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

[Shadows]

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

[BuckeyeNut]

Unsurprising. White cis-men are afforded the opportunity to be more openly Left than others given their societal status.

[KingSweden]

But muh Goldman Sachs neoliberal corporatist shill!1!!

[PoliticalShelter]

Considering the recent shift to the left the democrats have been going through in the recent years, this isn't really all that surprising TBH.

[Mr. Smith]

Unsurprising. White cis-men are afforded the opportunity to be more openly Left than others given their societal status.

Keith Ellison would have a word with you, took some scare-campaigning...and even then, Perez only
barely scraped by.

Obama also ran a record left for the time, won by 7 points.

[GlobeSoc]

Shades of Owen Smith.

In what ways?

[OneJ]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

After reading this, I'm now pretty sure that she deserves to lose and lose by a hefty margin too.

[Suburbia]

Murphy will win in November 2017, clearly, but he has to be careful that he does not overstep or else he could lose to Jack Ciattarelli or Tom Kean, Jr. in 2021.

[America Needs a 13-6 Progressive SCOTUS]

Calling it now--Phil Murphy's gonna lose reelection in 2021.

Lol

Murphy is going to win reelection in 2021, and it will not be close then either.

[Hindsight was 2020]

Psst Berniebros this is a sign that you're winning

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Unsurprising. White cis-men are afforded the opportunity to be more openly Left than others given their societal status.

Clearly a white man was the one vote against WW2 and the Afghanistan war.

[BuckeyeNut]

Unsurprising. White cis-men are afforded the opportunity to be more openly Left than others given their societal status.

Keith Ellison would have a word with you, took some scare-campaigning...and even then, Perez only
barely scraped by.

Obama also ran a record left for the time, won by 7 points.

Interesting. If Ellison wanted a word, he could call me.

Just because white men are afforded a greater opportunity to run -- and win -- Left obviously doesn't mean people of other identities can't. Cripes.

Anyway, all well and good for Murphy. Still odd, given his background, but lord knows New Jersey has deserved better than Christie.

[TheSaint250]

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!"

[IceSpear]

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.

[Shadows]

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.

[IceSpear]

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.

[BudgieForce]

@IceSpear
I really think pollsters are underestimating Murphy. Murphy's issue is name recognition, and thats keeping his margin down. On November 7th, I expect him to win by +20.

[International Brotherhood of Bernard]

Also, I would add that in general New Jersey in non-federal races is much swingier than its federal PVI lets on. Since 1981 pretty much all elected Dem governors have been flops who served 1 term or less, and many people in the state who vote D federally b/c they think the national GOP is bonkers vote GOP in state races b/c of more local issues like crime and property taxes. Given those factors, a Murphy win that just about matches Clinton's margin would actually be fairly good, and any extra margin he gets would likely be a result of the far-more-toxic-than-usual national Republican administration driving up D turnout and driving down R turnout.

[IceSpear]

Also, I would add that in general New Jersey in non-federal races is much swingier than its federal PVI lets on. Since 1981 pretty much all elected Dem governors have been flops who served 1 term or less, and many people in the state who vote D federally b/c they think the national GOP is bonkers vote GOP in state races b/c of more local issues like crime and property taxes. Given those factors, a Murphy win that just about matches Clinton's margin would actually be fairly good, and any extra margin he gets would likely be a result of the far-more-toxic-than-usual national Republican administration driving up D turnout and driving down R turnout.

Do Bridgegate and Christie's 15% approval rating not count as local issues? And it's not as if the NJGOP is distancing themselves from Christie. His second in command is the Republican nominee!

[JerryArkansas]

Shades of Owen Smith.

In what ways?

(CW: American #analysis re: British politics, was written on my phone so probably a lack of proper sentence structure, kind of reads as a cheap Al impersonation - really just a terrible post all around)

Pretty much just a superficial (and non-serious) comparison based on Smith's progression from Pfizer executive to Left MP. That being said, the situation is pretty different considering that Smith was "lefty" Before It Was Cool* while Murphy's progression to wannabe progressive firebrand is probably just in response to national trends, considering that he's still very much a New Jersey machine candidate and probably shouldn't be trusted. I'll still try to be optimistic about Murphy and hope he isn't just putting on a show, though.

*Not entirely accurate, and it'd be hard to argue that Smith is on the spectrum of what currently constitutes "Labour Left", but Smith IIRC played the Soft Left role during Miliband's tenure while other prospective leadership hopefuls/Low Energy Losers like Umunna still thought they could win a leadership election on the backs of Progress activists etc.

Damn even when someone is running the exact campaign to bring people like you on, you still sh**t on him for it. 

[International Brotherhood of Bernard]

Also, I would add that in general New Jersey in non-federal races is much swingier than its federal PVI lets on. Since 1981 pretty much all elected Dem governors have been flops who served 1 term or less, and many people in the state who vote D federally b/c they think the national GOP is bonkers vote GOP in state races b/c of more local issues like crime and property taxes. Given those factors, a Murphy win that just about matches Clinton's margin would actually be fairly good, and any extra margin he gets would likely be a result of the far-more-toxic-than-usual national Republican administration driving up D turnout and driving down R turnout.

Do Bridgegate and Christie's 15% approval rating not count as local issues? And it's not as if the NJGOP is distancing themselves from Christie. His second in command is the Republican nominee!

I would say Guadagno has been trying to distance herself from Christie (reminding people that she's literally not him in debates or just completely ignoring him), but not super successfully given Murphy has several ads calling her a third term of Christie. But when it comes time to vote there is a chunk of voters who will think that despite their misgivings with Christie's corruption and virtual abandonment of the state, a vote to give Democrats total control of Trenton is a vote to raise their already-high taxes and thus will come home to Guadagno. Not enough to change the outcome, mind you, but enough to make it at typical New Jersey 55/56% D - 41%/42% R race.

[Cactus Jack]

Shades of Owen Smith.

In what ways?

(CW: American #analysis re: British politics, was written on my phone so probably a lack of proper sentence structure, kind of reads as a cheap Al impersonation - really just a terrible post all around)

Pretty much just a superficial (and non-serious) comparison based on Smith's progression from Pfizer executive to Left MP. That being said, the situation is pretty different considering that Smith was "lefty" Before It Was Cool* while Murphy's progression to wannabe progressive firebrand is probably just in response to national trends, considering that he's still very much a New Jersey machine candidate and probably shouldn't be trusted. I'll still try to be optimistic about Murphy and hope he isn't just putting on a show, though.

*Not entirely accurate, and it'd be hard to argue that Smith is on the spectrum of what currently constitutes "Labour Left", but Smith IIRC played the Soft Left role during Miliband's tenure while other prospective leadership hopefuls/Low Energy Losers like Umunna still thought they could win a leadership election on the backs of Progress activists etc.

Damn even when someone is running the exact campaign to bring people like you on, you still sh**t on him for it. 

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

[KingSweden]

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

[IceSpear]

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.

[cinyc]

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.

While Murphy himself might be outspending Guadagno, the RGA has made heavy TV buys for her. I’ve probably seen more anti-Murphy RGA ads on NYC TV than Murphy ads.

For those not in the NYC or Philly TV markets, Murphy appears to have one ad, slamming Christie and Guadagno on Bridgegate. The RGA is running a number of what appear to be 15-second ads slamming Murphy for, among other things, wanting to hike taxes and being too liberal for New Jersey. Guadagno herself has an ad out slamming Murphy on wanting to make New Jersey a sanctuary state.