Conservative or Liberal? Who knows?

Almost four years ago I began a small internship in the Whiting, New Jersey office of Congressman Christopher H. Smith. Although I did mostly boring clerical work, I got the opportunity to help with some small campaign projects, and consequently helped get Smith re-elected in the 2006. But looking back, is that such a good thing?

 My internship with Smith left me confused, standing in the no-man-land of two parties. I agreed with Smith on some things, but on others, he missed the mark completely. To this day, I can’t decide my stance on this candidate.

But if you ask me, it looks like Smith isn’t waving his Republican red flag too highly these days. Smith recently voted in favor of Cap and Trade and cosponsored a Statehood bill for Puerto Rico. All these things don’t scream conservative and the infamous Tea Party has taken notice.


Smith is however, favored to win over his current opponent Howard Kleinhendler- even with his lack of support from the Tea Party.


Abortion is one thing that Smith agrees with his party on. He is an intense supporter of pro-life and hates the birth control pill. His 2008 political opponent even said Smith tried to make the pill illegal (?!).

On the outside Smith seems like a moderate Republican, someone that can satisfy both parties needs, but then he talks about abortion and birth control and it all goes down hill.

After doing a little more research on Smith, I found a 1991 New York Times article entitled, Decade of Rep. Smith: Fluke to Tactician. It may have been written nearly 20 years ago, but it seems right on the money. Les AuCoin, a Democratic Representative from Oregon, described Smith in the article.

"He's almost a Jekyll and Hyde: a fairly tolerant guy, compassionate, open minded on almost any front. But suddenly when it comes to choice, it's something else. A look comes in his eye. He almost looks like he's been electrocuted. His eyes bulge and the rhetoric changes," AuCoin told the New York Times.

Mark Setaro, a former opponent of Smith, said in the same article, "He's the mistake that will be there for the next 20 years."

Well 20 years later, here we are, and the big question remains- is the re-election of Smith a mistake?