D'Arcy's joke falls flat with Women's Political Caucus

A joke cracked by Atlantic County Democratic Chairman Patrick D’Arcy about how women will vote for his party’s two assembly candidates because they are “good looking men” has been generating outraged responses from female Republicans all week, but today the Women’s Political Caucus of New Jersey added its non-partisan voice to the criticism.

“Recent comments made by Atlantic County Democratic Chairman Pat D’Arcy underscore the need for more education about women in politics. We don’t agree with Mr. D’Arcy that women should vote for his party's 2nd Legislative District Assembly candidates because ‘they're good-looking men.’ In fact, we take exception to the comment, as it demeans women and trivializes the electoral process,” read a joint statement by the group’s president, Sharon L. Weiner and Vice President, Hollie Gilroy.

Weiner, a Democrat, was mayor of Livingston in the 1980s and is a partner at Scarinci Hollenbeck, a politically connected law firm.  Gilroy is the Communications Director for the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey.

“As this campaign moves forward, perhaps Mr. D'Arcy will quickly recognize that women voters actually do have considered opinions about all kinds of issues that affect their families, their careers and their wallets…and they don’t squander their votes on “good looking men,” wrote Weiner and Gilroy.

Democratic State Chairman/Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D-Union) issued a statement testifying to the party's embrace of female candidates and arguing that the outrage was manufactured by Republicans.

"Chairman Pat D’arcy was obviously speaking in jest when asked after a wildly successful raucous county convention that he had just organized.  The insinuation that he is in any way serious in his response is pure desperation and hyperbole on the Republicans part," he said. "Maybe Senator Allen is feeling defensive because there are so few elected Republican women in the statehouse.  In fact she can count on her hands the number of her female colleagues in BOTH chambers (10).  Meanwhile the Democratic caucuses have two and half times more women (26) than the GOP.  New Jersey Republicans continue to turn their back on women candidates, women voters and women’s issues."