Quote:
Lose again...it never left.

The Machine will lose again. We Jersey City voters are not blind !

Political Insider: Even in Hudson County, machine politics just ain't what it used to be

by The Jersey Journal
Saturday November 29, 2008

As Jersey City braces for another mayor and council race, The Jersey Journal's Political Insider takes a look at machine politics, once headed by legendary Mayor Frank "I Am the Law'' Hague.

With Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy looking for a return to City Hall in the spring, The Jersey Journal's Political Insider takes a look today at the state of machine politics in the city and Hudson County.

First, though, he looks back at the most well-oiled machines to have operated in City Hall, those headed by Mayors Frank Hague and John V. Kenny.

Then it's fast-forward to Mayors Cucci, McCann, Schundler, Cunningham and Healy and the machine's role -- or lack thereof -- in their victories.

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Machine mayor no longer shoo-in in Jersey City
Saturday, November 29, 2008

W hat you often hear in Jersey City is that you can't run against the "organization" candidates. By organization, we mean the Jersey City Democratic Organization and/or the Hudson County Democratic Organization.

Now, let's make off-the-top-of-the-head observations. You political historians can have fun tearing it apart and others can just make the usual the-Insider-is-a-jerk comments - because you're all the smartest people in the overcrowded room.

OK, from the 1920's to about 1969, the most powerful two politicians in Hudson County were in Jersey City, Frank Hague and John V. Kenny. Any arguments? They controlled the "organization."

The last real all-powerful organization candidate to win the mayor's office was Tom Whalen in 1969. Unfortunately for machine politics, the federal government decided to end Whalen's administration.

DEFEATING THE 'ORGANIZATION'

In the 1971 special election, Dr. Paul Jordan upset what was left of the political establishment. Interestingly, Jordan won a full-term in 1973 with remnants of the organization, most of whom cleverly portrayed themselves as reformers.

Street-smart Thomas F.X. Smith upset the organization in 1977 with his personal smile and style.

In 1981, young and brash Gerry McCann knocked off the Democratic machine. Then Anthony Cucci upset McCann's ring in 1985, only to see McCann's 1989 comeback capsize Cucci's somewhat rudderless organization.

The special election in 1992 saw a Bret Schundler upset over what amounted to a multi-partitioned organization that supported Marilyn Roman, Joe Charles, and Lou Manzo.

Schundler won big again in 1993 over a machine-backed Manzo. The 1997 race saw the incumbent defeat the organization's Jerramiah Healy. Mayor Schundler later decided the governor's job looked good to him. Voters disagreed.

In 2001, Janiszewski and then U.S. Rep. Bob Menendez backed Glenn D. Cunningham, defeating Tom DeGise and his city Democratic backers. The city's first black mayor, Cunningham, shook off all organizations, but died in office.

The Democratic machine then supported Healy who won the 2004 special election against Manzo making the 2005 full-term race moot - Healy defeated Melissa Holloway.

JUST BLAME THE FAULKNER ACT

Before the introduction of the Faulkner Act in the 1960s, the commission form of government was king and all races were citywide. Now, Jersey City is administered by a weaker mayor and council where a candidate or an insurgent group can dominate a ward and challenge a political machine.

How long would a Hague have tolerated mavericks like Manzo, Freeholder Bill O'Dea or Downtown Councilman Steven Fulop?

This is also why there are powerful North Hudson political machines. North Bergen and Union City have Board of Commission forms of government. Jersey City, Bayonne and Kearny and their mayor/council administrations are weak by comparision and why Jersey City no longer totally dominates county politics.

Go back over the past city election results again with emphasis on those from 1971 to now. What we see is that the organization, or machine, was far from dominant. It lost more than it won.

It means there is always a potential for an "upset" in May. Schundler is back, Fulop is on track, Manzo believes the people will pick him.

Healy wants to stay. He must decide whether to keep Journal Square Councilman Steve Lipski after his admission of alcohol dependence and a possible incontinence problem. There are already names cropping up to replace Lipski.

By saying she'll decide what to do in January, state Sen. Sandra Cunnigham's role to date seems to be to help Healy prevent any anti-administration coalition from forming - which is why she has become irrelevant to other potential candidates who will announce their own campaigns within several weeks.