A few weeks back Republican Lt. Gubernatorial candidate Sheriff Kim Guadagno said regarding the city of Newark, “I know what it's like to be afraid to walk across the street,” Perhaps that is the reason why the first historic debate between Senator Loretta Weinberg, Guadagno, and Prof. Frank Esposito absolutely, positively, definitively had to be in her home county of Monmouth.
 
Maybe she is afraid to leave.
 
Anyway, the crowds outside Monmouth University yesterday were far larger for Corzine/Weinberg than they were for Christie/Guadagno. You’d think in her home county the crowds would larger for Guadagno.
 
Strangely enough while the Corzine/Weinberg crowd was chanting “Yes, We Can!”, the Christie/Guadagno crowd [with one man in a chicken suit, and another in pig suit] was chanting “No, We Can’t”. During a chant-free lull, I pointed out to one woman (Phyllis) in their crowd that perhaps “No, We Can’t” was not the best message. Phyllis sheepishly admitted maybe that was the case, “This is my first rally. I am not really into politics.” Phyllis was carrying a sign that read, “Corzine = $$$”.
 
The dumb luck of the moment happened to produce Guadagno getting out of a car, and then shaking hands with the crowd. I asked her if I could get a photo, and Phyllis then yelled, “You want her picture, but you won’t vote for her!”
 
This was a historic debate, for sure. Esposito was mere window dressing; Senator Weinberg scored points based on substance and Guadagno tried to look poised. Guadagno tried her best to defend Christie, but fell short of specifics. Eric Scott pressed Guadagno more than once for “one specific example” of the Christie/Guadagno tax plan, and all Guadagno could muster over and over again was that she and Christie would “lift up every rock in Trenton, and shine a light.” Real substance there.
 
Some “highlights”: Guadagno referring to former Bergen County Democratic Chair Joe Ferriero as “Joe Farina”. (Did she think he was a Little Rascals character?)
 
Guadagno said that “Mammograms were not a key issue” in this race.
 
Finally, Guadagno said, “If you’re an undocumented alien, you should be paying out of state tuition.” Huh?
 
All in all, the substantive difference between the two women was very apparent. While Guadagno was no Sarah Palin, she is not ready to step in as governor should the need arise.
 
What about Senator Loretta Weinberg? “Yes, She Can.”