September 25, 2007 - 12:46pm
Hold Me Accountable? Ask OTB
By Wally EdgeNew Jersey doesn't necessarily hold Governors accountable: Brendan Byrne won re-election to a second term in 1977 despite his support for a controversial state income tax, and Jim Florio nearly won re-election in 1993 -- two years after he was arguably the most unpopular Governor in state history.
Democrats lost seventeen Assembly seats in Byrne's 1975 mid-term election. Called "One-term Byrne," the Governor faced ten opponents in the 1977 Democratic primary, including two incumbent Congressmen, an incumbent State Senator, and a former member of his own cabinet; he won renomination with 30% of the vote, and then scored a come-from-behind victory against Raymond Bateman in the general election. In 1991, Florio's mid-term election, Democrats lost ten Senate seats and 21 Assemblys seats, capturing control of both houses. But by 1993, Florio came within 26,093 votes of winning a second term.
Contributors
Wally Edge
Through the window of Johnny Rockets in Denver, Gov. Jon Corzine can be seen getting down to “Staying Alive” on Wednesday night. >
Bob Torricelli
One hesitates to quote Shakespeare to the Editors of The Record. The thought of all that dust rising from their library shelves is enough to make me ... >
Michael Patrick Carroll
A Post columnist contends that New Jersey offers a cautionary tale to New York. He's right. >
Debbie Holtz
Selecting the next NJN anchor will certainly be a different process than what happens at the major networks, local affiliates and other public ... >
Steve Lonegan
Tibet – the broad, high plateau between India and China – is bigger than Western Europe and the source of the great rivers of Asia: the Indus, ... >
Dr. Joseph Marbach
For the past few weeks, I've watched with fascination as politician after politician have appeared on a beach or a boardwalk and declared their ... >
Rob Tornoe
Check back tomorrow morning to view my sketchpad for day three of the Democratic National Convention, and go to my national blog to follow >
Michael P. Riccards
Some time ago, I analyzed the Catholic vote and noted in passing how some members of the Church hierarchy, in places such as St. Louis and Colorado ... >
Joey Novick
Joey Novick from Politics Unusual spent the entire week live blogging from the Convention. Here are his daily posts, exclusive to PolitickerNJ.com. >
Juan Melli
During a gubernatorial debate in 2005, then-U.S. Sen. Jon Corzine was asked if he supported lowering the drinking age to 18.
"I think it is ... >
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Recent Posts From Inside Edge
Quote of the Day
August 28, 2008
" But things change fast. At the party convention four years ago in Boston, the same unity was expressed for Gov. Jim McGreevey’s reelection. A month later, he was history. So the ambitious are circling in Denver, keeping their eyes, and their options, open. They’re hosting parties, shaking hands, going out to lunch, playing golf. And there are two scenarios they are watching on the horizon.
Scenario No. 1 is that Corzine never runs next year because President Obama (who has already been elected, didn’t you hear?) asks him to join his Cabinet.
Scenario No. 2, which isn’t even whispered even though everyone thinks about it, is that the 84-year-old Lautenberg cannot finish his term because his age catches up with him. 'No one’s challenging Frank Lautenberg, but they’re all checking his blood pressure when they shake his hand,' one party insider said." -- The Record columnist Herb Jackson
-The Record, 08/28/08
Recent Press Releases
- Aug 28 2008
In the News
Read the expanded Wake Up Call, our summary of today’s news media coverage.
Today’s Must Reads:
Politicker Poaches From Politico― News from Politicker.com
Xanadu bill footnote may weigh on Corzine― CHARLES STILE
Zoffinger not one to deny beliefs, avoid controversy― 'Codey's an idiot, and you can print that'
Welcome to New Jersey, Media Wasteland― NEW YORK OBSERVER
Divorce McGreevey style ― ALFRED DOBLIN
The judge got it right ― JAMES AHEARN
Capital Games― HERB JACKSON
Teen will get chance to sue a top N.J. judge ― ROBERTO RIVERA-SOTO
Mayor refusing to apologize for anti-Semitic slur ― WOODCLIFF LAKE
Court decision likely to have far-reaching implications in N.J. ― EMINENT DOMAIN
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Corzine is strong
I'm sure Wally can give the correct statistics from Byrne's remarkable primary run in '77....I think he didn't win hardly any counties, but ran 2nd or 3rd in nearly all of them.
Point being....Corzine is way more popular than Byrne was. So no big swings are likely in the Legislature, and Corzine has to look strong for re-election right now (unless he sells the Turnpike and Chris Christie decides to run...)
Ray Bateman
Just about the only guy who COULDN'T beat Byrne in 1977...a Mayflower Blueblood who repeatedly supported the Income Tax.
Byrne could and did run to the right of Bateman in 1977. Corzine couldn't run to the right of anyone except perhaps Fidel Castro, and only on certain days of the week.