Response by Rick Thigpen

Well-armed with formidable public approval ratings and crossover appeal, Senate President and Acting Governor Codey is facing a new year filled with daunting complexities.  He is doing great with the voters who know him, but over half the electorate still does not know him or are unwilling to venture an opinion.  For Democrats and for New Jersey, Codey is already far more acceptable than McGreevey.  However, the voters are not yet convinced that the state is on the right track. The challenge is to convince them that New Jersey is now on the Codey track, not the McGreevey track.

The numbers suggest that currently Codey may be a stronger candidate in a general election than in a primary. Politically speaking, cautious optimism is most appropriate for the Governor.  With so many voters still to reach, he can do anything but sit tight.  Going forward, it’s all about his job approval numbers.  It is extremely encouraging that only 3% of the electorate give him a poor rating.  The challenge is persuading the 30% who have no opinion.  If he does that successfully, Governor Codey will be in the driver’s seat in 2005.

Comment by Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind Academic Associate, Rick Thigpen (J.D., Columbia University Law School). Rick is a former Executive Director of the New Jersey Democratic Party and now a partner in The Strategy Group and is a campaign coordinator for the Essex County Democratic Party. Rick Thigpen, Esq. can be reached at (609) 394-0888.