Crowley makes rounds, and Christie still establishment GOP favorite for Gov

If the GOP’s long march of self-combusting U.S. Senate candidates failed to inspire a lot of rank and file Republicans, the brief flirtation Princeton businessman John Crowley had with a June Senate primary run held for some the more lasting promise of an "it" factor party champion.

The lineaments of the Crowley narrative were indeed compelling for Republicans.

Son of a cop who died in the line of duty; Naval Intelligence officer; Successful CEO; Young and devoted father who founded a biotech business to create a disease cure to save his children; Hollywood movie subject with a movie apparently due out next year, according to Republican sources.

Crowley’s would-be entry into the race had come under the radar, as Andy Unanue prepared for his return to New Jersey from the ski slopes of Colorado intent on claiming his party’s in absentia nomination.

But while Unanue’s Senate candidacy quickly melted down in a mishmash of nightclub culture stories, Crowley emerged briefly as the family man superstar-in-waiting who could pull the foundering party upright.

"They say Harrison Ford is going to play him in the movie about his life," said a star-struck GOP operator. "From what I’ve seen of him, Crowley could play Jack Ryan in the next Tom Clancy movie."

At the very least, a dedicated Republican following of mostly party guerillas looking to buck the system agreed that the now 41-year old Princetonian would be a storybook candidate against Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J).

It didn’t happen, but not because the party spurned Crowley.

Acknowledging his impact and potential influence, Republican State Party Chair Tom Wilson sat down for dinner last week with Crowley, the man who might have been the party’s nominee for U.S. Senate this year but for business responsibilities that prevented him from pulling the trigger on a last minute campaign.

Also at the Princeton restaurant was Bill Spadea, formerly a candidate for U.S. Congress against U.S. Rep. Rush Holt and Crowley’s champion throughout his short if nearly spectacular entrance into the 2008 Republican Senate Primary.

Wilson wanted to talk to Crowley in part about the fund-raising organization, Building a New Majority, that Crowley just founded with Spadea.

"This organization is a vehicle to make a difference," Spadea told PolitickerNJ.com. "The important aspect of it is we’re reaching out to people who are thinking of running locally and helping them to build the party from the from ground up. You hear people talk and they say, ‘if we could just get a governor or senator elected, things will change.’ But we’re not approaching it like that."

Crowley’s eagerness to connect with the party at all levels has been one of the bigger back stories in GOP circles these past several weeks as he and Spadea geared up for the launch of Building a New Majority.

Burlington County GOP Chairman Bill Layton appreciates Crowley’s heightened attention to the party and its needs.

"When he bowed out as a potential Senate candidate, he said he wanted to help win a Republican Majority," said Layton.

"He has followed through on his word," the county chair added. "From our standpoint, any group or organization that helps elect Republicans locally is a worthy cause."

Wilson at his dinner meeting with Crowley and Spadea was specific about getting everyone aligned as part of a statewide mission to wrest control from the Democrats.

"They concluded they would be more successful if they worked in tandem with us," said Wilson, who intends to share with Spadea and Crowley the blueprint the State GOP Committee has developed for local races.

Said Layton of Crowley, "My sense is he’s looking to help organizations not as self-sufficient as ours (the powerful Burlington County Republican Party). Republican organizations in places like Middlesex and Camden would be natural beneficiaries."

"We’re looking at passionate candidates who are going to have a good shot," said Spadea. "Mercer is one of our most challenging uphill battles. The Republican candidate running for Mercer sheriff has a legitimate shot. Do we want to play in Newark and Trenton at some point? Absolutely. Mercer County and Essex used to be Republican counties but right now we’re looking to get the biggest bang for the buck. In a tight Board of Education race, $500 can make a difference in an election, that’s the impact we want to have."

One candidate they definitely intend to support is conservative freshman Assemblyman Jay Webber.

"We’re looking at good government candidates who offer free market solutions," said Spadea. "We’re looking at candidates with economic ideas who will address the crisis in this state. We are to the point where there is a physical change happening in New Jersey, with tens of thousands of people each quarter running out of the state. We need candidates who can solve economic problems."

