July 17, 2004

SLOW LEARNERS:

DEMS EYE DUMPING N.J. GOV FOR CORZINE (FREDRIC U. DICKER, July 17, 2004, NY Post)

Nervous New Jersey Democrats may dump scandal-scarred Gov. Jim McGreevey in favor of Sen. Jon Corzine in next year's gubernatorial election, sources said yesterday.

McGreevey, buffeted by widening allegations involving two of his biggest fund-raisers — one of whom was charged this week with hiring prostitutes to blackmail potential federal witnesses — faces growing restlessness among fellow Democrats fearful a serious Republican challenger will soon emerge.

"If a consensus emerges among the Democrats to dump McGreevey, Corzine just might do it," a longtime Democratic operative told The Post.

A Democrat close to Corzine told The Philadelphia Inquirer, "If the circumstances are right, he'll do it."

Corzine and his backers, in private discussions with key Democrats, have not tried to squelch interest in his candidacy, the paper reported.


You'd think Jerseyans would have figured out by now that their Republican governors serve multiple terms and retire popular (Tom Kean, Christie Whitman) while the Democrats are chased out after one term (Jim Florio) and/or leave office despised (Brendan Byrne).

Posted by Orrin Judd at July 17, 2004 11:28 AM
Comments

And of course there was Dem Senator Torricelli who was on his way to losing reelection before the Dems pulled their switcheroo.
Corzine would probably hold the governor seat for the Dems but then the Dems would have to defend the Senate seat. And who knows how much longer Lautenberg (over 80) will hang onto the other Senate seat.

Posted by: AWW at July 17, 2004 5:49 PM

Torricelli would have won had he stayed in the race. He most likely made a deal to step down rather than face indictment.

Even indicted he would have won. I live in NJ and I'm not the least bit doubtful that he would have succeeded in the election.

Posted by: NKR at July 17, 2004 6:47 PM

NKR - You might be right but weren't polls showing the GOP candidate up over Torricelli by double digits before Torricelli dropped out?

Posted by: AWW at July 17, 2004 6:51 PM

AWW:

From the Star-Ledger:

Tuesday, October 1, 2002

"The Bergen County politician - who frequently boasted of his reputation as a politician who fights to the end - dropped out after facing poll numbers showing him suddenly trailing Forrester by double digits. A Star- Ledger/Eagleton-Rutgers Poll released Saturday showed he had fallen behind by 13 points. National Democrats' internal polls confirmed that, one Democrat said yesterday."

Posted by: Michael Herdegen at July 17, 2004 7:31 PM

Corzine as gov might not be as much trouble as in the Senate.

However, it's easier to become pres if not from the Senate.

What to do, what to do?

Posted by: Sandy P at July 18, 2004 1:07 AM

Sandy - true but as Dukakis showed (and probably Kerry will show) a Northeast Democrat is not in the mainstream of the American political viewpoint.

Posted by: AWW at July 18, 2004 12:54 PM

Corzine could probably buy his way to the nomination, but TV commercials showing him trying to buy the Presidency would bury him. Besides, he looks like a large, stumpy toad or a college professor. Remember what happened to Phil Gramm.

Posted by: jim hamlen at July 18, 2004 5:31 PM

Not if Steve Forbes takes him on.

Posted by: oj at July 18, 2004 5:35 PM
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