NJ is sending a former NFL player that just retired last season, and no political experience, to Congress. That pretty much sums up the election.
Well, I suppose it's no better or worse than Minnesota having sent a comedian with no political experience (unless you count being an Air America host and a run-in w/ Sean Hannity as 'political experience')...to the U.S. Senate, which is exactly what happened last year.
I agree w/ SB about the CT Senate Race. Having lied repeatedly about service in Vietnam, let alone his fumbled answer on how jobs are created...should've been enough to send Blumenthal packing. It's quite disgusting and somewhat pitiful that the people of Connecticut allowed him to get away w/ that. It was an ominous sign that he even survived the primary despite the Vietnam lie which was front & center at the time.
Apple
Sonny Bono Fred Gandy (Gopher from The Love Boat) Jim Ryun Al Franken
There is a long list of inexperienced celebrities that made the jump to politics, although Sonny Bono was the mayor of Palm Springs before becoming a representative. I think his wife replaced him with less experience than he had.
None of the above caused the walls to come crumbling down in the Capitol Building, and though the timeframe on Franken is too new to judge, the others were pretty much considered effective representatives. I don't think a professional legislator is necessarily better than a inexperienced one. Congress is full of career politicians - how has that worked out?
That being said - Jon Runyan, the ex Philadelphia Eagle just elected in NJ, is a political newbie that has never run for any office before. My only problem with him has nothing to do with his political views - it is the way he sort of scammed his way out of property taxes by purchasing 4 donkeys. He has them at the entrance to his property and they are kind of a tourist attraction in the area. This "livestock" qualified his multimillion dollar house to be considered a "farm" and was therefore taxed at a fraction of the going rate. To top it off, he was habitually deliquent on the taxes he did owe. He did nothing illegal, but those of us paying extremely high property taxes in NJ can still resent him for it.
