Cape May County Republicans

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The Beesley’s Point Bridge reminds me of the Old North Bridge, between Lexington and Concord – the Democrats are the Red Coats, soldiers of the most fearsome military empire the world had ever known, while our Cape May Republicans are the Continental Army – not really an army, though that’s what they called themselves, really a militia, volunteered for service in behalf of their fellow outraged taxpayers – a rag tag band of ruffians who were out-spent, out-manned, and out-gunned … but who somehow found a way to defeat the British and create on this continent a revolutionary government, dedicated to the proposition that our rights flow directly to us from our Creator, rather than from the King, and that government is there for but one purpose only – to secure those rights.

What was it that energized that band of insurgents? What was it that fueled them through their long winter of discontent, when they had no food or ammunition, when they were on the very brink of dissolution at the hands of the enemy?

It was the power of IDEAS – just as the pen is mightier than the sword, a good idea is more powerful than any army.  And the idea of individual liberty was so revolutionary in its time that it powered that band of rebels to victory against Britain.

When the first exchange of gunfire took place on April 19, 1775, neither side knew that history would record it as The Shot Heard ‘Round the World – but it was.

Today, we see a similar battle, where one side has the money, and the power, but the other side has the good idea. I don’t need to tell you which side is which – you already know.

But there’s an added dimension to this year’s First District War by the Shore – that is, national eyes are upon us.

We’ve had the Chairman of the Republican National Committee in our district, talking up our effort. He put his own name and reputation on the line for us. And we don’t want to let him down.

More importantly, the eyes of the national media are upon New Jersey this year. The Virginia gubernatorial race was done weeks ago – GOP gubernatorial nominee Bob McDonnell is expected to win that race going away, and the rest of the GOP ticket is expected to sweep into office, too.

That leaves New Jersey as the only seriously contested battleground.

That’s why Barack Obama is coming back to New Jersey one last time this weekend – because they know that if Chris Christie beats Jon Corzine, and Mike Donohue and John McCann beat Nelson Albano and Matt Milam, Democrats on Capitol Hill are going to read that as a rejection of their spending spree, and we will have played a role in saving the nation from a government takeover of health care.

On Tuesday, we’ll find out whether a good idea still beats power and money.

I know which side I’m fighting for. Do you?