Get ready to decide who the smartest member of the New Jersey Legislature is – voting starts tomorrow. Watch the Cinderella match as Assemblyman Scott Rudder (R-Burlington) takes on our #1 seed, State Sen. John Adler (D-Camden). In a poll of PolitickerNJ.com readers, Rudder defeated Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker (D-Essex) by a 53%-47% margin for the 64th slot.
The PolitickerNJ.com Smartest Legislator Tournament is intended to be a contest of sheer intelligence – an online, interactive contest among readers to determine New Jersey’s most intellectually talented state legislator. This is not about political parties, vote-getting abilities, fundraising prowess, legislative achievements, or personal popularity – it’s a contest to look at the minds of the legislators. Think about their ability to reason, to solve problems, to comprehend complicated ideas, to think abstractly, to articulate their views, and to learn. Consider their personal wisdom, their knowledge, and their ability to deal with cognitive complexity.
We’ve put 64 of New Jersey’s 120 legislators into four divisions of sixteen legislators. The regions are named after four truly brilliant legislators of the past: Perskie, Gormley, Wiley and DeKorte.
You can vote in each of the matchups, starting with Round 1 on April 17-21 – but only once every ten minutes. Round 2 will run April 22-23, Sweet Sixteen on April 24-35, Elite 8 on April 26-28, Final 4 on April 29, and Finals on April 30.
Twelve New Jersey legislators, all from districts that are not especially competitive in general election contests, face potential obstacles in their ... >
It's hard to not be concerned these days. We've all witnessed frustration with our institutions before but I never remember anything of this ... >
Instead of borrowing trillions to waste on make-work governmental projects, stimulate the economy with tax cuts. >
Score one for the Governor’s public relations team. For the last few weeks, they have been working overtime to fuel speculation Corzine was being ... >
I am pleased to report the results from the first national poll conducted by Environmental Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences at ... >
In December 2008, the Holy See released a new document dealing with bioethics called “Dignitas Personae.” This “instruction” from the ... >
Hard to believe we have arrived at the last year of the first decade of the 21st century. Boy, seems like it was just yesterday that Bush was handed ... >
It's actually come to this: A panel convened by the legislature of the State of New Jersey has concluded that discrimination is not good. Maybe ... >
As it tends to, history seems to be repeating itself as 240 laid-off workers at Republic Windows and Doors in Chicago revive a decades old tactic -- ... >
Many columnists write a "year in review" or a "predictions" piece for the New Year, however I decided to refrain from going down ... >
Five Democrat governors including New Jersey’s Jon Corzine and New York’s David Paterson have called upon the incoming Obama administration to ... >
My Vote is for Rudder
Do not know him well, but I will take a conservative Republican over a weasel liberal any day.
This is one stupid contest
The end.
Voting Process
The PolitickerNJ.com Smartest Legislator Tournament is intended to be a contest of sheer intelligence – an online, interactive contest among readers to determine New Jersey’s most intellectually talented state legislator.
And you can only vote every 10 minutes!
So tell me about the people who can sit at their computers and vote every 10 minutes. Won't that interrupt with their listening to 101.5 or reading the AP?
This appears to be a test of non intelligence shared by PolitickerNJ and the participants!
Waste of Time
Scott Rudder is no where near John Adler for this contest. I have no doubt Adler will come away with this competition yet again.
Full Bracket?
I'm curious to see who the field of 64 includes. Is there a full bracket for this somewhere?