TPMDC
New Jersey: Christie Wins After Neck-and-Neck Race
Rachel Slajda | November 3, 2009, 10:13PM
Fmr. US Attorney Chris Christie
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The Associated Press and MSNBC have called it for Republican Chris Christie in the New Jersey gubernatorial election.
With 71 percent of precincts reporting, Christie had 50 percent of the vote. His opponent, Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, trailed with 44 percent.
As results trickled in tonight, Christie held the lead but the race was too close to call. But as the night wore on, signs that Christie would take it appeared. RNC chairman Michael Steele flew from Virginia Governor-elect Bob McDonnell's victory party to New Jersey. And bellwether counties started going to Christie.
Christie, the former U.S. attorney, was able to overcome Corzine in a very Democratic state. Corzine's low popularity was due, in part, to high property taxes.
Christie had a sizable lead over the summer, though recent polls showed the two practically tied, with no clear winner.
Christie was dogged by allegations of impropriety in the U.S. attorney's office, after he gave a staffer a personal loan and allegedly used his title to get out of traffic violations -- and hit a motorcyclist with his car when he drove the wrong way down a one-way street.
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geofu54
November 3, 2009 10:15 PM
I don't care about the VA result, but this one (if the call is right) hurts.
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JeffB
November 3, 2009 10:48 PM in reply to geofu54
Is the Mid term election sweep by the Republicans indicative of results in 2012?
http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=6427
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geofu54
November 3, 2009 10:52 PM in reply to JeffB
Um, I've actually been wondering; is this another "DonDavis"??
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midnight rambler
November 4, 2009 12:01 AM in reply to geofu54
Well, so far this jackass hasn't made a single comment that wasn't pushing a poll, so I'd say yes.
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njlib
November 4, 2009 12:14 AM in reply to geofu54
no need to worry...
CONSERVATISM IS DEAD
PROOF:
Christie and McDonnell ran to the center.
In states that change parties every 4-8 years anyway
Christie and McDonnell refused conservative heavyweights (Palin included) to campaign in the state.
Bloomberg squeeked out a win.
Conservatives lost in a guaranteed Rep district in NY23 by running a "true conservative"
Not one liberal pundit makes these points and the press is repeating the Republican talking points.
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kash79
November 3, 2009 10:17 PM
Me too. I just cannot stand Christie either.
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Jezreel
November 3, 2009 10:17 PM
Agreed.
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Andreams
November 3, 2009 10:18 PM
Hopefully, these results will cause us to get our butts out for 2010. I believe we've had a wakeup call - too much of a wakeup call.
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kash79
November 3, 2009 10:20 PM in reply to Andreams
I don't think you can blame the grassroots.
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Andreams
November 4, 2009 7:22 PM in reply to kash79
It's not the grassroots. It's that I've been sitting around pouting for a few months about healthcare reform. Now I feel energized all over again. I do agree with others that we need strong candidates.
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SpiderPig
November 3, 2009 10:22 PM
Crap. Crap, crap, crap. Crap!
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bigworld
November 3, 2009 10:23 PM
If anything I think tonight shows that we need good people to run, not lackluster ones like Deeds. Dems need fired up aggressive candidates (like Jim Webb) if we want to make inroads in reddish states.
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euphman21
November 3, 2009 10:24 PM
Yup. It hurts. Still pulling for marriage equality in Maine. Extending civil rights trumps political x's and o's
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Michael A
November 3, 2009 10:30 PM
True, but jersey is blue. Nonetheless, this was a referendum on corzine and he sucked. By the way, I'm sure that the fact that he was a goldman sachs guy helped nail that coffin closed.
Damn. Bad night and bad candidates. However, all will be forgotten in a week.
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euphman21
November 3, 2009 10:37 PM
Jon's right. I does taste like a shit taco.
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CC in 2009
November 3, 2009 10:39 PM
Thank God we got rid of Uncle John! One of the worst in the history of NJ!
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BeowulfSchaeffer
November 3, 2009 10:40 PM
He should have left the race in August and thrown his lot in with Daggett.
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RedMolly
November 3, 2009 10:50 PM in reply to BeowulfSchaeffer
Or not even entered the race, and allowed an untainted Democrat to run.
As an NJ resident (for the moment), I'm thoroughly disgusted with this outcome. Christie is not merely useless, he's a walking reminder of the Bush era. I'll curse Alberto Gonzales every time I have to read about Christie in the paper.
