FDU PublicMind - April 6, 2006 Release

Response by Rick Thigpen

Is dodging Vice President Cheney the reason for Tom Jr.'s improved performance in this poll? Seeking the best of both worlds, pocketing the money raised by the Vice President while conveniently avoiding appearing with this radioactive Republican, has paid off for young Tom so far. He is seeking to repeat this performance by resigning from the Senate Budget Committee and launching into a tax cutting crusade. This way he can have the best of both worlds again: no responsibility to make the tough choices needed to solve the state's budget woes, while making political hay opposing the most unpopular items in the budget.

This poll suggests that Senator Menendez is being punished by certain segments of the electorate for the Governor's proposed budget. The poll also suggests that the budget proposal is encouraging Republicans to rally to young Tom's candidacy. Is this the political impact of "doing the right thing," dealing with the consequences of years of irresponsible financial practices at the state level? If so, the temptation for New Jersey Republicans to follow George Bush's grossly irresponsible path of pursuing popular tax cuts, while borrowing more and more money to fund the government, may prove irresistible. Tom Jr. seems to be following the 1990 playbook employed by Christie Whitman running against Bill Bradley. How will he produce a different result here?

What will it take to convince New Jersey voters to act against their own interests and add another Washington Republican to the Bush/Cheney team? Poor Tom still has some work to do to figure that one out.

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.