Some advice for Mike DuHaime

This Freditorial is an open letter to Chris Christie campaign guru Mike DuHaime.

Dear Mike,

After playing a critical role in two losing presidential contests in 2008, this year looked promising for you.

This winter Chris Christie received a hero’s welcome from what is left of the traditional media when he announced his candidacy. The NJGOP cleared the path for you to be the establishment candidate.

While that was happening, Rick Shaftan, chief strategist for Steve Lonegan managed to offend, insult and alienate every potential ally and continues to do so. All of this left Lonegan to manage the campaign himself.

And somehow with all this and a fundraising advantage you could lose.

Christie’s biggest problem is that his message is hopelessly out of step with public sentiment. After all he does not present an image of self discipline.

What voters are really concerned with is whether or not they can afford to live in New Jersey. Economic issues like taxes and jobs, don’t just top the public’s concerns, they are the public’s ONLY concerns.

No one supports corruption, but right now voters are worried about paying their mortgages and keeping their jobs. Lonegan is speaking to voters about their top concerns, Christie isn’t.

Strategically Shaftan is running circles around you! Lonegan’s platform is simple, straightforward, conservative and controversial. This moves primary voters.

On the other hand, Chris’ 51 or 53, or whatever many ways to fix New Jersey are not very focused. They are boring as hell to scroll through. If you want boring, talk to Steve Forbes more!

Seriously you could cure insomnia reading Christie’s platform. And Mike, the ideas are old, stale and failed. Seriously guy, Initiative and Referendum?

Now with a month to go, you decide to attack Lonegan! Mike, do you want to lose? You just elevated him. After spending months telling us Lonegan doesn’t matter, Christie appears afraid of him. It looks like you have been following Lonegan all along.

Based on recent polling, the current trajectory of this race isn’t good for Christie. Lonegan’s momentum, as well as, the overwhelmingly conservative profile of the undecided voters affords you one last opportunity to eke out victory.

You need to capitalize on Christie’s image of a winner, and as more “electable.” You must portray Christie as the candidate Corzine fears the most. Right now, I don’t think Corzine fears you guys at all. In fact, I think they are licking their chops.

Polls show you losing ground to Corzine and this is only May! Have you even considered core Republican issues in your message or are you expecting them to fall in line the way the county chairs did? If so, it doesn’t work that way. Same with the undecided. You have to ask for their vote, not demand it.

Continue to attack Lonegan and you’ll continue to elevate him. If that happens there will be enough undecided voters breaking toward Lonegan for him to win.

I’m not really giving you advice. You’re a big boy. I think I gave you enough information to figure it out yourself. If you fail, it is on your shoulders, again!

And that’s your Freditorial.

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