NJ: Schundler 46% McGreevey 39%

[NewJerseyDem]

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/New%20Jersey_Gov_April.htm

April 22, 2004--New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey trails Bret Schundler 46% to 39% in the latest Rasmussen Reports poll. Three years ago, in the 2001 election, McGreevey trounced Schundler by 14 percentage points. The New Jersey Governor's race will be held in November 2005.

Schundler is not the only Republican with hopes of replacing McGreevey. State Senator Diane Allen finds herself in a toss-up with the Governor at this time. The poll found Allen with 41% of the vote and the McGreevey with 40%. Other match-ups will be tested as the year unfolds.

These troubling numbers for McGreevey come despite the fact that John Kerry is leading George Bush by 12 percentage points in McGreevey's state.

Only 67% of Garden State Democrats say they would vote for McGreevey in a match-up with Schundler. Twenty-six percent (26%) of the Governor's own party say they would vote for Schundler.

[KamaAina]

1. I once had the pleasure of calling Schundler a pig to his face

in the Journal Square PATH station, while he was running for re-election as Jersey City mayor.

McGreevey can not possibly be bad enough for anyone to seriously contemplate replacing him with that smug, self-righteous fundo-fascist. Not even if he eats roast babies, like Howard Dean :-)

If this happened, I would seriously have to question whether, in good conscience, I could even land at Newark Airport (er, "Liberty International Airport at Newark") in order to visit Mom in Manhattan, much less visit her weekend place in Long Branch. He really is like a somewhat more urbane version of Rick Santorum.

C'mon, New Jerseyans, ABS in '05!

[CO Liberal]

2. That Seems Unfair to Pigs

Schundler is a much lower life form.

:-)

[KamaAina]

4. You're right, but it was 7 in the morning, and I was rushing for a train

No time to go all the way down to the bottom of the food chain.

Maybe I could have said "You're an amoeba, Bret!" :-)

[CO Liberal]

8. Amoebas Perform a Function, Unlike Bret.

BTW, which train? I grew up in Morristown, and used to ride the old Erie Lackawanna electrics (1930 vintage). I also used to ride Amtrak down to New Brunswick when my wife and I were first dating.

[KamaAina]

22. The PATH train, the old Hudson & Manhattan

the midtown branch, not the one to the World Trade Center that has just recently reopened after 9/11, though I used to use that one a lot on weekends.

There was a darn good view of the Twin Towers from the Summit Ave. overpass... guess you really can't go home again.

[CO Liberal]

23. I Watched The Towers Going Up....

...when I used to drive from my parent's home in Morris Township to DeVry's campus in Union in 1971 - 73. I especially got a good view as I drove by Overlook Hospital in Summit. Each day, they got taller and taller.

And of course, on 9/11 I watched them come down....

[rocktivity]

26. The Erie Lackawana is now part of New Jersey Transit

which you can now take to New Brunswick, and the Hudson Tubes are now called PATH trains.

:headbang:
rocknation

[NewJerseyDem]

3. Diane Allen would be fine

I really would have no problem with her or another moderate winning. But, Schundler is just really extreme. If these polls keep up then maybe some democrats should switch parties just so Schundler doesn't win the GOP party. Still, this is only one poll and the election is far away so things will hopefully change. I seriously doubt that NJ would ever vote in such a nut like Schundler.

[TreasonousBastard]

9. Well...

we trounced him last time out, but he thinks it was because he didn't have that much time to campaign. Never did occur to him or his staff that most people just thought he was nuts.

You're right, the election is a long way off, and things will change. I don't know if McG has fatally injured himself yet with the various small scandals and bad press, but at this point in time, any Joisey governor would be taking a lot of hits.

It is a little worrisome that the Republicans just might field a wingnut in sheep's clothing. If McG wants to keep the job, he'll have to come up with some really positive news.

[David__77]

5. Perhaps McGreevey should not run again.

I don't know why there has been a problem with him, but I think another candidate might be preferable. But I should add that I don't think Schundler can win against McGreevey next year, though it would be closer than last time.

[pmbryant]

6. Ok, the election is a year and a half from now

And Schundler isn't even the GOP nominee yet. What is the purpose of this poll exactly?

Oh yeah, it's Rasmussen, so I suspect this is pure and simple GOP boosterism. After all, remember Rasmussen's horrible track record from 2000?

--Peter

[NewJerseyDem]

7. That's ridiculous

The poll is perfectly reasonable to do. The race is a year and a half away, but several republicans are in the race already. EVERYONE thinks that Schundler and Allen will run for governor in 2005. It would be quite a shock if they decided not to. I don't remeber anyone saying yesterday that Rasmussen was biased when they had a poll showing Kerry winning in NJ easily, unlike the FDU poll which had it virtually tied. It also makes sense to do a poll since there remains talk that McGreevey could receive a primary challenge from Rob Andrews and it would definitely be important for people to know if McGreevey very vulnerable when they decided whether or not to support a potential Rob Andrews challenge.

And there were polls about democrats v. Bush long before there was a nominee. Kerry isn't even officially the nominee yet. The poll also did Diane Allen who is likely to run.

[pmbryant]

10. Rasmussen is still Rasmussen

I can't post on every Rasmussen poll thread about how their polls in 2000 were constantly biased in Bush's favor; that got old about 2 years ago. (Right before the election, Rasmussen had Bush up by around 10 points, when most other polls had the race either even or within 3 or 4 points.) But because of that, they have extremely little credibility, even when their polls show Kerry ahead.

And polls a year-and-a-half ahead of time probably have virtually zero predictive value anyway, even if done by a reputable pollster.

--Peter

[AP]

11. NJ has done the right thing in the end the last couple years.

I'm sure that when people start comparing ideas for the future next year, McG will win.

