NJ Senate: Booker In Post-Primary Lead

[brooklynite]

Source: Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press Poll

New Jersey’s post-primary sprint to the Senate election kicks off with Democratic nominee Cory
Booker holding a 16 point lead over GOP standard-bearer Steve Lonegan. The Monmouth
University/Asbury Park Press Poll finds that Booker leads in name recognition and personal ratings,
although voters aren’t persuaded by his “new kind of politician” message. Lonegan, on the other hand,
could have limited success with his strategy to make this race a referendum on Pres. Obama.

Booker currently holds a 54% to 38% advantage over Lonegan among New Jerseyans likely to
vote in the October 16 special election. This is nearly identical to a pre-primary June poll, which gave
Booker a 53% to 37% lead over Lonegan in what was then a potential match up.

Booker has solid support among Democratic voters (92%), while Lonegan musters support from
79% of his partisan base. Independent voters split, 43% for Booker to 41% for Lonegan. This represents
a drop in independent support for Booker, which stood at 48% to 35% for Lonegan in June.

“Cory Booker appears to be in the driver’s seat after his big primary win, but his personal ratings
declined over the course of the campaign. Steve Lonegan, on the other hand, remains basically unknown
to half the electorate after coasting to the GOP nomination,” said Patrick Murray, director of the
Monmouth University Polling Institute.

Cory Booker’s personal ratings stand at 57% favorable to 23% unfavorable among likely voters,
with 20% having no opinion. This is slightly more negative than the 61% favorable to 15% unfavorable
rating he held in June. Steve Lonegan is not as well-known as his opponent, with personal ratings at 31% favorable to 20% unfavorable, and 49% offering no opinion of the GOP nominee. These numbers are
basically unchanged from the 34% favorable to 20% unfavorable rating he held in June.

Read more: http://www.monmouth.edu/assets/0/32212254770/32212254991/32212254992/32212254994/32212254995/30064771087/cd85f576-ac1d-4557-a310-434137d5f648.pdf

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Yeah

This one is done. The active and out in the streets Democratics I know - are in the same zone as me . . . we'll pull the lever for Booker as he's not a Republican - but we are putting all of our focus on Bouno.

This shows he doesn't need our help - just our votes. As long as the Election Date is clearly stated over and over again - I think that's alll he needs (and a vote) to win it.

The focus as got to stay on Buono.

[brooklynite]

2. I'd like to be optimistic, but...

all the polling I've seen has Christie winning by 28 points or more. Booker was the only person who could make it competitive and even he would have been taking a chance.

The folks who criticize Booker for being insufficiently progressive need to look at the fact that Christie won easily in 2009, and will probably win by a larger margin now. Voters in Blue States, even Democrats, don't automatically translate into supporters of left-wing candidates.

[JustAnotherGen]

3. Doesn't matter what the polls say

Booker's election is over in October. . . He's a solid D.

We've got to try. Are you aware of how horribly bad things are over the bridge right now? They will only get worse with Christie in charge. He's not intelligent, and he's not some magical person. He's a mean vile bully - who has done NOTHING of value during his tenure.

Not one single thing.


He received a lot of starshine and sparkle dust after Sandy - but let the truth be told. Summer is winding down . . . and I think the women of NJ need to know he's NO different than Rick Perry or McDonald or Walker. That's one strike right there . . . He's NO different from them.

The only people that can stop him from winning the Presidential election in 2016 (whether fair or not) are the people of NJ. Even if he does win - he absolutely cannot win by that large of a margin.


As well -we need to do anything and everything we can to take out and run against ANY Democratic that has endorsed him. ANY single one. Any smear tactic to get those people of out the government is fair game in my book. Even if we end up with a moderate independent or libertarian in the State Gov -

We need to punish the 'machine MEN MEN MEN' that have endorsed him.


Democratic Men in NJ State Gov that endorse Christie as slimy traitors to female liberals. They are as scummy as the rest of the Vaginal Probe Good Old Boys.


Go watch her MSNBC interview last night (Buonos) - she's the only person telling the truth -

The Democratic Party is split in NJ and it is neither Booker's or Buono's fault . . . It's the Machine Men that are NOT Democratics that are Another Vaginal Probe Guys back pocket.

