Phil Murphy is running one of the most liberal campaigns for Gov in recent times

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New Jersey's Murphy echoes Sanders in Democratic bid for governor

Phil Murphy, a wealthy former Goldman Sachs investment banker, might seem an unlikely champion of the working and middle classes. But New Jersey’s Democratic candidate for governor, who leads Republican Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno by double digits in polls, has pushed to increase taxes for corporations and the rich to pay for a plethora of populist policy proposals: tuition-free community college, increased school funding and tax credits for families. “A lot of people assumed that after the Democratic primary was over, he would pivot more to the center - we haven’t seen that happen,” said Brigid Callahan Harrison, a political science professor at Montclair State University in New Jersey.

Like Sanders, Murphy has focused his message on a “fairer” economy, vowing to help the middle, not the moneyed, class. He highlights his working-class childhood as proof he understands financial struggle. He has backed a $15 minimum wage, proposed a public bank to provide low-interest loans to residents and promised to force “corporations, hedge funds and the wealthiest among us” to pay their fair share. Murphy also has woven more traditional Democratic social issues into his campaign, even as he embraces liberal causes such as legalizing marijuana.

Most notably, Murphy has said he would extend protections for illegal immigrants, turning New Jersey into a “sanctuary state.” Guadagno seized on that issue, airing a television commercial that said Murphy “will have the backs of deranged murderers.” “Phil Murphy is even to the left of Bernie Sanders,” Guadagno campaign spokesman Ricky Diaz said. “Phil Murphy is out of touch with middle class families who want to make the state safer and more affordable.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-new-jersey-election/new-jerseys-murphy-echoes-sanders-in-democratic-bid-for-governor-idUSKBN1CS1D4

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I can see it now:

"Sanders WOULD have won! This guaranteed victory by Phil Murphy, who is campaigning like Bernie, in which the Republican could not win proves it!"

Despite the fact that he's currently matching Clinton's margin in NJ in a far more favorable environment than she had.

That is not a fair statement. NJ had a Republican Gov & 2 time Republican Gov. VT, Mass, MD have GOP Governors & are super blue at the Presidential level & are some of the strongest & sure-shot Dem states that there is.

Downballot & Governor races are often less partisan, especially in open races like these. Comparing it to the Presidential race is like comparing apples & oranges.

Even in Nov, 2015 when the mood was going against the GOP, The Democrat won by 10% odd. Democrat Gov. candidates have never won by margins anywhere close to the Presidential level.

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I can see it now:

"Sanders WOULD have won! This guaranteed victory by Phil Murphy, who is campaigning like Bernie, in which the Republican could not win proves it!"

Despite the fact that he's currently matching Clinton's margin in NJ in a far more favorable environment than she had.

That is not a fair statement. NJ had a Republican Gov & 2 time Republican Gov. VT, Mass, MD have GOP Governors & are super blue at the Presidential level & are some of the strongest & sure-shot Dem states that there is.

Downballot & Governor races are often less partisan, especially in open races like these. Comparing it to the Presidential race is like comparing apples & oranges.

Even in Nov, 2015 when the mood was going against the GOP, The Democrat won by 10% odd. Democrat Gov. candidates have never won by margins anywhere close to the Presidential level.

It's true that gubernatorial races are less partisan, but you also have to take into account that Trump is toxic in the state, Christie is even more toxic, Christie's LG is the Republican candidate, Murphy is outspending Guadagno, the political environment is (supposedly) horrible for Republicans at the moment, and that Murphy led by 25-30 points earlier on in the year.

When you consider all the factors as a whole, he "should" probably be doing better than he currently is.

Yea but how is 25% realistic ? People said the same about "Swing State Utah" or Arizona & Georgia & even Texas turning blue n stuff. It is crazy. Trump & Christie maybe toxic but ultimately most of the Republican voters will come home. The campaign will get personal, partisan & these lead vanishes. Ultimately in Murphy wins by 10-12%+, I think it will be a solid win from a state which had a 2 time GOP Gov.

I do find it quite hilarious and telling that Hillary got zero credit from leftists for her historically progressive campaign platform because she gave paid speeches to Wall Street, yet literal Goldman Sachs executive Phil Murphy is given the benefit of the doubt and a fair chance.

Murphy is not running for President. I don't think people will have as much problem if Hillary was running for Gov.

Ultimately there were negotiations with Bernie, haggling in the Platform committee votes & ultimately Hillary adopted most of Bernie's agenda to get Bernie's endorsement. Or atleast that is what it seemed because she campaigned vigorously against many of those proposals in the primary.

And many people criticize her for insufficiently campaigning for those promises. She barely mentioned a 15$ Minimum wage in the primary. Her ads were mostly against Trump & his personality. In the end, if you are honest, you will say her campaign was more about Trump being unfit for President rather than a huge focus on her progressive economic agenda.

I remember when Trump blasted her on ACA failures, Hillary kept saying I want to fix this, he wants to tear it down without talking about Fixes negotiated by her & Sanders - Public Option, Lowering Medicare eligibility age, drug imports, Medicare negotiating prices. None of these would have solved the ACA problems, but to the average clueless voter it looks like solutions rather than "I will fix it" without specifics after having some office since the 90s.

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“Phil Murphy is a genuine traitor” JFC man do you hear/see the things you say?

Thanks for pointing that out! I meant to write "class traitor". (in a non-serious way, of course) FWIW, I saw someone on AAD give Ro Khanna that label in response to a discussion about his shift to the left over the past year.

Anyway, I'm not sure what's so controversial about my post? The idea that people should take everything politicians do/say at face value is an absurd one and even most apolitical people realize that.

Of course he does. Most BernieBro holdouts are just Branch Trumpidians in disguise.

Okay, but given that I'm not a "BernieBro holdout" or in any sense sympathetic to Trump or his policies...?

Again, the idea of a socialist being a tad bit skeptical of a Goldman Sachs executive's seemingly-sudden lurch to the left really shouldn't be surprising.

Ro Khanma is really just an opportunistic hack. If he told me the sky was blue I’d have to look outside just to check.

Ro Khanna is an interesting case. He has one of the most progressive record of anyone in Congress. He was an outspoken critic of the Iraq before it was cool to be it & before Obama highlighted it & ran a campaign based on it. He was for Single Payer in 2015 odd when few Dems supported it.

I am unsure how opportunistic he is. Having ties to big business or rich doesn't mean you are not progressive. Grayson was a hedge fund guy & FDR was a rich guy. Khanna is now suddenly the new champion of progressive policies as per his tweets & that should be taken with a pinch of salt but I find him proposing original ideas for a politician. His EITC is IMO a much better than UBI & is a bold progressive new proposal.