My (Democratic) Assemblymen lost my vote tomorrow.

[Pab Sungenis]

ETA: New Jersey, 1st Assembly District (Cumberland/Cape May)

I got a robocall, claiming to be from "Albano/Milam For Assembly" (the Democrats) claiming that they and State Senator Jeff Van Drew were against gay marriage, and would vote against gay marriage if it comes before them.

Refusing to believe this, I called the local office of Van Drew for clarification. They had an answering machine taking calls:

"...if you have received a 'same sex marriage' mailer, please note that Senator Jeff Van Drew, Assemblyman Neslon Albano, and Assemblyman Matt Milam, are AGAINST gay marriage. They believe the rights of marriage only belong with a man and a woman, and will vote against a gay marriage bill if it comes before them in the Legislature."

If you don't believe me, you can hear it for yourself: [phone]

Looks like this is the first time since I was able to vote that I'm not voting for the Democrats for Assembly in my district.

Go ahead, unrec me, but if you do. please tell me why I should blindly support a party that votes against me?

[stray cat]

1. Hopefully the republican candidate will do a better job of protecting your rights

[tekisui]

2. It is better to be screwed by a Donkey than an Elephant, right?

I won't await a response.

[Pab Sungenis]

5. Again, better to be spit in the face than stabbed in the back.

I'm writing in Paul L. Sungenis and Bryan F. Irrera tomorrow in protest. And if Albano and Milam lose because of my votes, oh well. Maybe we'll do better two years from now.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

47. A fine example of the reason many Dems accept the status quo year after year n/t

[Statistical]

3. No unrec from me.

You got to draw a line somewhere. Apparently they believe homophobia is acceptable AND popular.

The fact that the answering machine explains they are AGAINST it makes it seem like they are almost afraid some people might think they are against marriage equality and want to make sure everyone knows how bigoted they are.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. I would never unrec this...

And I certainly understand where you're coming from.

So what will you do? Not vote? Vote for the Republican? I kind of doubt that...

The Democrats against gay marriage need to get the message. Hopefully your stand will help them see the light.

Better candidates must be found, and put into office.

I'm sorry...

K&R

[Pab Sungenis]

8. I'm writing in my own name

and my partner's. I'm voting for Corzine (he's pro-marriage) and the local "breakaway" Democrats who are further left than the "regular" Democrats for freeholder.

The only two choices for Assembly are the Democrats and the Republicans, so I'm writing in Paul L. Sungenis and Bryan F. Irrera for Assembly tomorrow.

[VMI Dem]

6. Its a shame that the mindset of these candidates comes from the top our party.

I salute you.

[Warpy]

7. We've all got cutoff points

that would make voting for some conservative Democrats analogous to voting for a pro slavery candidate in the 1850s.

Yours is gay marriage. Mine is choice, although I'd have to look very hard at alternatives in the primary to an anti gay civil rights but pro choice candidate. That type of self contradiction bodes ill for any firm position on much of anything.

I can't tell anyone else how to vote and I'm sorry your candidates are putrid. I often feel your pain here in NM, where the Democrats are often the more corrupt party at the local level.

However, the Republicans are just plain crazy. There is no way any of them would get my vote.

[Pab Sungenis]

10. If I'd known about this in the primary

I would have voted against them there, or made sure we had someone running against them. They kept this pretty well hidden until a mailer from the Republicans accusing them of being pro-marriage made them tip their hands.

And I'm not voting for the Republicans, either. I'm writing in two good Democrats instead: Sungenis and Irrera.

[Warpy]

21. Good for you

No matter who gets in, your job will be to support anybody running against them in the primary next time.

And keep doing that until the party gets it right.

[derby378]

9. I wouldn't trust the answering machine, either

Why not speak to someone at Van Drew's office directly, face-to-face if possible? Or does he have a campaign website?

[Pab Sungenis]

12. There was nothing on the website

and all the offices have the same answering machine message. I left a message asking for a callback but I don't expect one.

[robinlynne]

13. If the man put up a messsage at his office, he is being loud and clear imho.

[opihimoimoi]

11. Falling for the divide and conquer thingy ...single issues is the GOPiacs mission..

note that the GOP never have viable solutions..all they do is split us to spit on us...

Its the overall big picture we should all remain focused on...

[VMI Dem]

14. So making our party leadership bigots is a GOP shadow op?

Impressive.

[Pab Sungenis]

16. When the single issue is your life and death

then there's nothing wrong with voting for it.

