Some advice for Lobbyist Dick Zimmer

According to a Fairleigh Dickenson poll, Senator Frank Lautenberg leads Lobbyist Dick Zimmer by 16 points, 50-34. 14 percent say they’re undecided.

So, if Lobbyist Zimmer by some amazing miracle can still somehow muster a coalition between his “Zimmer Supporters” and “The Undecideds” ----he will still be behind Frank Lautenberg 50-48. Where is the other 2% here? Where do they stand? Are they the Silent Minority? I am waiting for the poll folks at Fairleigh Dickenson to explain. I don't know.

However, there are more bad numbers for Lobbyist Zimmer: More than two-thirds of New Jersey’s most likely voters (71%) have no idea who Lobbyist Zimmer is. Have no opinion of him. More people have been to the Vince Lombardi Service Area, than know who Lobbyist Zimmer is. Tough to run in NJ if people have no idea who you are.

Now, the last time Lobbyist Zimmer won an election [in 1994], Clinton had not even met Monica Lewinskly; George W. Bush was not yet the Governor of Texas, and a baseball strike had canceled the World Series.

So, no wonder more people know who Gilligan is than Lobbyist Zimmer. He needs to learn how to be more popular.

So, here are some basic tips for Lobbyist Zimmer, courtesy of Wikihow, on “How to Be Popular”:

1. Be willing to step out of your comfort zone.
That means seeking the support of Democrats, as well as Republicans. Tough one, this year with Bush hanging around every Republicans’ neck.

2. Be friendly.
I have met you in Hunterdon County, and you seem like a friendly guy. Just maybe stop the “Where’s Frank?” schtick, though. It’s annoying people at diners.

3. You may see popular kids that can be very mean to others. Just try to ignore them.
This is what got you in trouble in 1996 in your race against Torricelli---you tried the ‘nasty campaign’ style of your fellow Republicans, and it did not work.

4. Talk to anyone and everyone who crosses your path.
A ‘gimmee’ in politics. Talk to people at train stations, bus stops, door-to-door

5. Stop thinking about yourself.
Tough one in politics. Electeds always think about themselves.

6. Give a helping hand.
You’re a Lobbyist. Duh.

7. Be yourself.
See number 3.

8. Don't say anything that would be laughed at, only say what you wouldn't care if anyone knew.
Perhaps a little bit more humor would actually help.

Poor Lobbyist Dick Zimmer*

I feel badly for Lobbyist Dick Zimmer*, Republican candidate for Senate. He cannot seem to get any campaign traction.

Lobbyist Zimmer*, in his quest to be the next Senator, has been doing what Paul Wellstone did when running against Rudy Boschwitz, going around the state at diners asking “Where’s Frank?”

Only thing is, Lobbyist Zimmer* lacks the campaign charisma, sincerity and progressive agenda that Wellstone ran on. Lobbyist Zimmer*: I have taken the Wellstone training, and you, Lobbyist Zimmer, are no Paul Wellstone.

Although he is trying to create a buzz, he seems to be mostly just annoying people trying to eat their lunch. Maybe Frank should go around NJ diners, and ask if anyone still knows Lobbyist Zimmer*......overheard at the Manalapan Dinner...

"Excuse me, folks, do you know where Frank Lautenberg is?"
"Can someone help this confused man, he's looking for the Senator..." "Maybe he's in DC working for NJ. Maybe you should drive down there..."
"Leave us alone...I would like to eat my chicken salad sandwich in peace."

Anyway, there is a debate set for November 1st, three days before the big day.

*Oh, by the way, I refer to Dick Zimmer with the title “Lobbyist”, because basically that is what he has been for the past twelve plus years or so. I know there are many in my neck of the Republian woods who refer to him as “Congressman”, because once you’re a member of Congress, you sorta retain the title forever. But he has been a Lobbyist much longer than he was a congressman [1992 -1996]; [Lobbyist 1997 – present].

Three times the Senator

In 1996, the price of a gallon of gas was just $1.23. The median price of an average home was just $144,200. And in 1996, the cost of running for Senate in New Jersey was much less than it is today.

