You get the feeling Tom Kean Jr. believes polls that say the CD-7 race has gotten very close.
His most recent TV ad is a full-scale attack on opponent Sue Altman, an individual he is now calling “Radical Sue.”
The point here is easy to digest:
Altman, who rose to public visibility as a leader of the left-leaning New Jersey Working Families Party, is too extreme for a mostly suburban district that covers at least parts of Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties.
To gist of the ad is the following voiceover:
“What is the definition of a radical? In New Jersey, it’s Sue Altman. Radical Sue backed tax hikes, defunding the police, and supports decriminalizing all drugs, including heroin and fentanyl. Radical Sue attacked cops and firefighters – even moderate Democrats. Because Sue Altman’s no centrist. She’s a radical, liberal activist, who threatens your future. “
Threatens your future?
If elected, Altman would be a freshman legislator and freshman legislators really have no power to threaten anyone. But whoever said political ads are logical?
Let’s look at two parts of the above.
The charge that Altman “attacked” moderate Democrats is coupled with photos of her infamously getting thrown out of a state legislative hearing involving south Jersey political boss George Norcross.
One can perhaps call Norcross a moderate Democrat, but given the fact he is under indictment some may also call him a Democrat accused of corruption.
Now we move to drugs.
The Kean campaign supports the accusation that Altman wants to decriminalize heroin and fentanyl by pointing to some of her past “tweets” on the subject.
One goes back to 2021 and involves Jack Ciattarelli, who was then running for governor. Ciattarelli was opposing a federal plan co-sponsored by New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman to eliminate criminal penalties for such drugs as heroin, cocaine and fentanyl.
Attman, responding at the time via Twitter, said that Ciattarelli needed to free himself from the “hysterical 1980s ‘war on drugs’ mindset.”
Now it’s 2024 and the Kean campaign says:
“Her attack on Ciattarelli revealed her support for the dangerous bill and her vision of decriminalizing all drugs, regardless of classification.”
This topic came up during Sunday’s debate between the candidates.
Kean said Altman supports “full narcotics legalization.”
She responded by saying that was a “fabrication” and a “complete and utter lie.”
Kean returned fire, saying that was the position of the Working Families party and that Altman didn’t challenge it.
Whereupon Altman said it was never her position.
Broadly speaking, Kean’s tough attack ad gives credence to the belief this is truly a competitive race.
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In a recent battleground contest between Kean and Altman, Kean’s negative overdrive has been a topic of discussion among political analysts and voters alike. The heated exchange between the two candidates has brought to light some concerning tactics used by Kean in an attempt to discredit his opponent.
One of the main issues that has been raised is Kean’s reliance on negative campaigning. While negative ads and attacks are not uncommon in political races, Kean’s approach has been particularly aggressive and relentless. Instead of focusing on his own platform and policies, Kean has chosen to launch personal attacks against Altman, questioning his character and integrity.
This negative overdrive has not gone unnoticed by voters, many of whom have expressed their disappointment in Kean’s tactics. Some have even gone as far as to say that they have lost respect for him as a candidate due to his behavior in the battleground contest.
In contrast, Altman has remained focused on discussing the issues and presenting his vision for the future. While he has not been immune to attacks from Kean, Altman has chosen to take the high road and not engage in the same level of negativity.
The battleground contest between Kean and Altman has highlighted the importance of staying focused on the issues and presenting a positive vision for the future. While negative campaigning may be effective in the short term, it can ultimately backfire and turn voters away.
As the race continues to heat up, it will be interesting to see how Kean’s negative overdrive impacts the outcome of the battleground contest. Will voters respond positively to his attacks, or will they be turned off by his aggressive tactics? Only time will tell.
