Hanging on: President Barack Obama hugs New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine at a campaign rally at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael Nagle / Getty Images)
By Mark Silva
It's all on the table in New Jersey.
On Tuesday, one year after the election of President Barack Obama, the president's party stands to win one and lose one in two hard-fought governor's races - or lose them both - which is why the president returned to New Jersey on Sunday to make one final push for New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, the Democrat.
Neither party is likely to emerge the winner in another hard-fought congressional contest along the Canadian border, in the 23rd Congressional District of New York, where the Republican has bowed out of the race at campaign's end and endorsed the Democrat - all in an attempt to block the Conservative Party candidate, Doug Hoffman.
The Democrats, even in losing that rural New York region that has voted Republican in congressional contests for over a century, are likely to claim a victory of sorts: The rally of leading Republicans from around the nation around a Conservative, because their own party's candidate was too liberal for them. It is the potential paradigm of a party driven to the far right, a model that the Democrats hope to ride into the midterm 2010 congressional elections.
Yet to maintain the integrity of their argument that Tuesday's elections, one year after the president's, aren't actually a sign of repudiation of the president's party one year in, they will need to win one. And, with the Democratic candidate for governor in Virginia facing a potential landslide loss to the Republican candidate, New Jersey is it.
Unless the Democrats want to be mopped with the same rhetorical mop the president has been pulling out at rallies in New Jersey, New York and Virginia this fall.
Corzine and Republican challenger Chris Christie have been tied in the average of the opinion polls lately, with a third-party candidate adding a measure of unpredictability to a contest where unaffiliated voters outnumber the voters of either party. Not to mention that Corzine is saddled with an economy he'd love to forget.
"on is running for reelection during a challenging time for New Jersey and a challenging time for America. I don't have to tell you that,'' Obama told a Democratic crowd in Camden, N.J.., on Sunday, during one of two stops. "Listening to Jon's opponent, you'd think that New Jersey was the only state having a tough time right now. He doesn't seem to mention that we're in the -- coming out of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.
"nd guess what -- that crisis didn't start under Jon's watch. It wasn't a consequence of Obama policies or Corzine policies that we went into this hole,'' the president said. "There seems to be some selective memory going on here, some revisionist history about how we ended up in the situation we're in. This crisis came about because of the same sort of lax regulation, the same sort of trickle-down economics that the other guy's party had been peddling for years.
Out came the mop:
"I don't mind grabbing a mop and cleaning up somebody else's mess.... That's fine... Jon Corzine doesn't mind cleaning up somebody else's mess. But don't stand there and say, 'How come you're not -- how come you're not holding the mop the right way? How come you're not mopping fast enough? Why are you using a socialist mop?'.... Why don't you grab a mop... Grab a mop.''
The Democrats, hoping to avoid a mopping on Tuesday, are going to happily settle for one for three.
( President Barack Obama, above, returned to the White House last night after a final day of campaigning for Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine in New Jersey. Photo by Aude Guerrucci / AFP / Getty Images)
Comments
Why I cannot vote for John Corzine:
Governor Corzine has had four years to address the revenue problems faced by the State of new Jersey and his only response has been to spend more and to continually raise taxes.
New Jersey is considered by many to the most corrupt State in the Union and Governor Corzine has done little to address this problem. i.e. The massive number of Federal indictments returned just over a month past.
John Corzine let it slip that he will reconsider selling the New Jersey Turnpike after he said he would not sell it.
I am also tired of the robocalls and campaign commercials that he has unleashed on the electorate. i.e. The fat man commercial was obnoxiious.
I do not feel it is appropriate to spend over 20 million dollars of your personal fortune in order to get yourself elected.
I believe John Corzine should return to Goldman Sachs, make a lot of money, and then pay a lot of those earnings to the State of New Jersey!
Posted by: Big Mike | November 2, 2009 9:01 AM
Don't thing Obama will give much help
tele-prompting his fellow Democrats for office as the public is beginning to see through him, even with all of his White House propaganda.
