Here's all I have to say to you...
Posted on 09/28/2006 11:39:49 AM PDT by okstate
WASHINGTON - New Jersey's Senate candidates remained locked in a tie, according to a poll released Thursday that also showed confusion about the candidates among state voters.
Among 404 likely voters, 45 percent preferred Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez while 44 percent backed Republican challenger Tom Kean Jr., according to the Rutgers-Eagleton poll. The error margin was plus or minus 5 percent.
Among 660 registered voters, 42 percent backed Kean while 40 percent chose Menendez. This survey had an error margin of 4 percent. The survey of both likely and registered voters was conducted Sept. 24-26.
The poll showed there was ample opportunity for either candidate to take this race. Murray Edelman of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling said about half of all registered voters said they have not heard of the candidates or do not have an opinion of them.
Only 36 percent of voters correctly identified Menendez as their senator. Menendez was appointed to the seat in January by Gov. Jon Corzine to serve out the remaining year of his term. He served 14 years as a congressman from northern New Jersey.
Eight percent of registered voters said Kean Jr. was the governor of New Jersey, an office held by his father, Thomas Kean. Another 8 percent thought that Kean, a state senator, was a U.S. senator.
"The candidates have a ways to go to capture the attention of the voters," Edelman said. "The major campaign advertising has yet to begin, and the ads could have a considerable effect considering the lack of voter knowledge about the candidates."
The survey also showed that 51 percent of voters associated Kean closely or somewhat closely to President Bush, while 50 percent said Menendez was very closely or somewhat closely associated to Corzine.
Bush's job approval rating was 30 percent, an all-time low for the president in this poll. Corzine's job approval rating was 48 percent, up three points since June.
John Podhoretz had a post at The Corner indicating there is a breaking story about Menendez's closest political adviser having been secretly recorded seven years ago boasting of political power and urging a Hudson county contractor to hire somone as a favor to Menendez. The close political adviser is Menendez's best friend since childhood
yawn
Menendez was running ads in NYC last night bashing Bush on Iraq. He wants the troops home.
The NJ Dems are crazy to back Menendez (when they could win easily with Andrews or - if they could get him - Codey), but the guy isn't going to quit without a hell of a fight. They might just trust him and go with the Union County machine to avoid the biggest public fight since the state shutdown.
Does that help or hurt him?
Would this be classified as news or actually a bad thing in NJ?
This was before today's revelations, however. Now Menendez has found himself enmeshed in yet another scandal. Apparently his right-hand-man was arm-twisting in order to secure jobs for the then-Congressman Menendez's friends. Now Menendez is busy saying this right-hand-man is not that close an associate, aside from the fact that they have been friends since they went to Elementary School together and have been working together for the last twenty years.
Menendez is toast. The only question is if the voters will stand for it when the Donks go running back to court to try to substitute Codey around about October 10.
Not just friend and adviser, I think the guy was his campaign chairman for his house race.
This appears serious, the Menendez campaign is returning all contributions from the guy.
His father is looked upon favorably by NJ voters.
Podhoretz says the race is over. Kean has won.
Next time try reading my analysis of a poll before you respond to a thread I post and you won't look like such a fool. Thanks.
"Among 660 registered voters"
Menendez's family.
Has NJ moved up election day? Being up 1 point among likely voters isn't a slam-dunk for your opponent..
Reports: Menendez linked on tape to gov't contracts scheme
9/28/2006, 10:57 a.m. ET
The Associated Press
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A psychiatrist who worked as an FBI informant in a criminal investigation of several northern New Jersey politicians has linked Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez to a scheme to manipulate government contracts, several published reports said Thursday....
http://www.nj.com/newsflash/jersey/index.ssf?/base/elections-0/1159455850304450.xml&storylist=jersey
Kean can win--if the dead can be prevented from voting.
PING, Nj Senate poll, Menendez up one
It helps him. His father was beloved during his year in office, winning reelection with a record-breaking 70% against a respectable opponent.
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