Newspaper’s Non-Endorsement Could Be Good For Grossman

Seth Grossman

It’s no secret newspapers have used a lot of ink attacking Republican congressional candidate Seth Grossman since he won the primary in June. They’ve pretty much all been sucking up to the Democrat’s candidate for congress, state Senator Jeff Van Drew.

This makes yesterday’s Atlantic City Press’ non-endorsement, dare we say big news. Despite what the polls say Grossman has a path to victory and the Press, choosing not to endorse, helps.

In their non-endorsement, the Press wrote:

Both met with The Press editorial board this month and made clear the contrast with each other goes deep.

Van Drew said his leading concerns are maintaining Social Security, Medicare and health care, while strengthening programs for veterans and cybersecurity.

Grossman favors enforcing immigration laws, repealing Obama administration mandates, upholding 2nd Amendment gun rights and reducing taxes and regulations.

Obviously, Grossman is the conservative in that comparison. Given the left-leaning tilt of our state government it’ll be good to have a South Jersey congressman to oppose Governor Phil Murphy’s wish to make New Jersey a sanctuary state and his attacks on law-abiding gun owners. It’s a safe bet we couldn’t depend on Van Drew to use the bully pulpit of a seat in the House of Representatives to oppose Murphy.

We have never hid from the fact The Bob & Steve Show leans far to the right of the political spectrum, so it is obvious we prefer Grossman. We also support President Donald Trump. And we recognize that both have made statements they probably should not have made. That doesn’t mean anyone should ignore any of the good either has done or intends to do.

And, despite most of the area’s newspapers constant attacks on Grossman, he has done good as an elected official in the past. In yesterday’s non-endorsement, the Press pointed out:

Grossman’s main success in his much shorter time in office was also bipartisan, working as a councilman with then-Mayor Jim Whelan to restrain spending in Atlantic City for four years, allowing its economy to flourish. He said he tried to do likewise as a freeholder but wasn’t successful.

The point in that statement is that Grossman is willing to work across the aisle for the greater good. That means Democrats should not be afraid to vote for Grossman nor should Republicans who may have been turned off by some of the attacks on Grossman from the mainstream media.

There’s still time for Grossman to pull a win out of his hat. We hope he does.

OPINION: Bar Brawling Deputy Mayor Should Take Responsibility For His Actions

Jason Ravitz

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Voorhees Township Deputy Mayor Jason Ravitz’s whiny letter he sent to voters begging forgiveness for the two bar brawls he was involved in. In that letter he claimed to be a “happier, healthier, better person.”

A “happier, healthier, better person” would not send the kind of campaign mail this guy is sending. In his latest piece of his mail, or the latest to make it to me, Ravitz accuses Republicans of ignoring “anti-Semitism and racism when they attack him.” What a load of BS! According to Camden County Republican Chairman Rich Ambrosino, one of the Republican candidates is Jewish. I don’t know about you, but I would seriously doubt a Jewish candidate would ignore anti-Semitism, and every decent person has an issue with racism.

Jason Ravitz playing victim because someone found out he was involved in two separate bar fights is not an attack on him. He needs to stop playing the “poor me” role and take responsibility for his actions.

Mr. Ravitz, I watched the videos, and the evidence suggests you are a fall-down drunk, well, okay, the bouncer may have helped you fall. Either way, it appears Ravitz really has to learn to handle his booze. (And, for our readers, you can watch here (http://therealravitz.com/).

Ravitz tried to make the claim, “While I may have been provoked by anti-Semitic and racist comments made against me and my friends…” in the letter he sent to voters, but I’ve seen no proof those kinds of comments were made to him or his friends, not in print anywhere, nor in the videos. I’m not saying it didn’t happen, but I am saying Ravitz offered nothing to voters to make them believe it happened.

It appears Ravitz believes voters are supposed to believe him because that’s what he said? Remember, he is on video, appearing intoxicated, and telling a police officer to turn off his camera, a violation of the law. Where I come from, voters don’t just take the word of someone who asks a cop to violate the law.