Posted by: inky | November 2, 2009 9:04 AM
Let's hope this multimillionaire is unable to buy another political office,
He leaves a taint to all political office
holders. He's bad for New Jersey and
he's bad for America. Here is another
politician that believes he is better than everyone else. That the laws are for the little people. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Posted by: Paul | November 2, 2009 9:45 AM
I hope the good people of New Jersey use their God given, common sense and vote for Governor Corzine. The more Republicscams-Libertarians that are elected, the more likely, we will be heading back down that road to war profiteering and the wild ways of the Weasels on Wall Street, not to mention the Bandits in our Boardrooms !! Go ahead, New Jersey, sound that bell, let it be heard across America: No more war-profiteering, no more greedy Healthcare Providers feeding off the life and deaths of our citizens !! Enough with the greed, now, Republicscams-Libertarians, let's have those screeds !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | November 2, 2009 10:44 AM
But...but...but...the GOP is ma..ma...ma...marginalized, or something.
Aren't Republicans supposed to be irrelevant?
Foolish, arrogant, and incompetent is no way to go through life. Just ask Don F.
Posted by: Chris | November 2, 2009 11:53 AM
Donnie - I know you have difficulty comprehending what you're reading, but "the wild ways of the Weasels on Wall Street"? You are aware that Corzine came from Goldman Sachs, right? Your hypocrisy is breathtaking...
Posted by: Barry J | November 2, 2009 12:24 PM
Come on Obama -- it's been nearly a year now. When are you responsible for anything? Ever?
Posted by: Beth | November 2, 2009 12:27 PM
In New Jersey (and elsewhere), it's time for a Change.
Get the mop out. Get rid of Corzine and the rest of the crooks.
Posted by: proud to be on Obama's Enemies List | November 2, 2009 12:40 PM
FITZ,
"...the wild ways of the Weasels on Wall Street..."
Which gave Corzine his millions.
Posted by: Terry | November 2, 2009 1:17 PM
...but, but baby bushie brought this beautiful birth of the bribers and bilkers to our beautiful, bountiful bankrupted banks !! Whaaaaa!! I want my greed and nobody can take that away from me, it's my constitutional right !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | November 2, 2009 1:48 PM
The only deciding factor will be who tied up traffic with their little endorsement, what party does he belong to, and I'm not voting for them. The race might be hot, but the choices are not.
Posted by: Jersey Devil | November 2, 2009 1:49 PM
And, with the Democratic candidate for governor in Virginia facing a potential landslide loss to the Republican candidate, New Jersey is it. ~ M.S.
---------------------------
democrats, do not give up. This thing is well within your Election Theft Confidence Envelope. Confidence Envelope, a Mathematical kind of term here meaning U STILL CAN steal this thing.
A precinct box could get lost. A precinct box could get counted twice. A box could fall off of a truck and into the Pequannock River. Some poobahs could heist a box and drop off a replacement box. U could scribe names off the tombstones in the cemeteries and mark their ballot picks. Django lacks creativity but there are all kinds of things that can still be done to snatch victory from any impending jaws of the feet. Recalling how this exemplary governor got on the ballot a few years back after the alleged deadline had already passed, I fully expect that u will do what u need to do. No need to disclose here the detail particulars ~ justgetitdone NJ.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | November 2, 2009 3:10 PM
Donnie - Nice rant...still not changing the facts, you hypocrite...
Posted by: Barry J | November 2, 2009 3:51 PM
Yeah, I'd like a mop! I'd like to mop that smirk right off Oama's face when christie wins!!
Posted by: JoAnne | November 2, 2009 4:44 PM
Yeah, I'd like a mop! I'd like to mop that smirk right off Oama's face when christie wins!!
Posted by: JoAnne | November 2, 2009 4:44 PM
Gosh....I didn't know Obama was running against him. Or are you saying that the republican party will take credit for a defeat of Corzine? If you would only take the credit you deserve...like the economy...Iraq....Afghanistan.....
Posted by: bill r. | November 2, 2009 8:31 PM
Bill - Here are the two scenarios that will be laid out tomorrow by Obama's team:
If Virginia and New Jersey go Dem, it will be heralded as validation of Obama's popularity and praise of his policies.
If they go Repub, they will simply say "we tried to help their campaigns, but they would not listen to us, it's not a reflection on us at all".
Way too easy to see this coming...
Posted by: Barry J | November 3, 2009 7:10 AM
Bill R., i didn't realize "Obamba' was running either- until he made 5 trips to New Jersey in the last 3 weeks to stump. Downplay it all you want, mark my word, the Dems in Washington will be paying a little more attention to their constituents now before the mid terms. Hope and Change and Transparency? All a crock of ****.
Posted by: JO | November 3, 2009 10:52 PM