The stuffiness of the Ivy League world perhaps in part propelled Harvard’s Phil Murphy into N.J. politics, and after four years in the infernal wading pools of populism, Murphy found himself again craving the closer proximity of something Ivy covered.

Hence, his choice of the Stanford educated Matt Plakin for attorney general, a choice that left the long-standing inhabitants of the political world here a little miffed and bereft, but also pragmatically resigned to the (likely mild) consequences of having given Murphy the business for much of his first term.

In addition, Murphy – in full-blown Santa Claus on Christmas eve mode – had essentially rammed an entire cabinet full of political machine parts in an effort to look goody-friendly to the machines that bore those parts while projecting a progressive sensitivity that he could count on if he ever undertook a run for national office.

The long and the short of it is Murphy had not actually generated a “Murphy world” from which to choose his prime allies and underlings in government, so he had to rely on those offerings of the party to establish his cabinet – with one notable exception.

That was Platkin, an early player in his political orbit who quickly demonstrated competence, especially in his role as the governor’s chief counsel. Sources – even those less than thrilled that Murphy picked him – uniformly casually use a single word to describe him: “brilliant.” But they still bristle at his lack of relationships, lack of courtroom experience, age (36), not to mention his Katie Brennan fiasco dig-in, and – among Republicans – his legal wrangling of the Murphy Administration’s shutdown.

They also acknowledge that above and beyond his intellect, he won the AG job on the basis of one foundational feature: demonstrated loyalty to the governor.

The former Attorney General, Gurbir Grewal, who came from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, had

his own professional background and quickly made his statewide mark as a high energy impact player. He demonstrated a prowess in opposing then-President Donald J. Trump, adding the heft of his office to dozens of actions against the administration. He had a bit of Anne Milgram in him, too. She was former Governor Jon Corzine’s attorney general, who chucked a few lightning bolts in the direction of a few political organizations. At the time, which coincided with the lead-up to Corzine’s 2009 reelection against former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie – some fairly stunned Democrats interpreted her moves as fighting – very nearly literally – fire with fire. If Christie had gotten tough with Democrats, Milgram, or so ran the interpretation, could get tough, too – tough enough to haul them back to the fold in time for the election, just in case they nursed any ideas of backing Christie.

Grewal lit up some supposed Murphy allies too, making them squirm to the point of creating some real headaches for the governor. He was shining a flashlight into Middlesex, for example, at exactly the time when the front office and Middlesex were getting politically chummier; and poking and prodding elsewhere, too, in a way that simply irritated would-be Murphy allies already in watercooler gossip gear over some of the administration’s other missteps. He bothered at least one heavy hitter in Hudson. Union was getting anxious. One source also noted that Grewal failed to show a special willingness to kiss the ring. Those people in the inner sanctum looking out for Murphy didn’t hear Grewal say his name, for example. He was visible, too, very, in fact – amid whispers of him wanting to seek higher office at some point. To those who liked Grewal and admired him, he was the cabinet’s lone star. To his detractors, he gleamed irrepressible ambition. Eventually someone in the administration gave him a time frame to leave.

His acting AG successor, Andrew Bruck, was doomed by association, according to one source. Another candidate for the job, veteran Assemblyman John McKeon (D-27), one of the most active and accomplished lawmakers in Trenton, had his own foundations, relationships, and spheres of influence. They had done that already. Time for something new. Time for Phil to do something for Phil, seemed to be the logic.

Platkin wasn’t just an egghead. He had perhaps the longest standing relationship with the Murphys of all the inner sanctum government players, going back to 2014-2015. He proved his value to Murphy in the day to day grind of the front office. Having endured all the traumas of his first term, the governor – now into his second term – wanted someone truly loyal, whose loyalty stood the test of the worst palace intrigues and scalding headlines, with – yes, perhaps – a twist of old Ivy League SAT score excellence splashed on top for good measure.

Would it be enough to get Platkin through the gauntlet senate scrutiny already underway. Platkin served as Governor Murphy’s chief counsel at the start of the pandemic when the governor declared the first State of Emergency and initial Public Health Emergency, and state Senator Kristin Corrado (R-40), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, fretted over his nomination to be New Jersey’s next Attorney General with a nod to his history in that area of oversight. “I’m concerned that Matt Platkin was the counsel who advised Governor Murphy to govern by executive order and overbearing mandates for the past two years,” said the Passaic-based Republican senator. “On emergency powers, we need someone who shares the views of New Jerseyans that it’s time for Governor Murphy to give it back.”

Others who might be most expected to nurse a grudge or throw a loose elbow, expressed what seemed to be a genuine respect for Platkin’s intellect as at least a credible enough bulwark to protect him against charges of a kid occupying the AG’s office, and expressed the belief that Murphy didn’t pick Platkin to punish people – “That’s not his style, he doesn’t keep score like that,” one source said – but to ensure the protection of his own flank.