So, GA attended last night's debate; it was civil right up until the last few minutes and I have a feeling that is what folks are talking about today. Before I talk about it, I'd like to give a shout-out to the quietest candidate to-date whose performance last night makes her the Dark Horse of the 4th ward race.
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| Lisa Farrell-Sprengle |
Props to the other candidates- not sure if Nora Martinez-DeBenedetto saw my fist pump when she proposed having the County underwrite a municipal pool...
TALK OF THE TOWN: JEN ATTACKS CRISTIN, CRISTIN RESPONDS
Okay so... when Q & A ended, the candidates were given 60 seconds for a closing statement. First was Tiffanie Fisher, and then 6th ward incumbent Jen Giattino:
Giattino was followed by 6th ward challengers Frank Rosner, and then Cristin Cricco-Powell (CCP):
JEN FACT CHECK
Okay so... when Q & A ended, the candidates were given 60 seconds for a closing statement. First was Tiffanie Fisher, and then 6th ward incumbent Jen Giattino:
JEN FACT CHECK
You heard Giattino's allegations: that her opponent is running a "negative campaign" and her "mailers are negative with false accusations based on lies."
I am a 6th Ward resident, and have received 3 mailers from CCP. Are they "negative"?
If Giattino is correct that CCP mailers contain "false allegations based on lies" then yes, that is the definition of negative campaigning; the process of deliberate spreading negative information about someone or something to worsen the public image of the described.
If Giattino is wrong and CCP mailers contain factual statements based on truth, the mailers are not negative but comparative. CCP's position as she expressed at the debate is that her mailers cite "policy that you supported on the council that [she] disagreed with... it is not attacking someone to point out differences in policy, it is not personal."
Let's fact check the subject mailer.
Let's fact check the subject mailer.
Oh, my! Jen Giattino is wrong.
Not only does Cristin use Giatttino's VOTES (a.k.a. her council record) as the basis of her ad, Giattino's voting record is absolutely a fair campaign issue.
If the fact-based statements feel "negative" then maybe Giattino should not have voted to shrink the Hoboken Donut, nor kicked the Union Dry Dock ordinance down the road allowing NJ Transit to swoop in and buy it, nor tabled pay-to-play legislation three times. Giattino seems to think that her record is immune to criticism. She seems to take any criticism on her governance as a personal attack.
Unlike Giattino, CCP has no higher political aspiration. She will not abandon the 6th ward to run for mayor or any other office. She is running now because her councilwoman has broken faith with her on votes that matter. In fact, disparaging Cristin as having "no in control of her own campaign" is negative campaigning for which there is no factual basis.
I don't know if Giattino hurt herself, because not many folks watch debates. But, the feelings that Cristin's campaign espouse-- that Giattino has changed--are based on the Councilwoman's own actions and her votes. If there are enough of us in the 6th ward she won't be re-elected. We'll see.
In the meantime my suggestion to her and other incumbents, is to defend your record, not call your opponent a liar.
(Meeting minutes below- fact check yourselves.)
(Meeting minutes below- fact check yourselves.)
HOBOKEN CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES- JULY 11, 2018
HOBOKEN CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES- OCT 4, 2017
GA Note: As to Councilwoman Giattino's claim that she is a "woman of her word"- how does that square with giving me her word that there would be only one reform candidate on the November 2017 ballot?
I don’t know who coined Porcelain Jen, but it really fits. So offended by anything more than the velvet glove treatment.
ReplyDeleteSounds like Jen is ashamed of her own policies and positions if she believes that being called out on positions she has taken is a negative campaign tactic.
ReplyDeleteIn Giattino's closing statement, she says she is "disenfranchised", which means to have been denied the right to vote. Pretty rich, coming from a Republican as that party does exactly that to minorities who usually vote Democrat, through voter suppression, gerrymandering, and the repeal of the voting rights act.
ReplyDeleteIn Hoboken, the flip-side of the "disenfranchised" coin is that the people she's aligned herself with have been engaging in illegal vote harvesting, and now they can "incentivize" voters during the runoff elections, which is why they wanted it back.
No, on council, she very much has the right to vote - the wrong way - almost every time, and then lie about her record.
Cricco-Powell took the high road by pointing out the difference between a personal attack (Jen & Co.), vs. challenging an incumbent on her truly awful voting record.
Wow. That closing statement came across as a 5 year old's tantrum. The gasps in the audience was palpable. Cristin's response was dignified and patient... kind of like how a mom has to talk to a 5 year old to get a point across. Also, have been a fan of Jen's in the past but this was eye-opening. She seems not to have gotten over the last election and she keeps pushing the hurt forward. She needs a mental health break from politics.
DeleteAnon @ 10:54- Funny you should say that ("5 year old's tantrum") because her prepared remarks were directed to the audience-- not to Cristin-- reminding me of a kid tattling on a sibling to a parent. She didn't look at Cristin once.
DeleteCristin replied directly to Jen, looking at her, speaking to her. Like a "mom" to a child.
And this nonsense, crying over three points made on Cristin's mailer- they are all backed up by votes or action. Personally, I think the mailer's language should have been more precise, 6th ward voters are not dumb. The "donut" reference was about Ordinance B-40 (Jen voted for it), the Pay-to-Play reference was about Council President Giattino tabling P2P legislation THREE times in Sept/Oct 2019. The UDD reference was about Giattino carrying over the UDD eminent domain for 6 weeks, until AFTER the 2017 election, that is what she told the Hudson Reporter(I linked and posted the quote). The city did not move, allowing UDD to be snatched away from us. It is uncertain if Hoboken will prevail against NYWW. All a consequence of delaying the vote, which then-Mayor Zimmer implored the Council not to do. It is just my opinion, but I think Jen kicked UDD down the road because she did not want the City to acquire UDD under the Zimmer Admin. She was a candidate to replace Zimmer, and had a lot of animus toward the mayor for 'picking' Bhalla to succeed her.
So instead of DEFENDING her choices, like a little kid she cried "Liar!"