At their Oct. 15 debate, Republican Curtis Bashaw called Andy Kim a “D.C. Insider,” a crack that clearly rankled his opponent.
Kim responded that Bashaw was disrespecting public service and that he was being insulting.
So at another debate Tuesday night, Bashaw made basically the same point, but in a different way.
He called Kim a “career politician.”
In fairness, Kim has been in Congress for six years, which probably does not qualify as a “career,” but Bashaw was trying to get something else across.
And that was that Kim is not as pure as he claims when it comes to politics.
We digress for a minute.
Kim’s recent political history is well known to those who pay attention to this stuff.
He announced his Senate candidacy soon after Bob Menendez got indicted last fall and withstood a challenge for the party’s nomination from First Lady Tammy Murphy.
In doing so, Kim portrayed himself as an anti-establishment figure, a strategy that included a successful challenge to the “county line,” the traditional way party leaders controlled who won primaries.
But wait a minute.
Bashaw pointed out that before Kim launched this crusade, he ran for Congress on the “county line” and that back in 2018, he ran on the same ticket as Menendez. At that time, Menendez was fresh off an earlier trial on corruption charges that ended with a hung jury.
Kim did not directly address those points, but he made one of his own..
He said that the only reason Bashaw got the GOP nomination was because of contributions he made to county Republican organizations in exchange for support. It was that support that helped Bashaw beat a candidate who was endorsed by none other than Donald Trump, Christine Serrano Glassner.
Other than this sparring over inside politics, the third and last debate between the candidates on News 12 did not produce any memorable exchanges or new positions.
One point worth mentioning is that Bashaw more than once brought up the fact that New Jersey as a state pays much more in federal taxes than it gets back in aid from Washington. He said New Jersey ranks 49th on that scale.
This is something candidates from both parties have brought up for years and years.
Simply stated, income levels in New Jersey are among the highest in the nation. So it stands to reason that on average residents pay more in federal taxes than, say, those living in Wyoming or Kansas.
As for getting money back, New Jersey’s poverty rate is among the lowest in the nation. That means the state simply doesn’t get as much federal aid for social programs as poorer states do.
None of this is going to change.
But it’s always going to be a good sound bite.
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In a recent move to gain support for his campaign, Bashaw has taken aim at his opponent, Kim, labeling her as a “career politician” who is out of touch with the needs of the people. This tactic is not uncommon in political campaigns, as candidates often try to differentiate themselves from their opponents by highlighting their own qualifications and experience while painting their opponents as out-of-touch or ineffective.
Bashaw’s criticism of Kim as a career politician is likely an attempt to appeal to voters who are disillusioned with the political establishment and looking for a fresh face to represent them. By positioning himself as an outsider who is not beholden to special interests or party politics, Bashaw is hoping to tap into the anti-establishment sentiment that has been growing in recent years.
However, it is worth noting that Kim’s experience as a career politician could also be seen as a strength by some voters. Her years of service in government may have given her the knowledge and expertise needed to effectively represent her constituents and navigate the complexities of the political landscape.
Ultimately, voters will have to weigh the pros and cons of each candidate’s background and qualifications before making their decision at the polls. It will be interesting to see how Bashaw’s criticism of Kim as a career politician plays out in the coming weeks leading up to the election.
