A horrible showing for the "winner"

yes, I am bitter (4.00 / 5)

for many reasons - not just at the Christie win.  But I don't think he can handle this job and it is the rest of us who will have to pay as a result.

Booker in 2013!!!

Scott Garrett - on the wrong side of, well, everything.

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by: Adam L @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 14:26:43 PM UTC

*sigh* (4.00 / 1)

Booker may be the future, but I'm most bitter on behalf of Richard Codey.  He's a good man who has gotten screwed at every turn these past few years.

No one deserved what Norcross/Sweeney served Codey lately...

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by: HistoryInAction @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 15:59:24 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Let's Hope We Can Make it ONE Year (4.00 / 3)

without this creep destroying the state.  In four years the state's going to be worse than it was under Whitman (which was hateful). The middle class will see higher taxes because the corporations are going to get their tax freebies back, our education is going to be akin to that of Alabama and I dare not even think about the reforms that McGreevey and Codey put in place.

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by: lzachary @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 18:53:37 PM UTC

Today is Day One (4.00 / 2)

of the campaign race for 2013.  Let's move forward, and start looking for a winner!

More of an Old School Lefty if anything......

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by: Chubby @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 18:58:17 PM UTC

Good thing: no coatails. Bad thing: (0.00 / 0)

two of the Assembly candidates(Cumberland County) ran against corzine and might be pliyable.

Let's look at the whole polyhedra of situations here.  It is true that like GWB - really a better example is RWR Ronald Reagan that is, Christie has the POTENTIAL to come in and become popular and put lots of pressure on Dems to go his way.  

But it requires a level of political art that I don't see yet.    Basically he took no position during the campaign.  The GWB comparison doesn't work well because he doesn't have the legislature.  He has to appeal to the people.  Maybe he will - i won't count that out and I honestly kind of thought his victory speech had some potential - god i hope the guy doesn't turn out to be good at this stuff!

But it also depends on what he does.  Does he moderate and just try to do some pension reforms or property tax reforms that have some consensus - he'll get some Dem support there.  

Or does he bring out the ax?

You are right to point out that it was below 50% - not great for a minority government.  

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by: CouncilmanBruceCarlson @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 20:16:23 PM UTC

agree-- (4.00 / 1)

although RWR had charisma and was able to "charm" people while putting his plan into place.

Christie is the opposite - all hammer and rubbed both conservatives and liberals the wrong way.  RWR was inspiring to many people - Christie is hardly that....

Scott Garrett - on the wrong side of, well, everything.

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by: Adam L @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 20:25:31 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I find Christie personally likable. (0.00 / 0)

He does have a charm. He sheds it often, but it is there.

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by: JRB @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 20:50:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

He Has The "Charm" Of A Sociopathic Rapist (0.00 / 0)

Christie's whole political history has been one of being a petty partisan pay to play hack.   I see nothing "charming" about the man.

Yes, on a totally superficial level he can act "nice" and if I met him for the first time today and he was on his best behavior i would think he's a decent fellow.....but we, who have been following his career and his actions know that he's scum.

Joe Ferriero can be "charming" too.   Hell most pols can.  So what.

If Corzine had found a way to successfully get across to the electorate what we hare at Blue Jersey know about Christie; Corzine would have won by twenty points....and the fake "charm" would only have disgusted people.  

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by: Nick Lento @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 21:49:20 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's a TBD (0.00 / 0)

He doesn't have RWR's skills, but we'll see...

I do think the fact that the legislature can wait until 2011 now before they need reelection is a big factor.  

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by: CouncilmanBruceCarlson @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 14:51:25 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

A few thoughts on why. (3.67 / 3)

Corzine and Weinberg repeatedly angered the machine.  In this economy, all the machine had to do was not really try.  After all, Corzine and Weinberg just helped pass the Party Democracy Act which puts a huge damper on the way the machine did business here.

The loss of the 2 Bergen Freeholders is a direct statement that this election was a referendum on NJ corruption.  At least it was in Bergen County. Both freeholders were handpicked by Boss Joe himself.  While the Freeholder Incumbents lost their seats, the anti-corruption incumbents in Trenton - Gordon Johnson, and Valerie Huttle won their Assembly seats while Valerie's husband Frank Huttle won the Mayor's race in Englewood.  This was not a referendum on Obama or even Democrats in general.  It was a loud and clear and specific repudiation of machine candidates at the local levels, while the state machine Dems and Ferrierocrats, were just not into turning out the vote for their nemesis - our good Senator during a race that drew national attention.


One Vote.  Yours.  It really does matter.

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by: carolh @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 20:37:43 PM UTC

good points (4.00 / 1)

being another one from Bergen, I was surprised but not so surprised at the Freeholder results given the climate and the very recent verdict - it didn't matter if Julie and Vernon were squeaky clean on their own merits - what mattered was the link to Ferriero.  

I recall a tense moment at a "Retire Garrett" Town Hall that we held earlier in the year about the very issue you note in your comment too.


Scott Garrett - on the wrong side of, well, everything.

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by: Adam L @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 21:16:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I Recall That "Tense Moment" Too..... (4.00 / 1)

......I'm afraid anyone closely associated with Ferriero's BCDO will be tainted and tarred (certainly by the Republicans) with the same brush.

And if the corrupt Bush Supreme Court rules that we have no right to "honest services" from our public officials and let's Ferriero get off scot-free, then it will be even WORSE for NJ Democrats as that will rib salt into the wounds when he laughs at all of the "suckers".

PS Adam et al, I'm still trying to dig up the video of that fine meeting, apologies.

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by: Nick Lento @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 22:01:01 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

As Usual, Carol Hoernlein Hits The Nail On The Head (0.00 / 0)

So nice....y'all should read it twice!!

A few thoughts on why.....  

Corzine and Weinberg repeatedly angered the machine.  In this economy, all the machine had to do was not really try.  After all, Corzine and Weinberg just helped pass the Party Democracy Act which puts a huge damper on the way the machine did business here.

The loss of the 2 Bergen Freeholders is a direct statement that this election was a referendum on NJ corruption.  At least it was in Bergen County. Both freeholders were handpicked by Boss Joe himself.  While the Freeholder Incumbents lost their seats, the anti-corruption incumbents in Trenton - Gordon Johnson, and Valerie Huttle won their Assembly seats while Valerie's husband Frank Huttle won the Mayor's race in Englewood.  This was not a referendum on Obama or even Democrats in general.  It was a loud and clear and specific repudiation of machine candidates at the local levels, while the state machine Dems and Ferrierocrats, were just not into turning out the vote for their nemesis - our good Senator during a race that drew national attention.

When New Jersey Democrats become aggressive progressives and REALLY fight corruption at all levels and in EVERY way possible; we can NOT be beat!!!

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by: Nick Lento @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 21:54:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I don't see a GWB comparison at all (0.00 / 0)

George W. Bush entered with a big surplus (sure, there was a bit of a recession that helped him win) and no requirement of a balanced budget which let him do whatever he liked. (Cut taxes).

Christie is going to have something like an $8 billion dollar deficit (and sure, let's hope it's only $5 billion.) While that will give him a crisis situation to demand tough action, it also means that he will have little freedom of action.  

Frank LoBiondo Record and Jon Runyan Watch

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by: Hopeful @ Wed Nov 04, 2009 at 20:50:49 PM UTC

Is there a movement (4.00 / 1)

to send French fries to Christie?

Restore democracy and the Constitution for which it stands.

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by: The Wizard @ Thu Nov 05, 2009 at 12:55:30 PM UTC