New Jersey Shows Signs of Conservative Backlash—But Also Backlash to the Conservative Backlash

As in most other states around the country, even true-blue New Jersey has seen an increase in far-right extremism over the past couple years. Last November, not-particularly-popular Democratic Governor Jon Corzine was ousted in favor of conservative and budget-slashing Republican Chris Christie, displaying all of the current far right’s hatred of government while still implicitly supporting the institution by being a part of it. He’s cut the K-12 budget to the point that New Jersey may start to look a bit like California in terms of the demise of its once-great public education system; his transportation cuts have resulted in New Jersey Transit fare increases that, I can attest, are making our usually excellent commuter rail inconvenient and unaffordable. Meanwhile, Tea Party activists are peddling their own version of anti-government-at-any-cost, currently pushing to be allowed to file a petition to recall Democratic Senator Robert Menendez—for the amorphous reason that, as the Star-Ledger noted today, “he votes for too much government spending.” It’s a funny set of circumstances in a state which voted for Obama by a landslide and whose Congressional delegation is mostly Democratic.

But lest these sentiments be taken as indicative of the views of New Jerseyans at large, let us note that over 30,000 concerned citizens marched on the state capitol in Trenton today—not to protest some nebulous idea of government spending in general, but rather to protest Chris Christie and his budget cuts:

At times resembling both a rock concert and a pep rally, more than 30,000 union employees and community activists gathered for a massive protest at the capitol to blast the governor.

“He has absolutely forfeited every one of his promises,” teacher Anna Kimerly said.

It’s a budget they say cuts to the bone.

“Fifty thousand parents will be denied health coverage,” Bruce Davison said.

The emotions matched the size of the biggest crowd state police had seen in years, with signs calling Governor Chris Christie the biggest loser, a liar, and someone who duped them.

“We ask the governor, while school system is trying to teach diversity and anti-bullying, to stop being the biggest bully in the state,” James Harris, of the NAACP, said.

As Steve Benen and Eric Boehlert astutely noted, more people showed up to express their anger at Christie than have shown up to “virtually every state-run Tea Party rally held over the last year.” Maybe far-right conservatives should take note next time they claim to represent the interests of ordinary people, and maybe we should stop talking in terms of whether every Tea Party-backed rally or November primary candidate is an expression of common dissatisfaction with progressives, health care reform, or Obama’s agenda. Those 30,000 people who showed up in Trenton seem to suggest that things might be weighted just a little differently.

Emily is a staff writer for Campus Progress. She attends Princeton University.

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