GOP Minority Leader John DiMaio is apparently doing a great job building up that Republican minority! At this rate, in ten years, there will be negative-11 GOP reps in the Assembly.

On his watch, the GOP has lost eleven seats. Yup, DiMaio has lost the equivalent of a whole football team in just two cycles.

Assemblyman John DiMaio used to represent me as a resident of Flemington, until the districts shifted a few years ago. I always found him a hard worker with a good sense of humor. Not sure if he’s finding the last two election cycles as the GOP minority leader in the Assembly quite that funny, though. The loss of ELEVEN seats in your watch can’t be too exciting.

So there was GOP gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli the Friday before Election Day in Bridgewater—because apparently that’s where you go when you want to announce your fantasy football lineup for state government—proudly introducing DiMaio as New Jersey’s next Assembly Speaker. The problem? The election hadn’t happened yet. This is like Michael Scott from THE OFFICE declaring bankruptcy by just yelling it. That’s not how this works. That’s not how ANY of this works.

Ciattarelli was absolutely convinced the GOP would pick up 13 Assembly seats. THIRTEEN. Even Republicans were like, “Yeah, buddy, sure, and while we’re at it, let’s make the Turnpike free and get Taylor Ham and Pork Roll to finally agree on something.” Nobody believed this nonsense. But even the pessimists couldn’t have predicted the absolute face-plant that was coming.

Not only did Mikie Sherrill demolish Ciattarelli like he was a traffic cone on Route 287, but Republicans lost FIVE seats Election Day, Including one in Morris County that hasn’t gone blue since Eisenhower was telling kids to duck and cover. That’s a 50-year streak, folks.

The Mets have won the World Series more recently than Morris County elected a Democrat. That district was redder than Chris Christie’s face while sitting in the hot sun on a beach all by himself, —- and now -poof! — it’s all gone.

This comes after losing SIX seats two years ago. At this point, the GOP caucus could hold meetings in a 2010 Honda Civic, and still have room for luggage.

But DiMaio got reelected as leader anyway, because apparently the Republicans looked at this dumpster fire and said, “You know what? Let’s keep doing exactly this.” Jay Webber—yes, the same guy Ciattarelli wanted on the Supreme Court—summed it up perfectly with a baseball analogy: when your pitcher is 0-11, maybe it’s time to pull him.

DiMaio’s response? Force a quick vote with no debate. Nothing says “strong leadership” like silencing discussion faster than a Soprano at a wire-wearing witness.

Brilliant strategy, fellas. Just brilliant.