Joe Caliendo

School Board member Patricia Walsh and Joe Caliendo

Joe Caliendo ('Joe C.') is the former chairman of the Middletown Township Democratic Party, in New Jersey.

Middletown is comprised chiefly of white, rich, 'discriminating' couples/families who adore the largest community in Monmouth County because of its schools and 'lifestyle,' and also perhaps because it is not diverse, there are ridiculous notions of 'class' entrenched socially (as well as in local government) and it is unabashedly suburban. It is not uncommon to find racist leanings among the Middletown "New Money" (and mostly all of the Middletown "elite" are New Money that came from somewhere else). There is also a strong under-current in Middletown that the poor, disenfranchised or otherwise disadvantaged are neither welcomed or wanted in the township. This goes the same for the working poor, I believe.

Joe C. was and is as antithetical to all that nonsense as one can get. He was a union man, concerned primarily with working families and their quality of life. Joe C. believed in equal government for all, and not just some. He believed that money is not the measure of a man or woman, nor is the measure their house, car or their party affiliation, nor size of their television set for that matter. Despite the world he grew up in, he believed in diversity and equality for people of all races. Joe C. was a man ahead of his time in many ways.

He was also gruff to the point of being abrasive sometimes, but Joe C. was likewise dedicated and completely focused upon his mission at hand. Meanwhile, his mission politically had been much the same since the 1960s: beat the Middletown Republicans; put up good candidates and win contests and reform government. He had a short menu, so to speak.

During the 1960s and 70s, Joe C. won a lot. In a town that was more than 70 percent Republican or Independent (leaning Republican) he somehow managed to lead Democrats to municipal control a few times. And, in our time working together, the 2000s, with an entrenched municipal GOP fighting tooth and nail, he and I came within one Fall race of Democrats taking control again.We did it by thinking fast, being maneuverable and using unconventional tactics in an otherwise traditional slugfest.

There have been very dark forces involved in Middletown Republican politics for many years, decades in my opinion (at least through the life of my involvement in political affairs there). Perhaps in later posts I will explain in some more detail about that. But this post is not about things that upset me still.

Back to Joe C.: How does a Republican PR guy and journalist (funny when you think of the two being combined in one person) get hooked up with a battle-scarred Old School boss bent on defeating the local GOP? To put it kindly, before my boss, Big Joe, called me and ordered me to do everything possible to assist Joe C. and the Middletown Democratic Party until further notice, in 2000, I would not so much as given him or them another look. I played ball for one team and that was it.

However, I did not question Joe Azzolina or his methods, his motivations or his reflections. It was not my place. I was there to do as he instructed, with everything I could. And, if it was working with Joe Caliendo or Ghengis Khan it would not have mattered in the slightest. The boss gives an order, I followed that order. I did not exceed his orders, modify his orders, discuss his orders with others not in the loop or half-step his orders. He could, and often did, call me very late at night or early in the morning, or on holidays, in the midst of vacations or whatever to give me instructions about a range of things. I took those calls and did whatever he said. That defined our relationship. But Joe only gave me outcomes he wanted to see. I apprised him of how (or if) I could achieve those results and, after he approved courses of action and contingencies I might take, whatever it was I was doing for him 'was on.' By the way, Big Joe passed away some years ago, so I feel quite free to discuss these things now.

The range of the orders Big Joe gave me spanned sending a reporter over to one of his friends to cover the guy or gal for a feature in an upcoming issue to "get rid of the [then-sitting GOP county chair]" to, as in the case of Joe Caliendo, "...work with Caliendo and the Democrats: I want these [people] (meaning the Middletown GOP) out of office no matter what." I asked Big Joe slowly, 'Sir, are you absolutely sure? Because once we go down this road there is no going back for either of us.' He responded, and I remember very clearly, "That's what I want and I want you to do it for as long as you need to do it to finish it." I answered, 'Yes, sir' and called Joe C. immediately to arrange a meeting. Joe later refined his order to explicitly say I was only to help the Middletown Democrats and no others. This was undoubtedly the case because Big Joe was an entrenched Republican state assemblyman from the 12th District.

What was he ticked off about? The Town Center project. At some point, I have to write about that. Just not today. In short, it was a train-wreck that changed the course of several lives.

I met with Joe C. and explained what I did and asked if he could use it: I did public relations, campaign strategy, oversaw press conferences, press releases, dealt with press issues, compared and negotiated advertising costs and mediums (e.g. radio, Internet, print, etc.), identified opposition candidates early and built personal profiles, as well as acquired unflattering information about them, helped coordinate rallies, recruit allies, conducted backroom negotiations, analyzed 'enemy' "lines of communications, logistics and financial support" (and coordinated peripheral actions inhibiting them through the people and allies Big Joe authorized me to have) and wrote for and 'polished' candidates. I told Joe C. I would not fail to submit strategies for approvals or actions through him (I am not the boss) and, as I did my thing, I would continue to update Big Joe. Anything I saw or knew would be reported to him as part of my confidential report. He accepted those terms. He also accepted the fact that I do not take a lot of mess from candidates. They can save their seemingly earnest nonsense for the matinee. I didn't care about their spiel unless we could frame it in a political context. If there is a strategy in place it doesn't get changed without Joe C. directly informing me, and exceptions to this should be rare. Candidates are, to some extent, the infantry of campaigns (at least until they win one) and should not run the show if they have not won or have been around a lot of winning -- because winning and losing is what this is all about. Hundreds of people change their lives to get involved with some campaigns -- one person winning or losing becomes a communal goal. It is best to have veteran hands using winning formulas when people are dedicating so much to wins.

