How Do You Spell Pussy?

The great hero and savior of the right displayed an incredible amount of bitchassness on June 5.

The death of Senator Frank Lautenberg created a vacancy that needs filling. Gov. Chris Christie of the state of New Jersey has the task of filling that void. His decision on how to fill the void equals one of the most epic fails known to the political landscape.

Before I walk into why Christie is a pussy, I will give him credit for one thing – giving the voters of New Jersey the opportunity to pick their own candidate, and in a fairly short time frame.

It is important in democracy that the people have the opportunity to pick their leaders. Those leaders won’t please everyone but the process of selection is important. Kudos to Christie for doing one thing right.

Now

What Christie did wrong is well, everything else.

He had a number of options available to him to fill the now empty Senate seat, and Christie decided he would do the most expensive, least logical, and biggest bitch move he could imagine.

Option #1 – Use the power afforded him by virtue of his office to appoint an interim Senator to fill the remainder of Lautenberg’s term of office. This is the least expensive option and considering Christie’s slash and burn of the NJ budget in the name of fiscal conservatism, it would seem to be right up his alley. BUT to do that Christie would have to choose a person. There is the rub. He could pick almost anyone, but that would require exposure. He would have to display to the world where his real politics are, and that is dangerous – to Christie. If his choice is too moderate Tea Party radicals from coast to coast would descend on New Jersey to rally the troops. Winning be damned the Tea Party is more concerned with ideals than actual wins. This would be trouble for Christie as he plots his own political future, which includes exploring a run for the Presidency in 2016. If he reaches into the bag of cats that is Tea Party craziness, then all of those Blue voters in that very Blue state of New Jersey might actually realize that Christie’s Jersey Shore attytude and bravado mask a more sinister platform than they’ve been willing to see.

Christie could have even done the unthinkable, appoint the man who will likely eventually get the seat anyhow – Mayor Corey Booker of Newark. He would be hailed as a political maverick who is willing to buck his own party. He would neutralize the legitimacy and effectiveness of a Booker machine. He would speed up the inevitable while at the very same time presenting a possible opening for a Republican candidate in 2014. Senator Corey Booker, who is appointed and didn’t have to traditionally ‘earn’ that Senate seat, will be in Washington, casting votes and creating sound bites that might not be popular and could leave him open to attack because he now has a record to run against. You can’t run against the man who runs into a burning house to save an elderly neighbor, but you CAN run against a man who voted against gun control (or some other hot button topic).

By choosing to not name a replacement – Christie avoids it all. While it is politically smart for himself – it is a demonstration of a lack of character and backbone that deserves to be questioned.

Option #2 – Hold a special election for the open seat. This is technically what Christie has decided to do, yet he’s done it in such an obvious partisan fashion that he almost should not have done it at all. The special election will be held, in October – mistake number one. If you want the citizens of the state to be involved in the process you don’t hold the election at a time when they are unaccustomed to voting. Voting is not done in October – ever. Unless you are fearful that a potential powerful (and Black) candidate will be on the ballot, and that his presence will bring to the polls voters (Black) who are less inclined to vote for your party mates down ballot.

The special election will be held on a Wednesday. People don’t vote on Wednesdays they vote on Tuesdays. Any victor of this special election will be elected with the smallest number of voters since possibly the early 1900s. That is a disservice to the state. That is irresponsible. It is also EXPENSIVE.

To open the polls in a month they would not normally open, to print ballots and staff polling places, when they would not normally be open — especially when it is 3 weeks before when voters would be voting anyhow is frankly idiotic. Its been estimated that the cost of this special election will be more than $20 million dollars. That money could serve the constituents in so many other ways, but it will now be wasted in a historic effort to avoid adding any other Democrats in the state house and senate – in municipalities – that might slow down Christie’s ‘plans’ for New Jersey in his second term.

Let’s be clear. His announcement about filing Lautenberg’s Senate seat was 100% about Chris Christie and 0% about the people of New Jersey.

That needs to be noted when you decide between him and his opponent, in November, on a Tuesday, like you know …. normal.