This morning, as part of making their statewide rounds to promote Building a New Majority, Crowley and Spadea spoke at the Empire Diner in Parsippany, at a monthly group meeting of conservatives also attended by former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan and Republican power player Grover Norquist.

Among the audience members was Michael Illions, co-founder of the blog Conservatives with Attitude.

"This is the first time I met him and he seems like a sincere and likeable guy, not your everyday politician," Illions said of Crowley. "I think what he and Spadea are doing is a very good idea, and right now it’s something that’s sorely missing. You have groups that focus on one issue, and if you’re a candidate and you don’t agree on that one issue, you won’t get any funding.

"Bill and John’s organization emphasizes some platform issues and core principles like limited government, lower taxes and getting government out of our lives, but my sense is they’re not going to be getting School Board candidates to take stands on the Iraq War," Illions added.

When it comes to Crowley, of course, the subject seldom remains his budding career as a behind-the-scenes operator, and inevitably turns to his potential as a statewide candidate.

Of Building a New Majority, "The group fulfills two purposes," acknowledged Wilson. "The first is altruistic in supporting the party and local candidates, and the second is about someone’s political future. It isn’t the first time someone started an organization as a means of launching a career."

Crowley said when he pulled out of contention as a Republican Primary candidate that he needed more time to ensure his company could stand up without him if he decided to pursue politics.

He has his off-the-record supporters who hope he resolves those issues in time to challenge Gov. Jon Corzine next year.

"We’ve got a bonafide star in the Republican Party whom many people see as a statewide candidate and the next question is when," Spadea said to a question about back-static around Crowley. "Will that be in 2009?"

Spadea wouldn’t say, but added, "When you look at the Republican Party, there’s always room for spirited competition. ...It’s always better to have choices out there."

As far as party brass is concerned, at this point Crowley remains on a longer list of GOP gubernatorial prospects - at least right now.

For his part, Wilson doesn’t think a Crowley run next year would be a wise move.

"Campaign ’09 starts in five months," said the state party chairman. "I don’t know if that’s sufficient time for him to organize. At this point, the short list (for governor) includes those people whom I would call to ask if they’re interested."

Other names that surface as GOP candidates for governor include U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, Lonegan, state Sen. Bill Baroni (R-Mercer), Assembly Whip Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield), and Morris County Freeholder John Murphy.

For all of Crowley’s endearing qualities, Wilson points out that the party’s star remains Christie, who if he chooses to run could clear the field, according to establishment Republican sources.

"Clearly if Chris Christie decides he wants to run, it would be very difficult for Crowley to mount a campaign," said Layton. "I would hope Republicans around the state would coalesce behind one candidate.

"If Chris Christie is a candidate for governor, I could pretty much guarantee that Burlington would be behind him," the county chairman added. "If he (Christie) doesn’t run, John Crowley would be the odds on favorite. He’d be great candidate for statewide office, but Chris Christie has demonstrated the ability in his work as U.S. Attorney to make change."

Hard-right Republican operative Rick Shaftan, who backs Lonegan for governor, likes what he sees of Crowley early - at least likes him better than Christie.

"He’s not out of the mold of liberal Mayflower Republican crowd that’s been running statewide lately," said Shaftan. "He’s a self-made man. I don’t know where he stands on cultural issues but I would suspect he’s pro-life."

Like Wilson, Shaftan believes it’s late in the game for Crowley to build up his name for a gubernatorial run in 2009.

But the trouble for Christie, in Shaftan’s opinion, is that the U.S. Attorney’s focus is the corruption issue.

"The issues are taxes and jobs leaving the state," said the Lonegan-backer. "Additionally, what did Chris Christie used to call himself? George Bush’s number one supporter in New Jersey? I don’t think that helps him here."

In the meantime, whether or not he runs for governor this next time, what is obvious about Crowley is that he wants to be a power player within the GOP, and has worked over the last weeks to that end, culminating with the unveiling last week of his organization.