Party On

In Plainfield, Democrats outnumber Republicans 12 to 1, but you can bet there were more than a few who tuned in to hear Gov. Chris Christie give the keynote speech at the Republican National Convention. More than 40 percent of Union County voters pushed the voting booth button for Chris Christie in 2009 and he has been pushing other people's buttons ever since.

For some, Christie represented a possible correction to the entrenched Democratic rule that in some cases had lapsed into entitlement and even actionable corruption. Commenters on newspaper forums clamored for Christie to bring his reform team to Union County, but as the recent news from Trenton attests, there were more serious issues elsewhere.

As Republicans at the national level formed an implacable wall against President Barack Obama, Christie went mano a mano against Democratic leadership in New Jersey and wrested compromises on some thorny issues. He even mentioned this tack in his keynote speech, though it contrasts with the salted-earth tactics of national Republican leaders whose only goal was a one-term Obama.

But one reason local Democratic voters want Obama re-elected is that they cannot envision having hard-hearted, monomaniac Republicans in charge of the nation. Obama's use of reason and compassion in national leadership is something these voters want to preserve.

The sharp contrast between national party leaders is almost reversed at the state or local levels. Democrats who revere Obama deplore the small-minded outlook of some entrenched local leaders, while those running for office as Republicans often must distinguish themselves from the larger GOP representation.

This dichotomy has at times led to calls for non-partisan city elections, but meanwhile voters do have the option of choosing across party lines in the November general election. In 2012, city Democrats can pretty much look with favor on the whole ticket, but for the future, it is good to remember that options can exist in November.

--Bernice