NYTimes: 40-37%, Corzine's the lesser of two evils

by: vincent solomeno

Fri Oct 16, 2009 at 10:25:05 AM EDT

... the decision facing New Jersey voters is startlingly bleak, the poll found. They do not like Mr. Corzine, think he has done a poor job and have little faith that he will revive the state's ailing economy or gain control of soaring property taxes, the two issues they say they care about the most.

Poll respondents did not like Chris Christie either.  Predictably, the Corzine campaign's negative advertisements have driven up the former U.S. Attorney's unfavorable numbers, a negative compounded by press attention on his lack of a specific plan to solve New Jersey's economic woes.  Disappointing to those familiar with the Governor's work to clean up the state's fiscal mess is that most people are unaware of the Corzine Administration's accomplishments in this area.  56% of respondents disapprove of the way the Governor has handled the economy, and perhaps more disturbing, a full 72% disapprove of the way he has dealt with property taxes.  As the Times elaborated:

Economic issues have New Jerseyans near despair, the survey showed. About three-quarters of those polled rated the state's economy as fairly bad or very bad, the worst rating since the question was first asked in 1993. As many say it is hard to keep up with their bills. Four of five think the economy is staying the same or getting worse. Seven in 10 worry that a member of their household will be out of work in the next year.

The poll may be good news for Governor Corzine, whose campaign has been relentless in its attacks on Christie.  However, with less than three weeks until Election Day, voters remain unaware of the Governor's accomplishments.  Today's poll illustrates the benefits of going negative, but as New Jerseyans indicate they are choosing between the lesser of two evils, it's time the Governor's campaign focused more on the achievements of the last four years and his vision for the next.