mrs Murphy, can you please answer the question: do you regret having helped appoint Alito in 2005 , which is before, as you put it, the GOP party left you?”
Tammy Murphy probably won’t go there, but proper apology would be easy enough and might go something like this:
“I’m truly sorry for the pain I caused by helping Sam Alito into onto the Supreme Count. I deeply regret the consequences of those votes for George W Bush and I’ll spend the rest of my life undoing the damage I caused.”
If Tammy Murphy apologizes for supporting Bush and for the role she played putting Sam Alito on the Supreme Count, I’d probably be first to forgive her.
But I’m still voting for Andy Kim.
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Tammy Murphy, the wife of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, has been making headlines recently due to her past as a registered Republican. The issue was brought to light by political commentator Jay Lassiter, who questioned Tammy’s political affiliations and how they may impact her husband’s Democratic administration.
Tammy Murphy’s Republican past has raised eyebrows among some Democrats, who are concerned about her previous political beliefs and how they may influence her husband’s policies. However, others argue that people are entitled to change their political views over time and that Tammy should not be judged solely based on her past party affiliation.
Jay Lassiter, a well-known political commentator in New Jersey, has been vocal in addressing Tammy Murphy’s Republican past. In a recent interview, Lassiter expressed his concerns about the potential conflicts of interest that may arise from Tammy’s past political affiliations.
Lassiter also pointed out that Tammy Murphy has made significant donations to Republican candidates in the past, including former Governor Chris Christie. This has raised questions about her true political beliefs and whether she may have conflicting loyalties.
Despite the controversy surrounding Tammy Murphy’s Republican past, Governor Phil Murphy has stood by his wife and defended her right to have her own political views. He has emphasized that Tammy is a strong supporter of his administration and is committed to advancing progressive policies in New Jersey.
In conclusion, Tammy Murphy’s Republican past has become a topic of discussion in New Jersey politics, with some questioning her political affiliations and how they may impact her husband’s administration. While the issue remains controversial, Governor Phil Murphy has expressed his support for his wife and her right to hold differing political views. Only time will tell how Tammy’s past will influence her role in the Murphy administration.
