Democrats hold all the Freeholder seats and the Executive. The only countywide elected Republican is the County Clerk, and she is a pro-choice moderate. Joe Ferriero left no stone unturned in turning Bergen blue. That’s why he’ll be in federal prison soon.

Christie has been pushing hard here, especially in the wealthier towns north of Route 4. The southern towns are decidedly Corzine territory: blue collar, union, largely non-commuters, more populous.

The game in Bergen is to hold Corzine’s advantage down, not win it outright. But Christie can do that, especially after the Ferriero conviction.

If Corzine gets his usual margins in Bergen, Hudson, and Essex, there won’t be much Christie can do. That said, I think Democrats, minorities especially, will be staying home in droves next Tuesday.

Christie 46, Corzine 43

One item I heard that’s really hurt Daggett is he won’t rule out taking a job in the Corzine administration. I think it’s obvious Daggett and Corzine are in cahoots.

Also, I hear that Christie has new campaign ads out tying Daggett to Corzine.

Also, I hear that Christie has new campaign ads out tying Daggett to Corzine.

Chris Daggett Knows the Score

New Jersey independent gubernatorial candidate Chris Daggett is not a stupid man.

He can read a poll, and he has to know that New Jersey governor Jon Corzine’s numbers have barely changed at all since Daggett’s numbers started rising in the race. He knows that Republican Chris Christie has lost a considerable lead. He knows that the smallest percentage he could get and still win the race is about 34 percent (and then he has to hope each rival gets about 33 percent).

He knows that the highest he’s been at is 20 percent, and he’s been at 7, 13, 19, 11 and 7 percent recently. He knows his name will be hard to find on several counties’ ballots. He knows that the Phillies-Yankees World Series is perfect for keeping residents’ minds off politics, and news coverage at least partially focused elsewhere.

He knows that you don’t see candidates jumping 14 or 20 or 25 points in the final week. He knows he doesn’t have the money of H. Ross Perot or the name recognition of Jesse Ventura. Thus, he knows he’s not going to win. And he knows that his most likely impact on the race is to ensure another four years of Governor Corzine.

Chris Daggett “worked” for Jon Corzine by serving on a state commission; the position was unpaid. Daggett is now saying that he wouldn’t turn down a job offer from either rival if either one won, but he knows Chris Christie will never offer him so much as a piece of gum.

He knows Jon Corzine throws around money like it’s water to help secure his political aspirations.

Is Chris Daggett explicitly helping out Jon Corzine or fishing for a job in Corzine’s second term? No, of course not. But he’s not a stupid man.

I’d also note that twice, in 24 hours, I’ve heard a voice on the radio mentioning Daggett as a “more conservative” alternative to Christie, which just doesn’t hold water. (The first was Mark Davis sitting in for Rush, the other was Tim Farley on XM POTUS Morning Briefing.)

Yes, Daggett wants to reduce property taxes — heavily focusing on those most-likely-to-vote senior citizens — but he would offset that lost revenue by extend the existing 7 percent sales tax to a wide range of personal, professional, and household services, including services provided to individuals by professionals such as lawyers, accountants, and architects. This is what has the RGA hitting Daggett for wanting to tax your haircut and dry cleaning. In a Creigh Deedsian manner, Daggett’s spokesman says he would only increase highway tolls “if no other viable options are found.”

His plan for imposing a cap on municipal, county, and school-district budgets based on the Consumer Price Index is a really intriguing idea that would almost certainly run into fierce opposition in the state legislature. A Republican governor might have a shot of twisting enough arms to do this; the same plan from an independent with no allies in either party will be DOA.

Sadly, this is the case for a lot of Daggett’s agenda items — they’re not bad ideas, but they’re pipe dreams without similarly reform-minded state legislators. Do you think Daggett will have more pull with Democrats than the teachers’ unions when it comes to “replacing lifetime tenure with five-year renewable performance based contracts, with merit pay opportunities, both for new hires and for teachers who do not currently hold tenure”?

My favorite proposal is Daggett’s happy dream of “abolishing pensions and health-care benefits for part-time legislators, aides and political appointees.” That would be swell, but you would be trying to persuade the state legislature to cut their own benefits and pensions.

In a law that almost seemed aimed at Corzine, Daggett wants to “impose a ‘luxury tax’ on political candidates who spend more than twice the public financing limit in gubernatorial elections, with 33 percent of the excess to be shared among rival candidates in proportion to the amount of money they have raised.” In other words, if you spend too much money, you have to give a portion to your rivals. I’m not sure about the constitutionality of that, but the point is moot until you have a state legislature that is even bothered by the Corzines of the world throwing around lots of money. Right now, Democrats hold moderately healthy majorities in both chambers, and they think Corzine’s campaign spending is hunky-dory.