I remember all the shit that I had to drag my lawyer into my hospital room to deal with in 2007, and he had to sit there and wait for my painkillers to wear off so I could legally sign medical powers of attorney and an updated will to protect my partner. Stuff that would have been automatic if we had been married.

Then the hospital would STILL refuse to let Bryan in or talk to him from time to time on important issues because we weren't legally married. I'm sure he'd tell you in more detail and in saltier language about all he had to deal with.

Slavery was a "single issue." Jim Crow is a "single issue." For me, THIS is a "single issue." And any Democrat who doesn't support this issue doesn't deserve my support.

[tekisui]

17. Is the big picture pushing the Democratic Party further right?

If so, I'm not interested.

[opihimoimoi]

31. The big picture encompasses Reason, Truth and Sanity..how to advance ...not eat our own

[Pab Sungenis]

34. But this time

"our own" are eating me. And not in a good way, either.

[opihimoimoi]

40. As you are frustrated/hurt/and pissed off...so am I...with the myopia of the GOP

who stagnant/repress our Society with their selfinterst/greedy/Bully Ways.

Peace ....Opi

[Pab Sungenis]

42. Well, when Democrats act like the Republicans do in that way

then it's time to get rid of them, no matter what their party affiliation is. That frees up a space for someone who WILL continue the trek toward progress.

[opihimoimoi]

43. Think of the Whole and ya think of the Small...if that idiot rep of yours offends

the deal that much...by all means .... 86 the dude...

Opi

[Pab Sungenis]

49. I AM thinking of the whole.

A bad Democrat is harder for us to get rid of than a bad Republican because we have people like you with the whole "my party right or wrong" mentality defending them.

[opihimoimoi]

52. NO, you're not thinking of the Whole...more like self interest...sorry

[QC]

48. Homophobic bigots are not "my own." n/t

[MattBaggins]

28. Ahh the magical mystical big picture

You know those mosaics that people make where they take lots of tiny pictures of people and make an image out of them. That is what your "big picture" is. Gays and their right to live life unmolested is one of many pieces of your "big picture".

[opihimoimoi]

32. My big Picture is Solutions for a Better World through LOGIC, Reason, and the Common Good.

Without the Mystical BIG PICTURE....we wouldn't have PROGRESS...we have the Hands to build...but lack the brains to solve the BIG PROBLEMS to advance expeditiously...we are being help up with divisive tactics...

[MattBaggins]

33. Your "big picture" is a nice bumper sticker platitude

but I am a "devil in the details" kind of guy. By the time we get done throwing Gays, Women, Health Care, Unions and all the other things we supposedly stand for under the bus, you just might find that the Magic Big Picture is a giant middle finger pointed in our direction.

[Pab Sungenis]

35. But with people like this

who are against progress, standing in our way on our own side, progress becomes infinitely harder to undertake. We have to clear the way on our own side if we're going to ever gain ground against our opponents.

[opihimoimoi]

39. The answers lay in the upward direction...not in divisive aspects...

Solve for the Big Picture and you will solve everything...

[sabrina 1]

44. They could not succeed at dividing and conquering

if the wimps that call themselves Democrats stood up for what is right. They know how to manipulate weak Democrats.

Once they 'accused' these two of being in favor of civil rights for all, they knew those Democrats would do exactly as they have done. And they knew they would lose votes once they did so.

[Bluenorthwest]

56. Obviously, it is so called 'Democrats' who are against equality

that are doing the dividing. They are the ones opposed to equal rights for other Democrats, and bleating about it with impunity that comes from our bigoted leadership, such as Tim Kaine.
I tell you this Opi, I am opposed to your having equal rights, I say your so called family is a sham, and if you do not agree with me, YOU are dividing us.
Get off your knees.

[Egnever]

60. Totaly dissagree

You have to stand up for issues that are important to you or they can do whatever they want because they give you a few crumbs. Gays need to be allowed to spend their lives with their spouses with the same rights as heteros. Anything else is barbarism and any dem who would openly declare he would vote against it would instantly lose my vote as they clearly dont have a mindset that promotes fairness and equality.

If they can shit on peoples right to be with the one they love theres no telling what else they will be so callous about.

[brooklynite]

15. Suggestion for postings like this -- specify the State/jurisdiction...

I have know idea where this race is

[Pab Sungenis]

18. Sorry, I edited to add.

NJ, 1st Assembly District (Cumberland/Cape May)

[LiberalFighter]

19. Is your group large enough to effect the outcome of that race?

If so, consider whether he still has his dental practice. And then institute a plan of attack starting with a letter writing campaign and keep increasing your attack level by level. Phone calls, letters to the editor, encouraging others not to patronize his services and finally picketing.

