With weeks left in office, the outgoing governor is launching a legacy ad campaign to remind voters what he says he delivered — and to frame what comes next.
His term has less than a month to go, so you might figure Phil Murphy is done with campaigning. Not really.
Stronger Fairer Forward, a non-profit group connected to the governor, wants to make sure people know what he has done.
To that end, the group says it has “launched a six-figure multi-platform legacy advertising campaign highlighting Governor Murphy’s success in building a stronger and fairer New Jersey over the past eight years.”
If you recall, Murphy used the “stronger, fairer” slogan when he first ran for office in 2017.
The ad campaign features a 30-second spot showing candid scenes of New Jersey life – kids playing soccer, workers on a job site and a typical suburban street.
The narrator is the governor himself. He talks about:
“Higher wages.
More jobs
Record Property Tax Relief
World Class Schools.”
The governor wraps things up by saying:
“We did what we said we’d do.”
Cynics may suggest Murphy is thinking about running for higher office – like the president. So, that’s why he wants to keep his name and his accomplishments front and center. Anything can happen, but for his part, Murphy has expressed no interest in the presidency.
So, the apparent point is that the governor wants to make sure people know what he considers his major achievements.
That does make sense when you consider a governor leaving office can be a rather forgotten figure. This is especially true in New Jersey where many voters, unfortunately, do not follow state news that much in the first place.
Murphy’s approval ratings have dropped below 40 percent in some polls. That’s not good, but it’s much better than his predecessor, Chris Christie. Saddled by the so-called Bridgegate scandal, Christie’s approval ratings were less than 20 percent when he left office eight years ago.
Murphy’s approval ratings have dropped below 40 percent in some polls. That’s not good, but it’s much better than his predecessor, Chris Christie. Saddled by the so-called Bridgegate scandal, Christie’s approval ratings were less than 20 percent when he left office eight years ago.
Perhaps because of Murphy’s non-stellar ratings and the fatigue of him being in office since 2018, Mikie Sherrill, a fellow Democrat, of course, hardly mentioned him during her campaign. She clearly felt that a too close association with Murphy would do her no good.
So beyond anything else, this ad campaign seems designed to tell people that Murphy is still the governor (for a while more) and that he did good things. More from the release:
“Governor Murphy is who he said he’d be and did exactly as he promised in building a stronger and fairer New Jersey that works for every family,” said Stronger Fairer Forward Executive Director Dan Bryan. “With more jobs than ever, higher wages, and massive property tax relief, his record of delivering for the people of New Jersey is clear. Governor Murphy never wavered, never shifted course with the political winds, and remained constant for his eight years. Stronger Fairer Forward is proud to do our part to help educate the public about his issue agenda, frame his incredible legacy for the Garden State, and provide ways to keep the state moving forward.”
Think of it as a challenge to Sherrill to keep things going.
Murphy coined the phrase, “Stronger and Fairer.”
Sherrill talks about “affordability.”
And just for the record, Murphy doesn’t plan to be around for the first few days of the Sherrill Administration.
He said in a recent interview with NJ Spotlight News that he plans to leave the state for a vacation the night of Jan. 20 – the day Sherrill is sworn-in.
By William Swanson, Special to The Central Observer