NJ candidate for governor is heard despite media’s reluctance
By Nate Fishman, operations director for Kaper-Dale for Governor
On June 7th, 2017, we crossed paths with people who looked just a bit down and defeated. It was totally understandable. It was one day after the New Jersey gubernatorial primary elections and many of them didn’t know that there was still a progressive candidate in the race for the Statehouse! But the roughly four thousand people who watched Seth Kaper-Dale’s Facebook Live Town Hall the night before were psyched.
A June 3rd nj.com article revealed voters who supported voting for an independent candidate increased to 66 percent after recent primary candidate debates.
From 10:00 to 11:00 PM, our communications director, Rishi Mehta relayed questions to Seth as they poured in non-stop while the comments page lit up with hearts and smiley faces. The primaries left us right where we want to be. Leading into the primaries, a June 3rd nj.com article revealed voters who supported voting for an independent candidate increased from an already whopping 63 percent to 66 percent after recent primary candidate debates.
Our momentum was demonstrated the next evening, June 7th, when we exceeded our $10,000 goal we set for our People of Facebook Challenge 5-day fundraiser. This was just the boost we were looking for to start the post-primaries phase of the campaign.
One of the achievements during primary season for the Kaper-Dale for Governor campaign was communicating this year’s race as a three-party race. On May 1st, in front of about 500 people, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice proudly proclaimed their Gubernatorial Candidates Forum “an event featuring three parties,” as Seth impressed the crowd with his passionate positions and commitment to justice. This was one of numerous events in which our next Green Governor of New Jersey appeared side by side with establishment candidates while standing apart from them on key issues.
Similarly, the New Jersey Universal Healthcare Coalition has enthusiastically featured Seth at multiple events they sponsored and helped to spread the word about Seth as the only candidate running on a single-payer Medicare for All plan.
Medicare for All is central to Seth’s campaign. Seth’s “Last Are First” platform prioritizes children, the undocumented, and people imprisoned. His three-part economic plan for serving these populations and all of the state, consists of single-payer healthcare, public banking and progressive taxation.
While the economic plan has multiple impacts, its over-arching function is to reverse trickle-down economics in NJ, creating a wellspring of opportunity from below.
Up until the primaries, the corporate press continued to block our message. While Seth has received and continues to receive abundant coverage for his powerful work protesting Immigation Enforcement’s interference in New Jersey communities, the press predictably separated Seth’s work as an activist from candidate coverage.
Our response has been a permanent mobilization. Seth, our campaign team, and regional “Seth Squads” are hitting the streets daily. Rallying people in high-trafficked areas of their communities throughout the state, we are spreading the word directly and daring the news outlets not to cover us. First, we made it legit. Now, we’re making it popular. Next, we make it victory. Learn more at www.kaperdaleforgovernor.com