The passion of Daggett’s supporters doesn’t change the fact that the winner on Election Night will have a last name that starts with “C.” Daggett’s efforts are ensuring that it’s Corzine . . . and he doesn’t seem all that bothered by that scenario.

10/27 09:54 AM Share

____________________________________________

So, if all of the above is true, it appears that Daggett is only in the race to help Corzine. He’s running on policies that may sound fiscally responsible such as “Lowering property taxes” or “putting a cap on school budgets” or “abolishing benefits for part-time legislators” but, in doing so he hopes to pull votes from Christie. As everyone knows, when you have spoilers in a race, it always hurts Republicans. Corzine is without doubt one of the most corrupt politicians, and, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he himself set up and funded the Daggett campaign.

Its the only county in NJ that still has “Blue” laws, meaning no businesses are allowed open on a Sunday with certain exceptions. (Parents had a bakery so Sunday morning pastries and fresh coffee MMMMM!!! But I digress), the matter comes up for referendum every so often to repeal the Blue laws and it gets voted down resoundingly. People still believe in honoring the Lord’s day of rest.

Unfortunately, the work ethic found in Bergen County doesn’t translate to the surrounding counties or the rest of the state, too many people demanding freebies from the state (The Freeloaders), and an Assembly (The Looters) all to willing to capitulate at the expense of the working people & small business (The Producers… WHERE is John Galt?)! People wonder why the cost of living is so damn high here, you need go no farther than the cesspools known as Newark, NJ, Camden, Atlantic City, and their outlying counties.

If the exodus figures are any indication, New Jersey has a net loss of 450,000 people in the last few years (5 I think), Thats equivalent to the cities of Jersey City, and Newark getting up and leaving en masse! (New York State had a net loss of 1million in the last 10 years)

A poll of people under the age of 50 stated that nearly half (49%) would leave the state if they had the means. Not too mention the nanny state mentality is out of control! So the only thing carrying the state Republican wise in any real strength is Bergen County out of 21 counties in the state. The rest appear to be either split in blue favor or are heavily blue.

Its only going to get worse, It appears that more people are recipients of various forms of public dole in NJ, and the people providing it are shrinking… sooner or later, its going to collapse under its own weight, we probably should thank Corzine, he just hastened the inevitable demise by about 3 decades sooner.

I’m a gun owner in this state, and I’ve decided its time to Jet… I don’t want the boys in peaked hats and french blue uniforms banging on my door saying “Hand ‘em over!” … Funny… I just remembered my grandfather in Germany in 1939, (A story my mother told me)… The boys in Brown showed up on his doorstep making the same statement, only his were “lost” in a field somewhere in a box wrapped in burlap and oil… something about “over his dead body”… the german translation is vague LOL…. not too mentiong the uniforms look strikingly similar… coincidence? LOL

… but Houston isn’t out of the question either Your resource would come in handy, Thank you!

The feeling and one in which I share, is that if the GOP can’t win this year, with all the tea party momentum, the unpopularity of Corzine, unemployment at 10%, in an off-year election which typically favors Republicans if all this can’t result in a GOP victory I throw up my hands and leave the state to those with more patience than myself.

If Corzine wins: I’ll be fully prepared to put New Jersey along with Massachusetts and California as most liberal/worst run states in the union and I never thought I’d be saying that.

I sure hope this isn’t a repeat.

Third party candidacies usually collapse as people don’t like voting for someone they know has no chance of winning, and clearly, the state dislikes Corzine with his 30% approval ratings. Daggett really has no innovative ideas or issues, his only claim to fame is that he’s an independent. The only reason the media has promoted him so much is they know his candidacy hurts the Republican. I’m sure he’ll get around 5%, but after you’ve sliced that up it’s probably about a 1-2% net gain for Corzine.

Still, I could see Daggett bleeding off just enough to put Corzine over the top. I would like to see some more polling, but usually when I see people complaining about how accurate the polls are, it means the campaign is losing.

If Republicans sweep both New Jersey and Virginia though, it’s going to set off a political earthquake in Washington.

But I think it may be subtle push polling combined with resondents telling the pollster-students what they want to hear. Sometimes something as simple as an inflection or an accent to sway a response.

we’re already looking at houses in Texas… I don’t think the dichotomy could be any wider… I’ve personally met Jon Corzine… likeable guy… but anyone that can be so bent philosophically should be occupying a room at Greystone Park… if you’re not sure what that is see here.