A Word on “Transactional” Politics

[Update below]

The Star Ledger ran a killer editorial today: Are Democrats who endorse Christie really Democrats?

I love the fact that the Ledger bundled various key liberal/progressive issues and chose to include and emphasize – in a box quote – Governor Christie’s radical record on dismantling climate change programs:

He pooh-poohs climate change, withdrew from the regional treaty to cut emissions, and depleted the state’s clean energy funds by a staggering $1 billion. He removed the only African-American justice on the state Supreme Court for no good reason. He reduced aid to cities, forcing police layoffs that increased criminal violence. He is still trying to grab money set aside for affordable housing

But, aside from the climate change emphasis and the sharp partisan edge, what I really appreciated was its devastating critique, in the  laser beam kick in the balls conclusion on the corrupt core of NJ politics:

The polite term for guys like these is “transactional politician.” They are guided by a simple calculation of benefits they provide against benefits they receive.

The impolite term for them is much shorter.

That language echoed in my head.

I used that “polite term” exactly 2 years ago today, in this post on the Christie endorsement by NJEF:

I told [APP reporter Bob] Jordan that it originated in and emanates from a corrupt core, which I described as the “transactional”, deeply unprincipled, and raw political nature of the Christie endorsement, which was driven by NJEF’s own organizational self interest.

For those who don’t follow the inside game, it’s no secret that NJEF endorsement was a quid pro quo. NJEF agreed to endorse if Christie agreed to support certain pet projects for NJEF.

The way the game is played is that NJEF basically agreed to praise Christie on these organizational pet projects, and withold criticism and run interference on others (or else Christie would not deliver on his part of the bargain).

Not only were those NJEF pet projects chump change, they were used to support a highly questionable political candidate, provide green cover, and undermine other groups.

At the time of NJEF’s endorsement, Christie lacked an environmental track record, his generally conservative politics and pro-business philosophy were well understood, and his environmental platform was insignificant and dwarfed by far more important political and policy priorities that would compete directly with environmental concerns.

All this was obvious from the get go to anyone who was paying attention.

So it should be no surprise that the brazenly and transparently unprincipled nature of the NJEF endorsement – and what necessarily since has ensued from that endorsement – has undermined the credibility of the entire NJ environmental community in the public’s eye, in media, and in political circles.

Let me be specific: the endorsement debacle was followed by months of media shilling by Dave Pringle and various other backstabbing episodes.

We are supposed to be issues based advocates and voices of scientifically grounded public policy, not shills for political candidates.

Yes, the ” impolite term for them is much shorter” – I’ve written about that too.

But, getting back to the Democrats –

As I’ve been suggesting for some time now, can Buono’s campaign reframe and capitalize on what the conventional political wisdom views as her abandonment by the party (e.g. Charlie “default candidate” Stile has written several such columns that built that frame), to be a GOOD thing and position her as the real democrat fighting a corrupt and dying machine? 

Flip the switch – fight the dominant  narrative!

[Update: Here is a stunning example of hypocrisy – same day news cycle:

Gov. Christie blasted the League of Municipalities and local officials as criminally corrupt – “who care only about themselves” and are “more interested in taking envelopes of cash from contractors than they are in actually doing something good for the people”

In a scathing rebuke of a New Jersey State League of Municipalities task force report on a proposal to reduce property taxes, Gov. Chris Christie today lambasted the league, saying it runs “corrupt’ conventions and is led by “a whiner” whose organization should go out of business.

“So it would be a great benefit to our state if the League of Municipalities went out of business. It would lower the corruption work by the U.S. Attorney’s Office by about a quarter,”

While accepting “transactional” political endorsements from Democratic Mayors – an endorsement issued on the basis of taking money doled out on a discretionary basis by Gov. Christie

“Look, Frank [Pallone] is a Democrat who supports only Democrats,” Schneider said. “I’m a mayor who supports whoever helps my town the most.” 

Now the question becomes: if Christie’s balls get any bigger, will they explode? – end update.]