[mobuto]

13. The right thing?

AP, I don't think we agree on anything. Really. McGreevey has basically coopted a right wing agenda, and even appointed a registered Republican underworld crime figure to a top state position. The guy he appointed is a personal enemy of mine and his nomination means that if McGreevey runs again, I will contribute to anybody - yes even Schundler - who runs against him. McGreevey is wrong on the issues, dishonest, corrupt, lazy, and the only person I know of who has been able to break his leg falling off a beach.

[AP]

14. They've elected democrats over republicans recently and they'll

continue to do so. That's all I'm saying. Whether it's McG or someone else, I think they'll win in 2005 (if they pulled McG, it wouldn't be the first time NJ pulled a losing Dem to win with another Dem -- ie, it wouldn't be the first time they did 'the right thing' to win).

If you want to vote for a Republican over a Dem in NJ because of a personal grudge, go for it.

But, my understanding is that Republican politicians in NJ have been pretty corrupt, and also have a habit of turning over the state to big business.

I vaguely recall reading a few stories in the last couple years about how NJ is trying to make its tax system more progressive, and they're trying to stop nickel-and-diming people who work for a living to death. They've also engaged in a few corp reforms which have removed big benefits for insurance companies (wasn't it?). Maybe you can remind me -- wasn't there some tax loophole which big businesses were able to exploit to reduce their property taxes? Didn't McG get rid of it???

So, enjoy your personal grudge. However, the Democrats in NJ have been moving in a direction which was the oppostive of the direction Republicans head when they have power in NJ.

(Oh, and I'd LOVE to see the day when there wasn't a person with a connection to organized crime involved in NJ politcs. But I won't be holding my breath. What a funny complaint to have!)

[mobuto]

15. I'm not talking about a connection to organized crime

McGreevey appointed an actual organized crime figure to a top position, who, in addition to being a criminal and a walking pile of shit, is also a Republican.

McGreevey's been a terrible governor. I don't want a Republican - but I do want another Democrat. Maybe a real Democrat. There's a reason McGreevey's rating are so low, whereas Democrats as a whole are doing real well - its because he's scum.

[AP]

16. I'm not defending McGreevey. I'm just saying two things:

(1) The Democrats have found a way to consistently win in NJ, and I bet they're going to find a way to do it again in Nov 05, and

(2) the Dem PARTY has been doing some small things which are good for people who work for living and which are slowly undoing the terrrible damage Republicans have done to that state for decades.

You have to remember. This is NJ. They need to undo a LOT of shit before they get to the point when someone really good is going to be elected governor.

McG is a transition to something better, perhaps.

Since you're sufficiently familiar with NJ politics so that you already have a personal enemy, perhaps you could remind me of some of the things McG's government and Dems in the legislature have done to shift the tax burden off of middle and working class people, and some of the ways they've had big business pick up some of the slack?

[mobuto]

17. The Democrats have found a way to consistently win in NJ?

Uh, no.

NJ may be trending Democratic, but its not all that removed from the era of Whitman. If McGreevey is the nominee, he'll very likely lose.

As for the rest of your post, my beef isn't with the Democratic Party, its with Jim McGreevey.

[AP]

18. trending democratic -- winning consistently (in the last few years)

sounds like we're saying the same thing. Obviously I wasn't suggesting they were batting 1000 (does anyone ever bat 1000?).

I don't think this is the case, but you couldn't possibly have a problem with McG BECAUSE he has been shifting the tax burden off of working class people and on ot corporations?

(And, again, I'm going from memory of a few things I've read in the last couple years -- do you know if this is the case or not? Do you even care? Or is your personal grudge with your enemy more important?)

[PfNJ]

25. hey AP.....

on a lighter note.....

"But, my understanding is that Republican politicians in NJ have been pretty corrupt, and also have a habit of turning over the state to big business."

Is there another type of republican, anywhere??????:-)

[AP]

27. Nope.

That's the only breed I've ever seen.

[mobuto]

12. McGreevey deserves to lose

He's been an absolutely terrible Governor. Give some other Democrat the nomination.

[NewJerseyDem]

19. I agree

Hopefully Rob Andrews will challenge him in the primary but I'm not sure he will want to take that risk. If McGreevey is the nominee, a lot of democrats will have to take a serious look at whoever is opponent is. However, if it Schundler or another one of the right wing nuts who is running then I have to support McGreevey because the right wing agenda of some in the GOP is dangerous. If the republicans are smart and nominate a moderate like Diane Allen, Tom Kean, Jr., or Paul DiGaetano then maybe that person would be better.

[Snellius]

20. It's amazing that voters don't see how they're all the same

Especially Schundler, who's as mindless and bonehead a conservative as Bush.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

21. Maybe Rob Andrews or Frank Lautenberg should replace....

him. If McGreevey is trailing a "Fundie Bigot" then he cannot be the nomminee in 05'.

[mobuto]

24. I despise Schundler

But in a race against McGreevey, I see myself supporting Schundler. I'd hate to do it. I really hope the Dems nominate anybody - even a ham sandwich or a dead dog - other than the current Governor.

[fujiyama]

28. I don't know much

about NJ politics, and have little interest in a gubenatorial election a year and a half away, but I'd say it's good news that Kerry is leading the state by 12 points.

As for McG, it sounds like he's had some problems. Maybe they can do what they did with the Torch -- ditch him if things are going really badly and replace him with someone else. Worked out nicely with Lautenburg. He won easilly. BTW, hadn't he served before as senator?

[notbush]

29. I'm afraid replacing our candidate again

might not play very well.
It's kinda like "vote for this democrat, he's not a P*S like the last one"
We dumped the torch, I don't think it's smart to do it again.