Corzine Looks to Beltway for Support in NJ Governor's Race
Oct. 22 (Bloomberg) -- New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine hasstood beside President Barack Obama in Hackensack and Holmdel.He shared a stage with Vice President Joseph Biden inPhiladelphia this summer and again this week in Edison. Evenformer President Bill Clinton got called in.
With less than two weeks until the state’s gubernatorialelection, Corzine is counting on the star power of the nationalDemocratic leadership to attract the 23 percent of Democrats whosaid they remain undecided in an Oct. 14 Quinnipiac Universitypoll. Obama stumped for Corzine yesterday at Fairleigh DickinsonUniversity in Hackensack.
“He’s one of the best partners I have in the WhiteHouse,” Obama said during a 27-minute speech in which he saidCorzine assisted in the crafting of economic stimuluslegislation. “New Jersey needs to give Jon Corzine four moreyears.”
Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 720,000 votersacross the most densely populated area in the country, whereresidents haven’t elected a Republican to statewide office since1997. Corzine, 62, is the only U.S. governor seeking re-electionthis year, as voters blame him for a variety of fiscal woes.
Until this month, Corzine trailed Republican ChristopherChristie in polls. The governor caught Christie after launchingads attacking the Republican’s support for ending healthinsurance mandates and his links as a fundraiser for formerPresident George W. Bush.
In the spots, Corzine questioned Christie’s driving recordfollowing a 2002 traffic accident in which Christie turned thewrong way down a one-way street, hit a motorcyclist and wasn’tissued a ticket; and his ethics for giving a loan to asubordinate who worked for him when he was U.S. Attorney for NewJersey.
Obama Factor
Corzine, former chairman of Goldman, Sachs & Co., tied withChristie, each with about 40 percent, in this month’s Quinnipiacpoll, which had a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points. Twodays before the president’s July 16 visit, the incumbent trailedChristie, 41 percent to 53 percent, in a poll that had an errormargin of 2.5 percentage points.
Sixty-one percent of voters approved of Obama in that Julypoll; among Democrats, the president got a 90 percent rating. Inan August poll, Obama’s approval was 56 percent, while 89percent of Democrats liked his performance.
“The tactical edge Corzine wants here is mobilization,”said Peter Woolley, director of Fairleigh Dickinson’s PublicMindpolling center. “The Democratic game plan seems to be simply tooutmuscle the Republicans and convince their strong and broadbase of voters to stick with the party.”
Biden, Clinton
Earlier this week, Biden told a cheering crowd in agymnasium at Middlesex County College in Edison that he trustedCorzine’s views on the economy so much that he had sought outthe governor’s opinion on how to handle the recession.
“It’s great to be here with one of the best partners thatBarack and I have in the country,” Biden said.
Clinton, speaking Oct. 20 to South Jersey Democrats at aballroom in Collingswood, said Corzine’s re-election wasimportant for the country and the state. Clinton joined thefirst-term governor for a second rally later that day at RutgersUniversity in New Brunswick.
Obama rallied 3,500 Democratic voters yesterday, tellingthem that Corzine extended unemployment benefits for 600,000jobless and added more than 100,000 children to health-carerolls. The campaign distributed tickets to the event.
During his address delivered as the local evening news wasbeing broadcast, Obama said he wasn’t speaking solely to thosein attendance. Rather, he said, he was aiming his remarks at“all of those watching out there,” motioning to televisioncameras assembled on a riser.
‘Motivating Folks’
“Motivating folks to get to the polls and vote is going tobe part of what we have to do,” said Joseph Cryan, head of theDemocratic State Committee and an assemblyman from Union. “Wedo that well, but the president can always help us do itbetter.”
Adenah Bayoh, 31, who owns an International House ofPancakes restaurant in Irvington, said she was undecided beforeattending the rally. She voted for the governor in 2005. Bayoh,a Fairleigh Dickinson alumnus who was drawn to the event byObama, said she’s behind Corzine now.
“Obama made some great points in that right now, peopleeverywhere are losing their jobs and the economy is bad,” shesaid in an interview. “I’ve always been a Democrat, but Ihaven’t been that inspired in this election.”
Overcoming Indifference
Krishna Yalla, 24, said he was indifferent before attendingthe rally. Yalla, who’s unemployed after graduating from theuniversity in May with an economics degree, said the eventenergized him.
“For me, it was Obama,” Yalla said as he filed out of theauditorium. “To have a public endorsement from the president,who I support, is a huge push.”
Christie released a Web video yesterday ahead of Obama’svisit titled “Yes We Can,” which features the presidenttalking about the need for change. “If you want real change,start by changing governors,” Christie’s campaign said in thevideo description.
Corzine has spent at least $16.8 million on the race, morethan triple Christie’s $5.4 million, according to campaignfinance data released Oct. 7. Christie, who is accepting publicmatching funds, has said he expected to be outspent by thegovernor, who is not taking public funds. The Republican islimited under state public-finance laws to $10.9 million for thecampaign.
Corzine spent a total of $100 million on his runs for U.S.Senate and his first race for governor four years ago.
“You’ve got a lot more Democrats in New Jersey” saidMaurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac polling institute inHamden, Connecticut. “Are they all going to be swayed by Obamaand Biden? Probably most aren’t. But some are.”
To contact the reporter on this story:Terrence Dopp in Trenton, New Jersey, at tdopp@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: October 22, 2009 00:01 EDTSource: Bloomberg
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