Leadership Quote by Richard J. Codey

“We are keeping New Jersey one step, several steps, ahead of terrorism” is the kind of post-9/11 reassurance line that reveals its own anxiety in real time. Codey starts with a crisp sports cliche - “one step ahead” - the language of quarterbacks and cops, a promise that vigilance can be measured in yards and seconds. Then he corrects himself mid-stride: “several steps.” That little escalation is the tell. It’s not just confidence; it’s a public performance of confidence, a reflex to outrun doubt before the audience can catch it.

As a politician, Codey’s intent is twofold: calm the public and justify expanded security posture. “Keeping” implies continuous labor, a state working the night shift on your behalf. “Ahead of terrorism” turns an amorphous threat into a race with a finish line you never see, which conveniently makes the metric of success invisible too. If nothing happens, the system worked. If something happens, the threat was unprecedented. Either way, the speaker is positioned as responsible.

The subtext also carries a subtle territorial claim: New Jersey isn’t the punchline state; it’s a frontline state, strategically adjacent to New York and its symbolic targets. That matters in the early-2000s political climate, when governors and acting governors had to project competence under a new, permanent emergency. The line doesn’t offer details because details can be debated. It offers tempo, movement, and an implied edge - the rhetoric of preparedness standing in for proof.