PRESS RELEASE: Now Is Not The Time To Be Bitter

Republican candidate for US Congress in CD1, Claire Gustafson, has a little motherly advice for two Senate candidates today. Her press release follows:

Claire Gustafson, Republican candidate for Congress in New Jersey’s First Congressional District, after reading reports that unsuccessful GOP US Senate candidates Tricia Flanagan and Hirsh Singh haven’t coalesced behind the winner of the primary election, Rik Mehta, said, “Now is not the time to be bitter.”

“I’ve been where Flanagan and Singh are now, I lost a hard-fought four-way congressional primary in 2014,” Claire Gustafson said, “I get it, losing isn’t fun. What I didn’t do was discourage my supporters from getting behind the winner. Instead, I made sure I supported Garry Cobb and even contributed financially to his campaign.”

Gustafson continued, “Telling a reporter, ‘I’m going to let him call me. I’d like to hear more about his platform and about what he offers,’ sends the wrong message to your supporters. Even worse, filing for a recount in four counties will change nothing. These actions have the potential to hurt down-ballot races.”

“President Trump’s voters are going to vote for him no matter what.” Gustafson added, “What concerns me is that because Flanagan and Singh refuse to back Mehta Republican voters will simply skip the rest of the ballot.”

“This election is far too important to risk losing down-ballot races simply because candidates suffered a tough loss.” Gustafson said, “No question Flanagan and Singh both garnered a significant number of votes, now it is time to encourage party unity and encourage those voters to support the entire Republican ticket. This is a golden opportunity for Flanagan and Singh to step up and be leaders in our party. I’m happy to help make that happen, I’m just a phone call away.”

ICYMI: Kate Gibbs Smacks David Richter Over The Head With Hirsh Singh

Kate Gibbs

Late yesterday, as I was watching people argue on my Facebook page over former beauty pageant winner and Republican US Senate candidate Hirsh Singh’s “vote early and if you change your mind, vote again” strategy I received a press release from Republican candidate in CD3 Kate Gibbs’ campaign.

I didn’t post the Gibbs release because, like I said, it was late and I didn’t get around to reading it until this morning. If you haven’t seen the release on InsiderNJ or New Jersey Globe’s take on it, the text of the release follows:

Republican Kate Gibbs’ campaign released the following statement today in response to U.S. Senate candidate Hirsh Singh’s recent mailer advocating for voter fraud:

“Hirsh Singh’s recent mailer openly advocating for voter fraud is one of the more outrageous and ridiculous things I’ve ever seen a candidate put in a piece of literature — and that’s saying something” stated Gibbs’ Campaign Manager Angelo Lamberto. “Given that David Richter has so closely tied himself to Singh and are running as a united ticket in Burlington and Ocean County, I am concerned about the potential impact this misinformation campaign may have on voters already confused by this chaotic election cycle. David Richter has an obligation to denounce Singh and distance himself from Singh’s campaign publicly over this mess. David should refuse to participate in any GOP club meetings or events, including the upcoming Berkeley Township Republican Club Meeting, unless Singh is disinvited.”

I’ve made it no secret that I have been doing my best to stay out of the steel cage match that is the Republican primary in CD3 because I have friends on both sides of this one.

Unfortunately, for me, I’m going to piss off some of my friends because Gibbs is right to call on David Richter to denounce Singh. Richter chose to bracket with Singh in the Burlington County portion of CD3. Richter could have just as easily bracketed with Tricia Flanagan, Natalie Rivera or that other guy nobody ever heard of who suddenly appeared on filing day.

Because Richter chose to bracket with Singh it is his responsibility to denounce him for advocating voter fraud.

To put Richter’s choice of bracketing with Singh in perspective: Even the condom-hating Bob Patterson in CD2 was smart enough not to bracket with Singh.

Now it’s time for David Richter to take his “money shot” and denounce Singh.

US Senate Candidate Begs For Letters Of Support; Is The Singh Campaign Getting Desperate?

Singh during the talent portion at a beauty pageant

It’s time to face reality. And the reality that is hard for some to face is that the Republican primary for US Senate is a two-man race between biotech entrepreneur, frontrunner Rik Mehta and former beauty pageant winner Hirsh Singh.

I get it! I’ve been around politics long enough to know campaigns recruit supporters to write letters to the editor supporting their candidate. I know some campaigns that have gone so far as to write the letters and find volunteers willing to sign them. It’s a common practice and that’s fine.

What I have never seen is a candidate get on social media to beg people to write letters and actually admit they need to “increase our name recognition.” That’s exactly what Singh is doing. Begging for folks to write letters to the editor:

Not only is Singh begging supporters to send letters, he’s encouraging them to stay on the editors to ensure the letters get published. And, the writers should be “self motivated and initiate the letter.” If they were self-motivated they would be doing this without Singh going on social media and begging them to do it.

Maybe I’m a little jaded because I recently had to warn a Singh troll to stop posting on our Facebook page the same old, tired, ridiculous attacks against Mehta, you know more of the same old RINO bullshit.

Or maybe the reason Singh is on social media begging people to write letters to the editor is that I was right when I wrote, “the Singh campaign has a “net value” of ($18,773). NEGATIVE $18,773!”

Perhaps having a campaign organization with a lower net value than long-shot social media campaigner Tricia Flanagan has driven Singh to take a page out of her book and he’s trying to become a social media campaigner too. That’s not going to work, Flanagan already occupies the “Donald Trump could do it, so can I lane.” Newsflash to both: neither of you are Donald Trump!

It’s not like this race is hard to handicap. Mehta is the only candidate with enough real money in the bank to get his message out to the voters and he has the majority of the county lines. The four lines Singh won are easily offset by what Mehta has. The pathetic begging for letters to the editor is just another sign Singh doesn’t have the money to compete. And all the social media in the world isn’t going to convince enough primary election voters that the same old, tired, ridiculous attacks against Mehta and the same old RINO bullshit are anywhere near true, which they aren’t.

Hold on to your seats, there are going to be many more acts of desperation between now and July 7.