But don’t tell that to Dick Zimmer, ‘cause he is running as if we’re still at 1996 prices. Shhhh! Mum’s the word.

The last time lobbyist/lawyer Dick Zimmer ran for Senate, it was 1996. He spent alot less money in that race than he will have to spend to win in 2008. However, because of the Repuplican primary and his very late start, he is very far behind Frank Lautenberg in fundraising.

Nearly three times as far behind as of the last reporting deadline with the Federal Election Commission.

Senator Lautenberg has $1.29 million cash on hand. While lobbyist/lawyer Zimmer has just $411,029 at the end of June.

While primaries in both parties were costly, Lautenberg spokesperson Julie Roginsky told the Star-Ledger, “The campaign is confident that we will have the resources necessary to win this November.”

The late great Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neil said that money is the mother’s milk of politics. Zimmer is going to have to really start milking those cash cows, if he is going to compete with Lautenberg.

The Star-Ledger reported that there is a $1000 per head fundraiser for Zimmer at the National Republican Senatorial Committee in Washington later this month. Hope they’re serving milk.

Meet Senator Frank Lautenberg, the Anti-Zimmer

Lobbyist and lawyer Dick Zimmer lives in Hunterdon County, and just became the nominee for the Republican Party for the United States Senate seat currently held by Senator Frank Lautenberg.

Mr. Zimmer has been introducing himself periodically as the “Anti-Lautenberg”.

Note to Mr. Zimmer: It’s going to be a tough sell to the voters in New Jersey that we should elect someone to the Senate other than Lautenberg.

According to Realclearpolitics.com:

“….Lautenberg's biggest benefit is his name recognition and voter perceptions that he's doing a good job. 48% approve of his job performance while 31% disapprove, and 43% view him favorably, compared with 30% who see him unfavorably. That's not a great number, but given that his name is recognized by a total of 94% of the state is a positive…

So, Zimmer's strategy is to call himself the Anti-Lautenberg? Or the Un-Lautenberg? Read on:

“In this year's Senate contest, the Democratic candidate, whoever that may be, remains a strong favorite in the Garden State. 54% of respondents said they were more likely to vote for that party, while just 24% said they would likely vote for the Republican winner.”

Although Mr. Zimmer had three decent terms in the Congress, [1] he was present for only one term [1995-1996] with the Republican Party in control, and [2] since he lost to Congressman Rush Holt, he has been working as a lobbyist. Many former elected officials are tapped as lobbyists, but it is rare for a lobbyist to be tapped as a candidate for office.

Recently on News 12’s “Power & Politics”, Lobbyist Zimmer declared that ‘age’ would not be an issue in his Senate run.

That is it won’t be, at least until Zimmer gets desperate.

Debates do as debating does.

At the debate at NJN this passed Friday night, Andrews tried to make the case that he, and not Lautenberg, should be the standard bearer for the Democrats this fall. So, Congressman Rob Andrews does have greater rhetorical skills than Senator Lautenberg. Just not enough to shake loose the Senator.

While he made the case that he is a better speaker, Andrews’ powers of persuasion still have not convinced me that age alone should be the criteria by which Democrats should judge Lautenberg unworthy of their support. We all should be as energetic and intelligent at 84 as Lautenberg is now.

Andrews picked, poked, prodded, and punched Lautenberg over and over again, but like a well-worn world champion who still has the experience of a thousand battles, Lautenberg kept his cool and showed a thick skin. He remained serious, sage and unshaken.

I arrived at NJN about 7pm, and there were dozens of Lautenberg supporters out front holding blue placards bearing the Lautenberg name, chanting, and “Bank on Frank!” over and over again. An apt, if not entirely clever, slogan.

We can bank on Frank, and, of course, bank on Frank’s bank account as well. He donates much to his own campaign. As Andrews pointed out during the debate, he and his wife Camille could not write their own campaign a two million dollar check because it would bounce.

Like that concern has ever stopped politicians from writing checks before.

In the audience was a Who’s Who of NJ Democratic politics: Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes; his brother and Andrews campaign manager Michael Murphy; Assemblyman Reed Gusciora; Congressman Frank Pallone; and Governor Jon Corzine himself. Where else should NJ’s in-crowd be on a Friday night in Trenton?

