By John Burton |
OCEAN TOWNSHIP — The large crowd that came to see former Vice President Al Gore on Sunday, Oct. 15 heard a lot about two names not on this year’s ballot: Gov. Chris Christie and President Donald Trump.
More than 1,600 people RSVP’d to attend the Monmouth County Democrats’ event at 1100 West Park Ave., according to the executive director of the organization, Matthew Anderson. Many poured into the community gym as Motown and Stax-style rock blared on the sound system, excited to hear from Gore and from gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy, Democrat U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone and some of the down-ballot Democratic candidates. The speakers took turns telling the crowd of the importance of this year’s election.
“Anyone here ever been embarrassed by what’s going on?” asked Gore, speaking of actions taken by Republicans Christie in Trenton and Trump in Washington, D.C. The audience offered resounding support.
“It’s gotten to the point,” Gore continued, “when a new outrage has come along. I have to download some of the other outrages to make room for it.”
Gore, who maintains the folksy southern drawl of his native Tennessee, said he has known Murphy and his wife, Tammy, for more than 20 years and considers them close, personal friends. The families even vacation together. Murphy had previously served as Democratic National Committee finance committee chairman.
“This is a really clear choice,” Gore said of the election coming in just about three weeks, calling Murphy “a good man, a really good man.”
The former vice president and Nobel Prize winner, known for his views on the environment, pointed to the devastation that occurred here in Monmouth County five years ago with Super Storm Sandy (chiding Christie, too, by asking, “Why is it there are people who haven’t gotten the help they need? Why is that?”) and this year’s catastrophes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. He noted the rising ocean temperatures and how each year gets labeled the hottest year on record and the links these developments have to climate change. “Phil Murphy understands that conversation,” Gore said.
Veteran House Democrat Pallone has a long-established reputation on environmental issues as well. He told the audience, made up in part of members of the state’s environmental groups, “There was a time when New Jersey was the leader on issues…We were the progressive state on environmental issues.” But, Pallone continued, that changed with the current administration.
Pallone took a dig at Republican gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. “I’ve watched her for the last eight years,” Pallone said, “and I haven’t heard her speak out on these terrible policies.”
“Governors never mattered more,” Murphy stressed, in looking to combat initiatives from the White House and the Republican-controlled Congress. Murphy maintained he would hold true to the progressive issues he’s been running on: funding Planned Parenthood; stronger gun safety legislations; law enforcement and judicial reform; and “Equal pay for equal work.”
“How about this?” he asked his supporters, “College affordability.” Again vowing to have free community college tuition for qualifying students. “I want to return this state to what it used to be,” Murphy said.
“They’ll be no more ‘Shut up and sit down,’ ” he said, alluding one of Christie’s often-viewed YouTube moments.
These events are about rallying the party faithful and encouraging activists to work on getting out the vote on Election Day. “We’re not going to take one vote for granted,” Murphy said.
The number of votes is something that Gore is particularly sensitive about, given his run for president in 2000. “If there is anyone here who doesn’t think every vote counts…You following me?” he asked.
“I am hoping to change things up,” said Anthony Maiello, a Middletown resident, of his support for the Democrats. Maiello was with his wife Diane, saying he attended in large part because he was a Gore fan. “I voted for him and I think climate change is real and we have to do something about it.
“First of all, climate change is real,” Elizabeth Springsteel said emphatically. Springsteel is the former Ocean Township Democratic Committee chair and was on hand to show support for Vin Gopal, the Democrat candidate for state Senate in the 11th Legislative District. “But I’m also here to support Murphy and (Shelia) Oliver,” Murphy’s running mate, she continued. “And I think Christie did not do the job the people of New Jersey wanted him to do.”
“It was an honor to have Al Gore speak,” said Diane Doolittle, Mattawan. “Being an environmentalist, he moved me,” she said.
Doolittle’s husband, Joe Galacki, said Tammy Murphy is a particularly effective force for her husband. “I think she’ll win him votes,” Galacki said.
Executive Director Anderson said this was one of the largest attended events featuring marquee out-of-state speakers. More attended this event than when former Vice President Joe Biden or former U.S. Senator and Secretary of State John Kerry visited New Jersey, Anderson said.
And this raised the energy level in the closing days of the campaign, Anderson said. “Democrats are coming out that we haven’t seen before,” he said.
This article was first published in the Oct. 19-26, 2017 print edition of The Two River Times.
