REPORT: Steinhardt Is In!

Doug Steinhardt

New Jersey Globe is first out with the news (that everyone assumed was coming)! David Wildstein, the guy who never sleeps, reports:

New Jersey Republican State Chairman Doug Steinhardt, one of Gov. Phil Murphy’s fiercest critics for the last three years,  has decided to seek the Republican nomination for Governor in 2021, filing incorporation papers with the state to establish a campaign committee on Wednesday evening.

It appears South Jersey is shaping up to be a battleground.

Cumberland County GOP Chair state Senator Michael Testa and Salem County Republican Chair Linda DuBois offering support to Steinhardt in the New Jersey Globe piece.

Conventional wisdom has Gloucester going with Jack Ciattarelli. Camden is looking at going to a convention to decide who gets that line.

Ciattarelli rolled out a bunch of endorsements in Atlantic recently and word on the street is Cape May leans Steinhardt.

This all means South Jersey should see plenty of primary election action.

We all know the arguments against the two frontrunners, I’m not going to rehash them here because we are all going to read them on the social media pages of the other candidate in the race, former beauty pageant winner Hirsh Singh, as he bangs away at his keyboard from the comfort of his parents’ basement.

Choose wisely folks because, believe it or not, Governor Phil Murphy is going to be tough to beat.

CD2 Action: Fitzherbert Rolls Out Another Endorsement; Richter Inches Closer To Making It Official; Grossman Swipes At Richter; Patterson No Comments

CD2 frontrunners David Richter and Brian Fitzherbert at a Salem County event

Last week I wrote that “a CD2 primary could be fun to watch” and with about 42 weeks until primary election day 2020 this week is starting out “fun to watch.”

I wasn’t planning on writing about CD2 this morning but, early this morning, before I had my first cup of coffee, the campaign of announced CD2 candidate Brian Fitzherbert sent a press release announcing the endorsement of former Cumberland County Freeholder and State Assemblyman Sam Fiocchi. According to the release:

“As many in South Jersey know, Brian and I were competitors in the last election for Congress. Over the campaign, we struck up a friendship and I have to say how lucky we are as Republicans to have Brian in the party. He has the conservative ideals, the intelligence, the will, and the energy to win this race,” Fiocchi said.

Fiocchi continued, “There will not be anyone more relentless than Brian in this race. I’m thrilled he is running. Jeff Van Drew was a do-nothing Legislator in Trenton and he’s a do-nothing Congressman in Washington D.C. If there was ever a Republican candidate to defeat Jeff Van Drew, Brian is it. I’m pleased to endorse Brian Fitzherbert for Congress.”

Also, early this morning. One of our favorites (even if he is on another radio station), Harry Hurley broke the news that, “As early as today, Monday, August 12, 2019, but, most likely tomorrow” exploring CD2 candidate David Richter will make it official:

Hurley’s Facebook post is lengthy. Visit his official Facebook Page to read the complete post.

The Richter news falls in line with an off-the-record conversation I had last week in which I was told Richter would likely make it official within a week. Kudos Harry on getting to break the news on-the-record.

The real fun in the Richter news was that last year’s nominee and potential 2020 CD2 candidate Seth Grossman took a swipe at Richter. Richter, much to my surprise, turned out to be a good counter-puncher:

Admittedly, I didn’t think Richter had it in him. Turns out nice guys can fight back and make me laugh in the process.

I also had the opportunity to speak with the other announced candidate in CD2, Robert “Bob” Patterson. I explained to him the Bob & Steve Show has been getting a lot of emails since the New Jersey Globe piece about his “Semen-Exposed” thoughts. Patterson said he had no comment, offered to have me talk to his media person, someone with ColdSpark Media, he said they were the best, I told him I’m the best (I simply couldn’t pass up that opportunity), and then he informed me that David Wildstein at the New Jersey Globe is a “gossip columnist.” Naturally, I explained that Wildstein does news and we do much more gossip with a little bit of news thrown in. The conversation pretty much ended there.

“Semen-Exposed” thoughts aside, we do know, given the fact Patterson has professional help, he is serious about making his run.

So that’s it, a fairly exciting first day of the week in the CD2 2020 Republican primary. It’s definitely going to be fun to watch.

Note: While Bob has endorsed Brian Fitzherbert for next year’s CD2 primary, Steve is completely neutral and making no endorsement

Flawed Politicians, Is There Something In The Water In Camden County?

Four flawed Camden County politicians

What do former Assemblyman Arthur Barclay, Haddon Township Commissioner Paul Dougherty, Voorhees Township Deputy Mayor Jason Ravitz and freeholder candidate Vincent Squire have in common? One would guess, given the admittedly partisan slant of this blog, the answer is all are Democrats and that would be untrue. Squire is a Republican. Despite popular belief, at The Bob & Steve Show, we do call out Republicans when they are wrong. 

What these four have in common is they are all Camden County politicians who have had some sort of “issue” with law enforcement within the past year. Every single one of these men are likely to make the first annual Bob & Steve Show Naughty and Nice List coming in December.

 Barclay, you may recall, was arrested on assault charges and eventually resigned.

 Dougherty was involved in a hit and run accident and Haddon Township residents have alleged he was seen drinking at a Township sponsored event.

Ravitz, thanks to the great David Wildstein at the New Jersey Globe, we have learned has had at least two incidents involving drinking and local police. The first incident at Ott’s Tavern and the second at an Applebee’s. I quit drinking over two years ago and was no stranger to a bar fight, but seriously, who the hell gets into a bar fight at Applebee’s? Not even I was that big an ass!

Last on the list is Squire who was disavowed by the Camden County Republican Party after it was learned he has a current second-degree assault charge filed against him by his own son, which is pending in Superior Court.

Three Democrats and one Republican politician, all from Camden County with “issues” with law enforcement in Camden County. There is one big difference in how these politicians’ respective parties have handled the “issues.”

Camden County Republicans, upon learning of their candidate’s flaws, asked Squire to drop out of the race, when he refused Republicans publicly disavowed him.

Camden County Democrats appear to be fine with their flawed candidates. The Barclay incident was kept hidden from the public for 11 days. Democrats didn’t utter a word about the incident until he resigned and it’s been reported he still has a $60,000/year county job. The Dougherty incident was kept quiet for two weeks. Finally, there are the two incidents involving Ravitz, one from August 2017 and one earlier this year. Not a peep from county Democrats.

One thing that is obvious is that in Camden County Republicans are willing to clean their own house, in public if it comes to it, the Democrats, no so much. It’s as if Democrats in that county circle the wagons around their flawed politicians.

Maybe Camden County Democrats could learn by the example of CCGOP Chairman Rich Ambrosino and do some internal house cleaning. If they don’t state Senator Jim Beach, the county’s Democratic party chairman might join these four flawed candidate on The Bob & Steve Show’s Naughty and Nice List in December.