Opioids, outrage & awkward comebacks: Jack’s debate disaster could haunt NJ GOP — Analysis

😲 Mikie Sherrill drops a bombshell in NJ debate, accusing Ciattarelli of ties to opioid deaths.

❗ Ciattarelli stumbles hard, visibly rattled and offering a weak, emotional response.

️❎ Three weeks before Election Day, undecided NJ voters may have just witnessed a turning point.

Oftentimes in a political campaign, it's not what your opponent says about you, it is how you respond.

One of the keys to an effective campaign is anticipating what your opponent is going to throw at you and being able to deflect the attack and pivot back to an issue of strength.

Republican Jack Ciattarelli gave a Master Class on what NOT to do during last night's second and final gubernatorial debate.

😴 A sleepy NJ governor debate takes a sharp turn

From the onset, the debate was a low-impact affair.

The moderators were from New York and Philadelphia television stations. They clearly had no grasp of New Jersey issues and often stumbled over the questions they were asking. They frequently got the candidates’ names and/or titles wrong. At one point, a moderator referred to Democrat Mikie Sherrill as "governor."

As a result, the debate was a sleepy rehash of the same old campaign talking points we had heard before.

Until it wasn't.

💊 Mikie Sherrill links Ciattarelli to opioid deaths

The bombshell allegation from Democrat Mikie Sherrill that linked Ciattarelli to tens of thousands of opioid deaths took a snoozer of a debate into a bare-knuckled brawl.

Sherrill’s bomb had Ciattarelli visibly angry and rattled him for the remainder of the face-off. Worse for the GOP nominee was that he had no real response.  He also didn't directly deny it, except to say she was lying.

“You’re trying to divert from the fact you killed tens of thousands of people by printing your misinformation, your propaganda,” Sherrill charged.

The connection to opioid manufacturers surfaced during Ciattarelli’s last bid for governor four years ago but hadn't been brought up in this contest.

Still, you would have to assume that it was coming at some point, right? How could you not be prepared?

📰 Past publications resurface to haunt Ciattarelli

Here is an excerpt from the NJ.com article published in 2021:

Among the pieces published included a number that focused on pain management — some that appeared to downplay the dangers of opioids.

In one, an author noted: “Misuse or diversion of pain relievers is a significant problem, especially among adolescents and young adults. Concerns about opioid dependence, addiction, or non-medical use often create barriers to effective pain management.” But he continued: “The risk of opioid misuse is low among patients with chronic pain who do not have preexisting substance use disorders.” - NJ.com article from 2021

Linking Ciattarelli to opioid deaths is most certainly a stretch, but his lack of a robust response took what could have been dismissed and neutralized as 'Democrat propaganda and mudslinging' to raising questions in voters’ minds about whether there really is a connection.

❌ A missed opportunity for the GOP nominee

As he stood visibly fuming, the only retort he could manage in a shaky voice was, "At least I got to walk at my (college) graduation," and "I'm proud of my career."

After the debate, Ciattarelli called Sherrill’s allegation "a lie," but did not elaborate.

It was Mikie’s “shame on you” moment.

She made the most of it.

Jack appeared as if he was caught flat-footed and ill-prepared.

That a candidate who has literally been running for governor for a decade could make such a gaffe on the debate stage is inexcusable.

There are three weeks until Election Day.

This debate was not for Republicans or Democrats. It was for the tens of thousands of undecided and unaffiliated voters who will decide the election. You can bet a good number of them have been touched by the opioid scourge that has ravaged New Jersey.

If Ciattarelli does become a three-time loser in his attempt to be New Jersey's governor, he may look back on this moment as the thing that cost him the election.

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