Sen. Torricelli (D-NJ) quits race: Why do Dems think they can submit another candidate?

[mithrandir2001]

Originally posted by: CantedValve
Oh... even if Forrester won with Torch in the race, he wouldnt have represented the majority of NJ constituents (was only 47% last I looked).

When was the last time a US president was elected with over 50% of the votes. Reagan?

 

[CantedValve]

I didnt meant to imply he wouldnt have been legit. I was just pointing out that his election wasnt based on his popularity, but merely on his opponents not-popularity. Don't mistake me... I would love for the Republicans to take back the Senate.

Usually congressional races have SOMEONE over 50%... I was jut remarking that the lastest polls I saw had NOBODY over 50%, and arond 20% undecided/not voting. I don't think Forrester is winning over Democrats as much as Torricelli was making Democrats stay away from the polls.

 

[SuperTool]

I don't know if there is going to be a Dem candidate. I think there will be. If there is, he or she will win. Forrester wasted all this money defining himself as "Not Torricelli" He would have to start over and define himself again.

 

[AndrewR]

Because the NJ attorney general can allow for this, and he is a democrat.

Actually, I doubt that he can because it violates the very nature of separation of powers (executive official completely changing a legislatively determined law), which I assume is a valid doctrine in New Jersey government.

Plus, it seems like the Democratic Party knew that if Torricelli withdrew there would be serious problems for them because both Clinton (male-type) and unspecified "Democratic leaders" tried to dissuade him from withdrawing. I suspect that the petition for a new candidate is a long shot legal strategy. Wait, are we talking about Florida???

i'm sure if they knew he was a crook, they wouldn't have voted for him. i mean seriously, what would people think if stores refused to allow returns on defective products saying "you should have been smarter than to buy a defective product"?

So what's the electoral equivalent of a "restocking fee"?

 

[SuperTool]

We'll see what happens. I think that Forrester will have an opponent in the election, and that opponent will win by virtue of not being republican
I think it's more a question of whether torch will serve out the remainder of his term and some Dem. runs in the regular election, or if Torricelli resigns and there is a special election held at some later date.
Of course I might be wrong, but I doubt that Torricelli quit against the wishes of top democrats like you seem to suggest. I think he resigned precisely because of their wishes.

 

[308nato]

I'm still wondering why the guy that bribed Torricelli is serving 18 months and Torch is serving his term out in Congress. If he had been thrown in jail like he should have been when he should have been we wouldn't have to have this discussion at all. The dems would have fielded their candidate in the proper timeframe and all would be well.

 

[kranky]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
You mean the Dems could run any candidate and he/she would beat which ever Republican would run against them? If that's the case then don't you think the voters of New Jersey should have a Representative in the Senate that speaks for the Majority of the New Jersey voters?

As far as I know, people are still allowed to cast a write-in vote. All the Democrats would need to do is tell people to write in <candidate> and if what Red says is true, the Democrat would still win. That doesn't require any legal waiver or maneuvering.

 

[GoingUp]

Didn't Guilanni get replaced after the date when he withdrew from the race against Hillary?

Edit: Yes I am aware it's a different state, but I was curious about the timeframe in that one as well.

 

[Random Variable]

If they could almost get away with their shenanigans in Florida, they will surely be able to get away with this.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: Gobadgrs
Didn't Guilanni get replaced after the date when he withdrew from the race against Hillary?

Edit: Yes I am aware it's a different state, but I was curious about the timeframe in that one as well.

I think his resignation was done far enough in advance that there was no legal problem with it. He dropped out of the race on May 19 well before any deadlines kicked in.

 

[CantedValve]

We'll see what happens. I think that Forrester will have an opponent in the election, and that opponent will win by virtue of not being republican

Wow... you mean that the democrat voters might make the same mistake again? Vote for someone without doing any research?! Naw....

 

[Shantanu]

Torricelli is such a scum bag. NJ law doesn't matter. The Democrats will do anything to keep power.

 

[CPA]

I just like Torricelli's comments at his news conference yesterday. Paraphrasing: I do not wish to harm the Democrat Party or their chances to hold onto this Senate seat. HELLO??? You idiot, you already did hurt their chances. What a frickin bonehead.

 

[LH]

The Democrats are currently screwed. And they know it. Not just in NJ, but as of now, it looks like they will be losing 3 seats in the Senate, and the Republicans wont be losing any. The democrats may close the gap in the house a little more but they wont take majority.

 

[CantedValve]

Also drawing off that statement....

Shouldn't his first obligation be to his CONSTITUENTS!? Why is he worried about the Democratic party!?!?

This just goes to show how much the Democrats are only concerned with their political power.

 

[Corn]

I guess this kinda nixed that "strategy". LOL

 

[heartsurgeon]

the fix is in - the demos probably own the attorney general or the judges on the court that would review this issue -

the story that i hear is that Clinton and McAulliffe have decided the Torch can't win, and that the demos need to spend money in missouri to try and hold on to Carnahan's seat (in order to control the senate), and the demos don't want to waste money on the Torch's election. heck, maybe Clinton will run for his seat!

this is all about trying to keep the senate under democratic control.

 

[SuperTool]

What are some other tight races out there? I haven't been paying attention.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: CantedValve
Also drawing off that statement....

Shouldn't his first obligation be to his CONSTITUENTS!? Why is he worried about the Democratic party!?!?

This just goes to show how much the Democrats are only concerned with their political power.

Good God, are you blind in your right eye? The republicans do the SAME THING. Everyone votes along party lines. Torricelli got nominated again because people vote along party lines and NJ happens to have a large democratic voice. Torricelli's constituents ARE the democrats--the democrats are the ones that voted for him to begin with. Are you going to start ragging on President Bush b/c he is only campaigning for republicans and he seems to care more about the republican party than the democrats? He was elected by Republicans and a few moderate democrats, so who do you think he's going to be pulling for? The Green Party? Of course not!

Have you ever seen the way political parties work? Have you ever sat on the floor of Congress? I have.
Here's how it works:
Everyone is in their office except for a few people who are debating whatever issue, and maybe 20-30 other lawmakers who are standing around chit-chatting and not paying attention.
The Speaker says some stuff that no one pays attention to.
A vote is called.
The people debating the issue are already on the floor, so they go up and vote.
Their votes appear on the Big Board.
Everyone dribbles in from their office, looks up at the board, notes how the rest of their party voted, and votes the same way.

Democrats, Republicans, it doesn't matter. They are all out fending for their own political party. Why should they do any differently?

 

[AndrewR]

Of course I might be wrong, but I doubt that Torricelli quit against the wishes of top democrats like you seem to suggest. I think he resigned precisely because of their wishes.

That's what the article said, not me. Admittedly, it makes sense for them to want him to vacate but surely they wanted him to do so earlier, when there was still a good, legal way for them to substitute a new candidate. Now they're screwed.

Which leads to...Uh oh!

The only "unusual circumstances" are that Torricelli's poll numbers are terrible. New Jersey law already has precedent for such an issue. In Tomasin v. Quinn, 376 A.2d 233 ( N.J. Superior Court, Law Division, 1977), a candidate for county sheriff withdrew, and another man wanted to take his place on the ballot. The court refused.

Not looking good for the last minute substitution crowd!