Even conservative columnist Paul Mulshine was there to cover the festivities. Mr. Mulshine and I have a mutual dislike for the exorbitant fees charged by Wachovia Bank for overdraft protection. Ironically conservative Mulshine thinks there should be a federal law addressing the issue. Imagine that?

Anyway, there was a lot of' 'he said/he said’: [“You supported the war.” “No, you supported the war”: “You voted with President Bush”. “No, you voted with President Bush”. “You’re running from your record.” “No, you have no platform”].

The poor mayor of Morristown was the only one saying, “But, what about me?”

One final note: The press release sent out by the Andrews campaign which contained Lautenberg’s statements from the debate included the “umms” and “uhhs” that occasioned the Senator’s answers: This was rude, crude and entirely unnecessary. -----As unnecessary as if Lautenberg’s campaign pointed out Andrews’ ‘well-practiced’ standard political-debate ‘hand gestures’ and/or his occasional casual head movements, all in a press release of their own. It was a low point for the Andrews campaign. Andrews is much better than that.

When it all shakes out, both Andrews and Lautenberg have good records as Democrats in Congress and in the Senate respectively. While I do give a tip of the hat to Andrews, I must give the nod to Senator Lautenberg.

However, I will work as hard for either candidate, which ever one wins. The mere thought of a Senator Sabrin, Senator Zimmer or Senator Pennacchio is just too much to wrap my brain around.

Voting early and often. Too often.

There seems to be less interest in the New Jersey Senate race, than there is me pitching next weekend for the New York Yankees against the Twins. Now, the Twins are in second place in the Central Division, while the Yankees are dead last in the East. And I guess I couldn’t pitch any worse than them into last place.

Democrats have, of course, Andrews versus Lautenberg: You’d think that a race that had candidates with such pronounced differences--- a progressive versus a conservative, southern NJ versus northern NJ, age versus youth ----would get people interested. But not so.

Republicans: Three very different candidates. Pennacchio. Zimmer. Sabrin. It’s like the Id, Ego and Superego of politics. Unhappy with Jersey Joe, some Republicans have changed candidates more often than the price of gas changes on Route 1. With the conservative cry of “From Esterbrook to Unanue to Zimmer”---that sounds like the infield double play combination of the Somerset Patriots.

Call it election fatigue: We will have asked New Jersey voters to go to the polls [in some towns] five times since last fall:

• November 2007 [regular state elections]
• February 2008 [Presidential primary]
• April 2008 [school board elections]
• May 2008 [non-partisan towns]

...and now June 3rd. That’s a lot of democracy.

Combine that with the day in day out never ending Obama/Clinton race in the news constantly, I think voters are simply tired of the whole primary process. Even if Obama/Clinton ended this week, the Obama/McCain or Clinton/McCain race would begin immediately, with the conventions this summer.

According to Newsday, and Ingrid Reed of the Eagleton Institute, the prediction is that less than 15% of the electorate will decide the nominees.

Now, that's some democracy. Too few voters, voting too many times.

Today, Dick Zimmer called himself, “The Un-Lautenberg”.

He’s also the “Un-Torricelli” and the “Un-Holt”. These are all the people Zimmer has lost to. Maybe he is also the Un-Yousouff, by this point. Joe Yousouff was the last guy Zimmer beat, waaay back in 1994.

Once unbeatable in his day ---but now, Dick Zimmer is so last century.

I don’t know what the Republicans were thinking when they thought of Zimmer, after Estabrook dropped out and the Goya Guy fizzled. Zimmer could not even win the line in his own county.

If you are a 30 year old voter, with a family and kids living in New Jersey and paying exorbitant amounts for gas and property taxes, you were 16 years old the last time Zimmer won an election. Does anyone outside of insider Republican Party hacks know who this guy is?

Zimmer told the Star Ledger that “I'm not promising I'll win the pork barrel game…[W]hat I want to do is make it possible for taxpayers to keep their money in the first place."