I'm wondering what these guys are getting from Christie to promote him like this?

[brooklynite]

4. Unfortunately, the $$ I could give to Buono would be $$ I can't give to McAuliffe...

...or hold for OH-MI-PA-FL in 2014 where the races are more winnable and the Republicans are far worse.

Politics is unfortunately sometimes a matter of triage: you don't give to people who don't need the money (Booker) and you don't give to people who won't benefit from it (Buono). If she shows signs of growth in September, I'll reconsider.

[JustAnotherGen]

5. I don't even know if it's that

I.E. - Giving her money. But even here at DU -

More time putting #BarbaraBuono than Booker is needed. Booker is a national super star - like the Michael Jordan of Politics right now.

Even social networking mentions help to get her name out there.

Trust me - we are pushing hard and canvassing and calling.

Look at how close Wisconsin was - yet we still lost by a nose.

Whose to say we can't win by a nose in Blue Jersey?


And yeah - we've maxed out Buono - aren't giving anything to Booker. NYC has his back. We've got Barbs.

[The Wizard]

6. The bosses from Newark and Cherry Hill

put Christie in office because he promised to funnel public school money into charter schools. His first act as governor was to attack public school teachers and redirect money from public to charter schools. He also skunked the new train tunnel at the direction of Karl Rove. He's a hard core right winger who makes sense on occasion and does what's right for New Jersey. He's very calculating and knows he has to appeal to the right wing lunatic fringe if he wants the Republican nomination for president. Unemployment has remained static since he took office despite a nation wide drop in the rates. Construction at the Jersey shore is at a fever pitch and yet unemployment is still high.
Christie is a media sensation not a populist. He'll get reelected, but if reality were to set in he'd be defeated.
The bosses from Newark and Cherry Hill are in the charter school business. Follow the money. In a just world Christie and the bosses would be guests at the Gray Bar Hotel and License Plat Factory. As Deep Throat said, "follow the money."

[JustAnotherGen]

7. Ohhhhhhhh I agree

Its getting very Boardwalk Empire around here - isn't it?

Funny we just bought Walter "Moose" and Anne Foran's house outin Flemington. His father Arthur wasn't that much better with his hooks into Edge and Harding - and his 'lodge' during Prohibition. Everything is a shake down and a scam.

So what deal do you think Booker had to make with the devil?

[The Wizard]

8. From my recollection

Booker hasn't come out in support of Barbara Buono. Maybe it's just silence. Codey did a robo call for Booker, and maybe he had to do that for protection from the bosses who want him out, especially the boss who sells insurance to government entities through third parties. The other boss is a well known adversary going back to the battle for control of Essex County Democratic power.
Codey who was a very popular governor and effective Senate President, was unceremoniously removed from power in favor of the pick of the Cherry Hill boss. Codey was marginalized to the point of being removed from, and not assigned to, any committees. He also lost his designated parking space.
Booker is a national figure, and the bosses are reluctant to go on the attack.
The key figure on the state level is Codey.
Rumor has it that Christie has dirt on the Newark boss and his selected County Executive, hence the endorsement.

[JustAnotherGen]

9. She was on

Hayes show on MSNBC the other night . . . I don't know that Booker has endorsed her - but she stated they had done a walking tour of Newark together.


I'm giving this link so those outside of the state can see the 'players' in this-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/26/richard-codey-governor_n_2557647.html

Friday's announcement by New Jersey state Sen. Richard Codey (D-Roseland) that he would not run for governor boosted the chances of state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen).

Codey, a former governor, announced that he would not seek a return to the chief executive's office in order to focus on a new funeral home he purchased, the Star-Ledger reported. Codey traveled to Washington in recent days to obtain at least $30 million in outside funding for a challenge against Gov. Chris Christie (R), who has held a commanding lead in the polls.

“After talking with my family, friends and other advisers and weighing the impact of a campaign on my family life, I have decided not to seek the nomination,” Codey told the Star-Ledger.

His decision leaves Buono's status as the only Democrat in the governor's race unchanged.

Keep reading the article to see the key Democratic Members in NJ as a framework for why 'the fix is in' and The Wizard is absolutely correct to refer to some people as 'bosses' - as if this was Tammany Hall.