Party Failure
The Republican parties in both New Jersey and Virginia doomed this year’s gubernatorial candidates.

By NR Editors
From “The Week,” December 3, 2001, issue of National Review

epublicans have no shortage of excuses for the defeat of their gubernatorial candidates in Virginia and New Jersey: In the former, Mark Earley's campaign was invisible for much of the summer; in the latter, the September attacks made it hard for Bret Schundler to get his message out; the president was too busy to help either one. Much of this is true. But the Republican parties of both states also doomed the campaigns. The Republican establishment in New Jersey stiffed Schundler because he's a conservative reformer. Republican legislators in Virginia kept the Republican governor from delivering on his popular campaign pledge to end the state's car tax, and failed to pass a budget. The post-election spin is, as always, that Republican candidates lose because they are too conservative. But in these cases, Republicans lost because their colleagues were not conservative, or competent, enough.