Layton takes the losses, focuses on Corzine
By Max Pizarro, PolitickerNJ.com ReporterBill Layton and the Republican Party are trying to regroup after devastating losses in Burlington County last week, which the GOP county chairman said were the result of key Philadelphia ad buys by the Democrats, the economic climate and high turnout in the urban areas.
In the presidential race, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.) blew out Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in Burlington by 19 percent.
“We did everything we could have done,” said Layton. “The hard part about this is most times you can come away from an election say, ‘if only we had a little more money, we could have done other piece of mail here, another ad there.’ But just looking at the numbers, it’s hard to put in perspective things we could have done differently. It was just too much. The only thing I can say right now on the positive side is there won’t be a lot of excitement next year for Jon Corzine.”
Democratic victories in race for two freeholder seats resulted in the ouster of Freeholder Stacy Jordan and Freeholder Director Aubrey Fenton.
“It’s disappointing,” said Layton, specifically addressing the loss by Fenton, whom the Burlington GOP regularly listed as a possible candidate for lieutenant governor.
“But by no means is he going to vanish into the woodwork,” the chair added.
Layton said he also hopes failed 3rd Congressional District candidate Medford Mayor Chris Myers would return to challenge Congressman-elect John Adler.
“I hope he seriously considers running again for Congress,” said Layton.
Basking in last week’s victory but also making it clear that the existing 3-2 Republican majority on the freeholder board means his party’s work is not over, Democratic Party Chair Rick Perr objected to Layton’s emphasis on Obama as a reason why Republicans lost.
“If you look back at their past mantra it was that people may vote for a Democratic presidential candidate but not for Democrats at the county level,” said Perr. “Now they’re saying that everybody got so swept up in emotion that they were incapable of independent thought. The reality is that over the last three years, Democrats have run a consistent campaign against them.”
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Syndicate
Corruption team of Layton/Paulsen
Now Burl Co GOP is the laughing stock of NJ. Thanks Layton for spliting the party and putting it in debt. You outspent the dems by at least 2-1 and still lost. Just like you did in Delran. Everyone blamed Col. Warner last year and now your excuse is the Obama tide. Get over yourself and get lost while you are at it. You Paulsen, Strobel, Baxter, Lambaise, England, Traz, Russell and company need to stop using the party as your personal piggy banks and let real republicans run the party. That means no more annointing candidates for higher office and actually letting there be a selection process unlike what happens at the joke county committee meetings. No more shady 600k spent on Paulsens law firm, no more no-show jobs and health benifits for Baxter, Strobel and the rest of your cronies.
Real change will only come with Paulsen/Layton out of the picture.
East8th...the uniter?
That sure sounds like a uniter...bash the guys who busted their butts trying to win. Very unifying message there. Real change = attack fellow Republicans instead of Democrats. Brilliant! Hey I have an idea, if that's your plan why not save yourself the trouble of holding an election and just move to Camden County where the D's already control everything since that's what the outcome of your strategy would be.
East
Is another divider from the other side; his/her candidates that ran a bitter primary fight becasue their gal wasnt the one selected to run for freeholder is equally to blame.
It is obvious the hatred and name calling of Layton et al only shows that they are part of the problem too. What East does not and will not accept is that his/her candidates got whopped in June during the primary and actively supported the dems and yet they still call themselves GOP. They will tell you that they are honest people who think thast the dems should have won becasue they were the better candidates; that hooey only proves that East and his/her group is equally incapable of uniting.
No GOP worth their weight will support a dem unless they want to be seen as the turncoaqts they are. This is why they are losers
East
Is another divider from the other side; his/her candidates that ran a bitter primary fight becasue their gal wasnt the one selected to run for freeholder is equally to blame.
It is obvious the hatred and name calling of Layton et al only shows that they are part of the problem too. What East does not and will not accept is that his/her candidates got whopped in June during the primary and actively supported the dems and yet they still call themselves GOP. They will tell you that they are honest people who think thast the dems should have won becasue they were the better candidates; that hooey only proves that East and his/her group is equally incapable of uniting.
No GOP worth their weight will support a dem unless they want to be seen as the turncoaqts they are. This is why they are losers
East
Is another divider from the other side; his/her candidates that ran a bitter primary fight becasue their gal wasnt the one selected to run for freeholder is equally to blame.
It is obvious the hatred and name calling of Layton et al only shows that they are part of the problem too. What East does not and will not accept is that his/her candidates got whopped in June during the primary and actively supported the dems and yet they still call themselves GOP. They will tell you that they are honest people who think thast the dems should have won becasue they were the better candidates; that hooey only proves that East and his/her group is equally incapable of uniting.
No GOP worth their weight will support a dem unless they want to be seen as the turncoaqts they are. This is why they are losers
Burlington County GOP
Simply out its called accountibility.
Layton uses excuse after excuse but refuses to be held accountable. At least he learned from the last 8 years under GWB.
If it was the DC factor this would have been reflected in a prior election (over the last 192 years), his slate of canidates were not in touch w/ the community.
Nepotism. the County GOP called for interviews and selected the daughter of retiring Freeholder.
The foundation of the loss were these issues. In Japan and elsewhere in the World in such a defeat the leadership recognizes the issues and admits the faults and acts accordingly. His steadfastness is now fragmenting the GOP.
Good Job.
Thank God We Are Not Japan
Not sure what point you are trying to make with that statement - but Generals win and Generals lose battles. If we were to fire every general to lose a battle - we would not have any generals left.
Layton took the candidates across the finish line last year despite being outspent 2:1.
This year was a blow out. Blame whatever you choose but it was a blow out and now you have to regroup, look at your failures, understand them and then adjust your strategy.
As for principals and unity - where was Princess Sarcone on election night? With John Adler! There are no principals with people that jump all over to serve their egos - just ask Bodine how his career is coming.
As for me, I am looking forward to bringing a bunch of new people and new energy into the process to elect a conservative governor, assemblymembers, and Freeholders - and I hope Wujkic and Haines are on that team.
Well Said!
But princess Debbie has no accountability or responsibility for her actions and the actions of her group; no one told her to run because she did not get her way, she could have been an adult and waited and not opened her mouth to support the dems.
Now, everyone knows what a crackpot she is and can cannot and should not be trusted with any movement one way or another with the GOP going forward.
That train has left back in June
Hey pablos
Shouldnt you be cleaning out your desk at 223 High St. I hear the place is going up for sale.