Of course, this is the case only if he is not working as a lobbyist and getting paid his piece of that pork barrel pig. Like the big bucks he made from working as a lobbyist for Hunterdon and Somerset Counties trying to stop the Highlands legislation -----where he porked-barreled his way to $15,000 a month. He failed at that effort: So, tell us, Dick---are you going to give back to the tax payers any percentage of that money you took on their behalf?

Zimmer complained that New Jersey gets fewer dollars from Washington than just about any other state, and that Senator Lautenberg is not bringing home the bacon. Dick---how can you be against pork barrel spending, take the big government contract dollars yourself when it suits you, and then complain that Senator Lautenberg isn't bringing back enough in pork barrel spending??

Another clueless wonder is Murray Sabrin, who keeps on calling for his opponents to drop out----while he drops campaign cash bet last weekend on the Kentucky Derby. And he calls himself the front runner. He is about as much of a front runner as the horse he bet on ---- Cowboy Cal---who galloped his way to a ninth place finish.

So, my prediction for the Republican Senate candidate race winner is Jersey Joe Pennacchio, who is running commercials with the catchy jingle. However, this Jersey Joe is out of his league, if he thinks he can beat either Andrews or Lautenberg. His current values seem to be in line with the "Nationalist Agenda" values he espouse back in the early 90's.

On the short end of the stick

I ran in to Hunterdon County Republican Chairman Henry Kuhl the other day, and we started chatting, as we will from time to time, about the 7th Congressional District race. The Republican have not been short of candidates there---there are seven –count’em---seven, at this time. Senator Leonard Lance seems to lead the pack, if there can be a leader in a pack of seven.

However, the Republicans have had a tougher time getting candidates in the race for United States Senate. Folks have been coming and going so quickly in that race. And some, like Andy Unanue, was gone before he came.

So, former Congressman Dick Zimmer was recruited to get in to the race. Zimmer lives in Delaware Township in Hunterdon County.

The last time Zimmer ran, he lost in a squeaker to Rush Holt in 2000. Before that, he lost the Senate race to Robert Torricelli in 1996. So, the last time he won a race --any race—he ran for Congress for the 3rd time against an unknown Democratic candidate, Joe Youssouf whom he beat by more than two to one. That was in 1994.

So, one would think that Zimmer could easily get the all-important-party line in his home county. Not a chance. The Hunterdon Republicans already endorsed Joe Pennacchio, giving him the line. But Kuhl called a meeting and reposed the question.

Last week both Pennacchio and Zimmer went before a special meeting of the Hunterdon County Republican Committee, to re-give the line to Zimmer. Problem was, Zimmer lost 34-30. So, Pennacchio won the line twice.

Chairman Kuhl’s answer: “He did not get his people there.” Certainly one would think that Zimmer knows more people than Pennacchio in Hunterdon. But, apparently, they were all ‘busy’ that night.

Zimmer has a long way to go to November, if he cannot win in his own county. He still must beat Prof. Murray Sabin and Joe "Nationalist Agenda" Pennacchio.

The Republican Senate Turnstile turns on Dick Zimmer

The last time we saw Dick Zimmer, he was conceding defeat to Congressman Rush Holt in 2000 in what was a mirror image of the Gore-Bush race. Unlike the national presidential race, the local congressional race turned out better for the district and the Democrats.

So, after going through Senate candidates like bloggers go through cliches, the Republicans finally landed on Zimmer.

What's left of the Gang of Six----is Doherty-Estabrook-Sabrin-Unanue-Crowley-Pennacchio, the Sabrin and -Pennacchio campaigns are the only ones left to deal with the mess.

The Republicans have turned to two-time loser, Dick Zimmer. Once unbeatable, Zimmer first fell to Robert Torricelli in 1996 in the Senate race and then to Rush Holt in the 2000 squeaker. Since then, Zimmer has worked as a lobbyist. He was hired by the Hunterdon County Freeholders for thousands and thousands of tax dollars to try to defeat the legislation that created the Highlands. Yupper, he's gonna work out just fine.

Once considered unbeatable, the last time Zimmer won a race in 1994. If you’re voting for the first time, then the last time Zimmer won a race you were four years old.

He is not as well known state-wide as the Republicans think he is.

If he is the best the Republicans have, let’s get on with it.