Joe C. heartily agreed. "Me and you are here to get these guys and gals elected. They're trying to get the job and we help them through the interview (the election). We can't get what we need to do done if they fight us," he said. I remember those words still.

Joe C. had heard about me through the 'grapevine.' Later on, one of my Republican friends characterized what I did for Big Joe as "the political dark arts." I don't know about that, but I used a lot of the methodology I learned from my time as an analyst working counter-intelligence for the XVIII Airborne Corps. My brand of political campaigning was adapted from what I knew about an old doctrine, "Air-Land Battle," which was the predominant operational theory of my day. Adapted to politics, my methods amounted to an aspect of the game rarely played at county and below levels in those days Joe C. and I had our run. My areas of emphasis were: attacking 'rear areas' that involve the 'enemy's' base, financial support, key leaders (allies) of theirs in the larger media, while our guys would keep hammering the opposition candidates through the summer (early, long and continuously). The theory: If one attacks the opposition logistics and support, as well as behind-the-scene leaders, and then attacks the opposition candidates -- it has the effect of placing the other campaign 'under siege' from the first. It is hard to put out a fire on the porch when you have three more burning in the backyard. And, it was effective. I thought it would be because anytime an enemy is exploited in a direction and manner they are unused to, they are first confused, then angry and only after that do they adapt their strategy (Miyamato Musashi). This usually takes people too long in contests. But if they are not sure exactly what happened (to their resources, allies, media representation) then it is hard to formulate a response in any manner, let alone a timely one.

Joe C. saw real possibilities with what I brought to the table. I was glad. I hated having to play teacher. There was no need. Beneath his smudged baseball cap, Joe C. possessed the mind of a political field general, at once at home with everything from fundraising to sign placement. He knew anything there was to know about fighting the bloodless battles that are political campaigns locally and at the county. I have never met anyone smarter about how to win than Joe Caliendo. If I had to pick a partner to go down this rabbit hole with, he was the best possible choice. Of course, what Big Joe ordered me to do amounted to treason against the GOP that was a kind of extended family to me. But, I had Big Joe's trust and respect, and that trumped anything I had with any of the other political folks. He was my boss. He was my only priority.

I regret that dear friends of mine were later impacted personally and politically due to their acquaintance with me, or that I "disappointed" anyone because of the duties I was assigned to do. But, in any organization one should "lead, follow or get the hell out of the way." Big Joe was the leader and that was it. Opinions are luxuries some people can afford and others cannot.

Joe C. and I planned our first campaign together. I dealt with my pieces of the puzzle and came up with a written document recounting what we knew about the opposition, cited by sources, and gave my first briefing. I conducted research, while performing my functions at Courier, for four months before I rendered my analysis. It was only for Joe C. and a few others. I gave the same briefing to Big Joe later. I then requested some friends of mine be allowed to help me. Both men agreed. So, we were off.

Our first campaign together involved a newcomer male and a veteran female candidate. Joe C. and I had a goodly amount of personnel to use. So, we headed into the wind confidently.

At this point, the Middletown Republicans had not lost an election since the late 1970s. It had been nearly 30 years since the last Republican committee candidate tasted defeat at the polls. The GOP was so haughty about their election numbers the practice for them was to conduct their Election Night in Town Hall (1 King's Highway, Middletown). It was the election of 2001. That was going to be our start.

I loved this secretly, though. Here was the situation: an almost unbeatable adversary, on their home terrain, with tons of money more than us, absolutely a legion of support seemingly everywhere for them, political patronage jobs behind every bush it seemed (ensuring quiet support from most of the town government and employees -- including the police -- for the opposition) and us with fire in our bellies and a 'bad attitude,' so to speak. I dearly loved those races. Anyone can win when they are supposed to; us winning anything at all was such a longshot the Cleveland Browns could get better Vegas odds of winning the Super Bowl that year.

Joe C. and I did not believe we had a wonderful chance of winning that first race. But, if we could raise the Democratic numbers in Middletown, reduce GOP plurality and hobble one or two key players on the other side, we would be in a good position for later. Of course, we wanted to win. Yet, when a new infantry company attacks entrenched armor (as an example) they may not win but the grunts will surely know a lot more about the bad guys if they watch. Should the grunts scale the ramparts and finish off those tanks on the first go all well and fine. But such an outcome can not be logically expected. Prepare for the worst, if something better happens then you are ahead of the game. Fight hard. Leave it all on the playing field. This was my mantra back then.

As famed Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis once said, "Just win, baby. Just win." But, sometimes, winning requires large sacrifices for a long time. Joe C. and I were just going into our first action together. Either of us would settle for everyone just doing their best.

Joe C. made this joke that I didn't get at first but when I finally got it I laughed for a long time. "You better advertise for someone to start your car in the morning. You're going to need it," he said.

Joe C. is getting up there in age now. My health is poor now and my vigor is long-since gone. But, this was such an exciting time. It was the perfect moment for both of us to chase this foolishness. For Joe C. it was his chance to reclaim past glory. For me, I just wanted to prove I was very good; and actually thought no one was better at this game than me. I had no short supply of arrogance bordering upon hubris. It was a great failing of my youth, among others.