O'Toole: 'Chris's job was to survive'
State Sen. Minority Whip Kevin O'Toole (R-Cedar Grove)

O'Toole: 'Chris's job was to survive'

By Max Pizarro | September 1st, 2009 - 2:41pm
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While Democrats struggled to find good news in Quinnipiac University poll numbers that still show Gov. Jon Corzine trailing GOP challenger Chris Christie, 37-47%, state Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Cedar Grove) said the rival majority party simply can't spin their way out of the incumbent's campaign troubles.

"They can't be happy," said O'Toole. "He's still hanging ten points back and you've got Obama's national numbers simultaneously sinking and independents fearful of nationalized healthcare. It's not a good trend.

"Consider this," O'Toole added. "Chris has had two hands tied behind his back because he doesn't have the money Corzine has had to spend on advertising. Chris's job was to survive and be ready to come out fighting a few points behind Corzine come Labor Day. Here he is, ten points up and he's just now starting to get his message out. If you ask me he's weathered a storm."

As Democrats repeatedly point out, the Republican Gubernatorial Association has spent money on Christie to keep his image out there through the summer weeks that Corzine has flailed at his GOP opponent, but Corzine has maintained a 10-1 spending edge on the Christie campaign.

While O'Toole said the poll numbers from this morning underscore the dread people feel in a bad economy, Corzine, who ran in 2005 as a Wall Street wiz, can't escape the more telling numbers.

"He ran as Superman in a red cape, and now unemployment has doubled to 9.3% since he became governor and it's in the high teens in the urban areas," said O'Toole.

What message?

What message is Christie just starting to get out?? He hasn't laid out anything specific on what he wants to do with the state. Is the fact that he's not Jon Corzine still the message that he's getting out now? I mean seriously, making general statements like "I want to give people back their property tax rebates" and "lowering taxes" don't mean anything. Show us how you plan on doing those things, and then maybe people can support you. It's naive to support someone who hasn't given any plan as to how to solve problems in this state. I understand the dissatisfaction with the current governor, but just because Christie isn't Corzine doesn't mean he is at all qualified to fill the position of Governor. We need someone who really knows what he is doing, and the only person who has so far displayed any competence is Chris Daggett.

Specifics

What are Corzine's specific policy plans for the next 4 years? As long as we're looking for specifics here..

Speaking of political survival...

How does Mr. O'Toole retain a seat in the legislature when he's representing a Bergen based district while he resides in Cedar Grove of Essex County and heads the most inept GOP organization in the state?

How does he make the case for a legislative district when he needed almost $400K to defeat Todd Caliguire who spent next to nothing against him?

For that matter the following senators could be on the re-districting endangered species list:

* John Girgenti
* Bob Gordon
* Paul Sarlo
* Dick Codey
* Jeff Van Drew

Vote Column "A" - All the way!

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