[Pab Sungenis]

23. Oh, I'm going to make his political life difficult from here on.

He was planning to run for Congress next year, if you believe the grapevine. Guess who he's going to have to run against in the Primary?

[AllentownJake]

20. Do a write-in

That is what I did for the pro-death penalty Attorney General candidate in 2008. I wasn't going to vote republican but I wasn't voting for the democrat either.

[Pab Sungenis]

22. That's exactly what I'm doing.

And I'm encouraging others to write in Paul L. Sungenis and Bryan F. Irrera for Assembly. (Bryan was worried about this, but I reassured him we won't win, but we'll get our word out.)

[Freddie Stubbs]

36. But you may cause Republicans to get elected to those seats

[Pab Sungenis]

37. Yeah?

The Democrats in them are voting the same way as the Republicans on the issues that affect me the most.

If they lose, then two years from now I have a chance to put REAL Democrats in their place.

If they win, then they become even more entrenched and harder for me to replace with REAL Democrats next time.

[kiva]

55. And exactly what is the difference?

A Dem who opposes equality is no better than a Repug who does so.:shrug:

[Freddie Stubbs]

57. You are assuming that they agree on every other issue as well

[MattBaggins]

24. You shouldn't

Hell you should take it further and let him know that he is losing your vote and why.

[Pab Sungenis]

26. I did.

I left it on his machine, identifying myself by name and that I was the Democratic Committeeman for Vineland Ward 6 District 2, and why I was voting against them from now on.

[Ian David]

30. Can you send an email blast to other members of your local Democratic Committee?

Ask them if they would write you in, and/or campaign for you tomorrow.

Of course, if you step on too many toes, that could cause problems for you.

[Ian David]

25. You should go out and actively campaign if you can.

Even if it's just putting fliers on windshields.

Also, a good trick is to take those free newspapers out of the vending machines in the morning, put fliers between the pages, and then put them back in the machine for the morning commute.

[Pab Sungenis]

27. We don't have free papers around here.

And there's not a lot of real campaigning you can do with only 20 hours before the polls open.

[Ian David]

29. Just something to get like 10 votes or so. Enough to be a blip on the radar screen.

Maybe hand out fliers at a gay bar?

I guess it depends on if you have $20 to make photocopies and 3-4 hours to distribute them.

I'd suggest leafletting on your home turf, and then getting a group together to stand with signs outside the polling place where one of the anti-gay Democrats are registered to vote.

(Okay, the signs CAN be expensive, but they can also be done on-the-cheap).

And while you're there, collect signatures (if you can) to be on the next ballot (even if you don't intend to actually run).

[newtothegame]

38. Because our party's Presidential candidate "made history" last Nov, and that's all that matters. n/t

[w4rma]

41. I bet the Democrat is FOR Civil Unions and the Republican would like to Jail gays, though. (nt)

[Harry Monroe]

45. If a 3rd party choice is available, vote 3rd party as a protest vote.

For the love of God, don't vote Republican!!

[Pab Sungenis]

51. There's no 3rd party for Assembly this year

or I would vote for them (if they were reasonable, not Lunatarian, for example).

That's why I'm doing the write-in.

[Autumn]

46. Good, they don't

deserve your vote. To hell with them. K/R

[arthritisR_US]

50. If I were in your shoes I wouldn't either! That would make me sit this one out or vote

3rd party.

[earcandle]

53. Work to replace these two Democrats with better ones that feel the mission of democracy.

[Pab Sungenis]

58. That's the idea.

If they don't get booted out of office today, I'll fight against them in the primary two years from now.

[cecilfirefox]

54. If the Republican supports equal rights, then by all means vote for them!! nt

[Egnever]

59. I have a similar problem

My senator is Harry Reid. I do not want him as majority leader any more , never realy did. However to get him out I have to vote republican.

His challenger is not....well anything I want to be associated with. However I desperately want harry out. It will hurt to pull that lever next november , I just dont know what else to do.


No unrec here. You cant blindly vote D, You have to stand up for what you believe in. I wish we could break the two party strangle hold.

[Freddie Stubbs]

61. Fortunately, both Democrats won this race:

http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2009results/2009-unofficial-gen-assembly-tallies-110309-f.pdf