Mr. Ravitz, it’s time for you to stop looking for something to blame for your two bar brawls. If you were my client I would advise you to dropout, don’t believe me ask Vincent Squire, he’s a fellow Republican and that’s what I advised him to do. He didn’t listen, so there is no reason to believe you would.

Unfortunately, it’s way too late for you to dropout so, because you are the Deputy Mayor of a community with over 29,000 people living in it, do the next best thing, grow up and take responsibility for your own actions.

Don’t do like former Haddon Township Commissioner Paul Dougherty did after he was involved in a hit and run car accident, allegedly after drinking, and bury your head in the sand hoping it goes away. His problem didn’t go away nor will Ravitz’s bar brawling incidents.

Election Day is not yet here, it’s not too late for Ravitz to take responsibility for his actions. And, it’s not too late for Ravitz to apologize to voters for flooding their mailboxes with “poor me, they’re attacking me for acting like an idiot” campaign mailers.

No matter what, Ravitz is the one who acted like a drunken idiot in those videos and it’s up to him to do the right thing. Let’s see if he does.

Will South Jersey Democratic Voters Do What Their Party Leaders Refuse To Do And Reject The Three Flawed Candidates They Have On Ballots?

Jason Ravitz, Bob Gant & Bob Menendez

South Jersey Democratic party leaders love pointing out the perceived wrongdoings of Republicans. Notice I said perceived. South Jersey Democrats are quick to scream and yell about President Donald Trump. They’ve attacked GOP congressional candidate Seth Grossman because they don’t like things he has said.

Yet, when local Democrats actually do something wrong, silence from those same Democrats.

Former Assemblyman Arthur Barclay gets arrested. Not a peep. Now we have a special election in LD5 because he had to resign after Republicans discovered his arrest.

Former Haddon Township Commissioner Paul Dougherty is involved in a hit and run accident. Again, nothing. Dougherty eventually resigns because he also happens to be corrupt.

Voorhees Township Deputy Mayor Jason Ravitz gets in two bar brawls. One of those brawls is at an Applebee’s. I quit drinking over two years ago and, thanks to my drinking days, I know how hard it is to get into a fight at Applebee’s. I’m pretty sure I’ve tried. Not a word from South Jersey Democrats.

Sheriff candidate Bob Gant allegedly beat a handcuffed inmate at the old Salem County Jail unconscious. Evidence, in the form of a court document, is presented that suggests the incident did happen. The alleged victim comes forward and discusses the alleged incident on the radio. Democrats are silent.

Vincent Squire, a Republican running for freeholder, is discovered to have a second-degree assault charge pending in Superior Court and Camden County Republicans fist ask him to dropout of the race, he refuses, so Republicans disavow him. Camco Republicans didn’t try to hide it, they didn’t ignore their candidate was severely flawed, they got rid of him.

South Jersey Democratic leaders are burying their heads in the sand. Never mind that Ravitz’ bar brawls are on video and Gant’s alleged indiscretion is supported with court documents and the story from his alleged victim, the Democrats still have U.S. Senator Bob Menendez.

Sure, Menendez was never convicted in court, but a hung jury does not mean he is innocent. There is still the fact that Menendez tried to help his buddy, Salomon Melgen, after he ripped off Medicare. Let’s not forget Menendez’s own lawyers conceded the fact he helped young women get visas to come to America to be with their sugar daddy, Melgen. And, Menendez own lawyers argued that messing around with underaged hookers in the Dominican Republic “would hardly be a federal crime even had it been true.”

Rather than call out Menendez for his actual wrongdoings, South Jersey Democratic leaders simply keep him out of South Jersey. Don’t take my word for it, just look, has he been seen campaigning with South Jersey Democrats? Nope! But Bob Hugin has been seen campaigning, a lot, with South Jersey Republicans.

South Jersey Democratic leaders need to stop complaining about Republicans and learn from the Camden County Republicans and clean their own house first.

Now it is up to South Jersey Democratic voters to do what their party leaders have refused to do and reject the three flawed candidates they have on ballots – Menendez, Ravitz and Gant.