The Morning Briefing - November 9, 2016
STATEWIDE - It is easy to be snide, but there is nothing remotely funny about the election results early this morning. As a 5-year-old commented to us at 5 a.m., "I like Donald Trump because it sounds like Donald Duck." Perhaps some voters used the same reasoning in deciding who should be the leader of the planet. Unclear, really, what happens next, as all the 24-hour-a-day pundits managed to completely miss this.
STATEWIDE - While New Jersey was solidly in Hillary Clinton's corner, the rest of the country not so much, especially states like Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania, where President Obama won big four years ago. For some, it may take some time for the reality to set in that Trump will be inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States on January 20, plenty of time to sell the house, pack up the uHaul and head to Ontario. For those of us strong enough to remain, we can only hope Trump does not do to America what he has done to his New Jersey casinos. On the bright side, maybe Scott Baio will score another sitcom.
STATEWIDE - Once again, Gov. Chris Christie magically surfaces as relevant, as it appears he will have some sort of role in a Trump Administration. Again, unclear what that would be, as the governor hasn't appeared to be in the inner circle in recent weeks. But it seems the Christie career is quickly moving beyond New Jersey, with a silver lining that he may perhaps resign early for some DC job, or maybe Presidential Ambassador to the New York Mets.
NORTH JERSEY - One piece of good news is that New Jersey is finally getting rid of Rep. Scott Garrett, who took ultra-conservatism to legally-insane levels. Garrett was defeated by Josh Gottheimer, a 41-year-old Democrat who's never held elected office, for the 5th Congressional District seat. Garrett was New Jersey's out-of-place extremist, an anti-gay bigot who voted against health care for 9/11 responders, opposed aid to Hurricane Katrina victims and refused to urge Congress to help the victims of Sandy. Relieved to see him go, especially as a Trump Administration looms.
STATEWIDE - A leading Republican candidate for governor, Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, took a hit last night, as voters approved a constitutional amendment she decided to fight against. She did not believe gas tax revenue should be earmarked for much-needed transportation projects, an odd stance. Voters disagreed with her by a margin of 180,000 votes. Guadagno opposes the gas tax, but if we voted against the public question, where would all that tax money have gone? Meanwhile, if Christie heads to DC, she heads to Drumthwacket.
STATEWIDE - At least there was one thing happened that was expected: New Jersey voters decreed that two $1 billion casinos should not be built in northern New Jersey. Atlantic City breathed a huge sigh of relief, managing to keep its statewide monopoly, as the proposed constitutional amendment went down like a pair of twos, with an overwhelmingly 80 percent of voters saying "no." Great news for all those New York and Pennsylvania casinos for at least three years, as lawmakers are now limited to when they can again throw out the question.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
It was this day in 2016 that America awoke to a woefully unprepared President-elect who has never served in political office or the military. But, in a democracy we all cherish, there are hope and prayers that the new Administration will focus on what is best for America, not the commander-in-chief.
WORD OF THE DAY
Stupefied [st(y)o͞opəˌfī] - verb
Definition: Astonished and shocked
Example: We are downright stupefied.
WEATHER IN A WORD
Trumpy