Republican candidate for Governor in New Jersey Jack Ciattarelli released a bizarre video announcing Diane Allen as his pick for Lt. Governor touting Allen’s support by his opponent Governor Phil Murphy. In the video, Allen, a state senator was praised by Governor Phil Murphy and Democrat Senate leader Steve Sweeney.
Ciattarelli has once again snubbed New Jersey’s large and strong conservative Republican base who hoped his choice for second in charge would have been a more conservative-leaning choice to fight the Murphy administration’s liberal agenda head-on.
Names that have come up recently in the conversation ranged from New Jersey conservative Senator Michael Testa, former U.S. Senate candidate Rik Mehta and many thought Ciattarelli should have chosen between two of his primary challengers Phil Rizzo or Hirsh Singh.
Instead, Ciattarelli chose a longtime state Republican who has been praised in the past by Democrats for her willingness to meet Democrats in the middle on many occasions.
In his decision, Ciattarelli passed on Ocean County Freeholder…or commissioner…Virginia Haines who touted herself earlier this year as one of Ciattarelli’s top choices. Haines is also the RNC state committeewoman for New Jersey, but has been embroiled in several open-space land use scandals involving using open space funds to help local mayors balance their municipal budget through unnecessary million dollar land purchases.
New Jersey Senate majority leader, Democrat Loretta Weinberg called Allen an “Elegant woman…somebody who has always reached across the aisle.”
After announcing is pick, the Ciattarelli campaign unveiled their new slogan, “Jack and Diane”, a play on the John Cougar Mellencamp song of the same name.
In that song, Mellencamp sings, “A little ditty ’bout Jack & Diane Two American kids growing up in the heartland Jack, he’s gonna be a football star Diane’s debutante, back seat of Jacky’s car Suckin’ on a chili dog outside the Tastee Freez Diane sitting on Jacky’s lap Got his hands between her knees Jack he says, Hey, Diane, let’s run off behind a shady tree Dribble off those Bobby Brooks Let me do what I please.”
Not awkward at all.