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BeowulfSchaeffer
November 3, 2009 11:05 PM in reply to RedMolly
In terms of the aftermath, when Florio lost to Whitman, Whitman gutted services and stole a billion dollars from the pension fund, borrowing to pay for her promised tax cut. The only differece here is that Christie has almost nothing to work with in terms of raising capital.
I voted for Corzine, even though I'd rather have voted for Daggett. Daggett would have been sooo much better.
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RedMolly
November 3, 2009 11:25 PM in reply to BeowulfSchaeffer
Agreed, and Christie seems certain to be less effective than Whitman (and is less qualified). The only comfort I can take is that we're likely to get a Dem as governor next time around, but that's an uncomfortably long way off.
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jeffgee
November 3, 2009 10:52 PM
Does this mean Karl will be crowing tomorrow on GOPTV, since Christie was elevated to NJ AG by Rove and Bush?
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theone718
November 3, 2009 10:56 PM
I KNEW KNEW KNEW KNEW KNEW Dagget's support would be overblown. Thrid candidates ALWAYS have overblown support because when people get into the booth, the majority of people get in the booth, they don't want to feel like their vote was waisted so they vote between the two top guys. That's been like that especially the past 10 years I would say.
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BeowulfSchaeffer
November 3, 2009 11:08 PM in reply to theone718
Until there is a system of Instant Runoff (IR) in NJ, this type of "Spoiler" concern will continue. Support among the people in NJ is high for IR, it is totally unsupported by the parties.
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voreason
November 3, 2009 10:58 PM
Probably bad for New Jersey, but if they want a bleeping Republican as governor, so be it. I must say, Corzine is a pretty easy guy not to like. I think if I had the choice New Jersey voters had tonight, I would have ... uh ... moved to Philadelphia?
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PaulC37943
November 4, 2009 9:34 AM in reply to voreason
I agree. Also, I think one of Corzine's big problems was that he used to run Goldman Sachs and is seen as one of the Master's of Universe, who are currently (and rightfully) being vilified as the cause of the current economic woes. As much of a liberal as I am, I'm not sure I could have voted for Corzine.
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FebM
November 3, 2009 11:05 PM
Norwood-Reed is winning the Mayor of Atlanta, A city with 60% African Americans, and the race between a AA man and a white woman! Let GOP brag about their wins tonight but in this America, all bets are off!!
comment on AJC
I never thought I would live long enough to see a black President of the US or another white mayor of Atlanta. What’s this world coming to?
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VivaAmerica!
November 3, 2009 11:07 PM
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!
On the bright side, I met David Plouffe tonight - yeah!
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njlib
November 4, 2009 12:15 AM
CONSERVATISM IS DEAD
PROOF:
Christie and McDonnell ran to the center.
In states that change parties every 4-8 years anyway
Christie and McDonnell refused conservative heavyweights (Palin included) to campaign in the state.
Bloomberg squeeked out a win.
Conservatives lost in a guaranteed Rep district in NY23 by running a "true conservative"
Not one liberal pundit makes these points and the press is repeating the Republican talking points.
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VivaAmerica!
November 4, 2009 12:24 AM in reply to njlib
You are 100% correct. The MSM will catch up next year AFTER the 2010 results come in.
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runfastandwin
November 4, 2009 12:26 AM
Dead cat bounce. The GOP will continue to split into the Romney wing and the Palin wing. Personally I would like to have seen Hoffman win as well.
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oleeb
November 4, 2009 2:12 AM
Here's the problem with Christie. It's the same problem he has had from day one: he is a major league political hack.
Jersey's politics breed corruption. Our hack Christie will be unable to resist the plethora of temptations particularly since his approach to public service is already thoroughly corrupt as can be seen in his political hackery while a prosecutor.
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stevelaudig
November 4, 2009 8:35 AM
It seems to me the "big" news is that Dems took the congressional seat for the first time since the civil war. Deeds ran away from Obama and deserved to be clobbered. Deeds was doing the "Democratic Centrist" thing. While Corzine was a victim of circumstances largely beyond his control. If anything the NY district race shows a rejection of the biblethumping, gunnuttery, lightly educated, voluntarily [and proudly] ignorant reactionaries who call themselves conservatives.
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