Getty Images
Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
* In New Jersey, which will hold its gubernatorial race later this year, a new Quinnipiac poll shows incumbent Gov. Chris Christie (R) cruising past his Democratic challengers, and 68% of the state's voters believe he deserves re-election.
* On a related note, the same poll found that among New Jersey Democrats, Newark Mayor Cory Booker would enjoy a sizeable advantage over incumbent Sen. Frank Lautenberg, 51% to 30%, if the two were to meet in a primary.
* Lautenberg talking about giving Booker a "spanking" for being "disrespectful" probably won't help.
* In Minnesota, Public Policy Polling's latest survey shows Sen. Al Franken (D) looking fairly strong in advance of his re-election bid, including a 52% approval rating.
* In Maine, PPP found most of the state's voters disapprove of far-right Gov. Paul LePage (R), but in a three-way race in which Democrats and independents split the mainstream vote, LePage may yet win a second term. In a head-to-head match-up against a Democrat, the governor trails by double digits.
* Speaking of Maine, is there any chance Sen. Susan Collins (R) will face a credible challenge in 2014? Apparently not.
* More than a few political reporters noted that Vice President Biden invited some New Hampshire and Iowa guests to his inaugural events, which probably wasn't a coincidence.
* And in Massachusetts, Democratic Lt. Gov. Tim Murray will not run for governor in 2014. State Treasurer Steve Grossman appears likely to run, especially with Murray out of the race.
Leave a Comment:
Unfortunately Chris Christie is to big to fail.
He's too big to be president in my opinion, but then I've been bad at predicting what some people would be willing to vote for.
I understand you intended to make an observation about intolerance of the electorate, but the reality is that has diminished impoetance after first impressions. People are not especially tolerant, but they are adaptive. It is as relevant as a person's sexual preference. In a business deal are you going to pass on a pitch because the presenter is an obese gay black woman with a sicilian nose and a taste for tight polyester clothes?
If the person keeps coming up with ideas with 5x return on investment, no one cares, and in fact the imprint becomes part of their acquired aura.
So I can see how it might be a factor on the first impression, but overcoming that first negative impression can become an asset- it raises the barrier to exit, because when a person feels the have gotten to know the real Christie, when in fact all they overcame was a superficial association this culture of anorexic beauty associates with obesity. They may have learned very little about Christie's policy positions- things on which to base real loyalty. Instead, there is a false loyalty based on a revelation experience that they can relate to Christie on a human level despite a social stereotype.
I gotta feel a little sorry for Christie. I mean, I like the guy - He's not a wingnut. He could try a run in 2016, but I don't see Americans electing someone so obese - I don't mean to be mean, but it ain't gonna happen. Plus, the GOP wouldn't let it happen, after what (It was perceived) he did to Romney.
He's too moderate to grab a VP slot on the GOP side. He's in a pretty blue state, so it's unlikely that someone like Clinton would pick him on the Dem side.
A prime candidate to switch parties, if he saw an opening, or was offered one.
A Biden run? Please, no. Again, I like the guy, but not for POTUS. The Dems have a deep bench. Clinton, meh. Rice - Yeah.
Never heard of President William H. Taft, then, have you?
Christie Cream has turned left. Y'all can have him. Ticker cant last much longer anyway.
If there is one thing I am hoping against hope for, its that we Mainers will figure out how to get rid of LePage. I love the fact that we have an active, functioning third party in this state, but we cannot stand another term of that wingnut in office. He becomes unhinged at the mere thought of anyone having a differing opinion, and he is childish and boorish to boot.
You mean Susan "Term Limits" Collins who won in 1996 running on an "Only 2 terms" Term Limits platform is running for a FOURTH term? Color me shocked.
Maine needs a run-off system that narrows the vote to the top two candidates in the general election. Fragmenting the vote got them LePage. It's going to keep him in office unless they're savvy enough to disregard the Independent candidate in the fall election.
Actually, it was the Independent who came in second, only 10000 votes behind LePage (36.5% to his 38%). It was the Democrat who really split the vote. I agree that we need some kind of run-off system, and I know that there was some noise about it after the last election, but I don't know what became of it. A lot of people liked Cutler, so I don't know if he can be persuaded to not run again. Not unless we get a really strong Democratic candidate.
So glad to see the news bit on Cory Booker. IMHO, he's one of the best and brightest public servants out there. He deserves a bigger stage.
I am having a great deal of difficulty finding an online record of the 2012 elections precinct reports for New Jersey. Even the Daily Kos spreadsheets are blank on which districts voted for Obama because the data just doesn't seem to be out there.
Does anyone know what sites might be a good place to look? All I can find are summaries like results by county- which is useless.
Why have so many poll responders and media types forgotten about the pre-Sandy Chris Christie?
This was a governor wedded to tax cuts at the expense of public employees and badly needed infrastructure upgrades. He lied to his Legislature. He was verbally abusive to and disdainful of his constituents, and he remains supremely arrogant. He was and is by any account a bully. He took a State helicopter to see part of a son's baseball game.
I know there's some sympathy for the "jersey-style" plain speaking he's sometimes able to portray. And he acted well during the post-Sandy crises. That's not all the man has done, though, and you all are giving him a full pass.
Some of us have longer attention spans and don't want him as our surprise President in 2016. If BHO was in part a rejection of "W", please don't let CC be the Cons' answer to BHO.
Can we just remember the Big Bully for what he really is, please?
Ah, yes, the Skeletons in the Closet that we see on parade during elections. I'm quite certain that Christie's opponents would not let that side of his character go unnoticed if he were to run for President. Just as Romney had to endure the jeers about Seamus and explain why Romneycare wasn't really Obamacare, the truth will out. But thanks for the reminder. I'll be watching for future references. ;-)
That tugboat Christie just doesn't like the mid-west, the south or the mountain west does he?