2008

The State Assembly will vote Thursday on legislation to move the 2007 presidential primary to February 5, 2008.  The bill, which has already passed the Senate, has the strong support of Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts and Gov. Jon Corzine.

So far, seven other states have moved their primary to February 5, and more than ten additional states are considering the same date, including Illinois, New York, and North Carolina -- all home states to presidential candidates.  Only Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina would select delegates before New Jersey does.

Rep. Frank LoBiondo, a conservative Congressman from South Jersey, has endorsed Rudy Giuliani for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.

Former Gov. Donald DiFrancesco has also endorsed Giuliani, whose poll numbers and organizational endorsements make him the clear front runner in New Jersey's February 2008 Republican primary. Former National League President Leonard Coleman, State Sen. Joseph Palaia, Assemblyman Steven Corodemus, former Republican National Committeewoman Judith Stanley, former Republican Leadership Council President Stephen Distler, Middletown Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger, former Mercer County Chairman Phil Angarone, and former Mercer County Executive Bob Prunetti have also announced their support of Giuliani.

There is a deep tradition of New Jersey Democrats miscalculating in presidential politics.

Governor Meyner withheld support from John Kennedy in 1960 in order to cast the decisive vote at the Los Angeles Convention. When they called the roll call, Robert Kennedy told him that his brother did not need him.

A conference call for potential New Jersey supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama did not go smoothly yesterday: the call-in number was listed incorrectly, causing several participants to have trouble connecting.

Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani hold strong leads in New Jersey, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University poll released today.  Among Democrats, Clinton leads Barack Obama by a 46%-18% margin, with John Edwards running third at 10%.  The other four candidates share 10% of the vote: Joseph Biden (5%), Bill Richardson (3%), Christopher Dodd (1%) and Dennis Kucinich (1%).Giuliani leads John McCain by a 59%-20% margin, and Mitt Romney is at 6%.  Sam Brownback has 2% and Jim Gilmore is at 1%.  New Jersey is expected to hold their presidential primary

Salem County Republican Chairman Paul Reed has endorsed Rudy Giuliani for President -- making him the 12th county party leader to back the former New York City Mayor for the '08 GOP nomination.

Former Salem County Freeholder Susan Bestwick, who is being recruited by Senate Republicans to run against State Sen. Steve Sweeney this year, is also backing Giuliani.

Giuliani has the backing of 12 of 21 GOP County Chairmen, while John McCain has two. Seven County Chairs remain uncommitted. 

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, a leader of the progressive wing of the New Jersey Democratic Party, says he will lead a movement in New Jersey to draft Al Gore for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

"He didn't vote for the war, didn't apologize for it, and is more seasoned than the rest of 2008 prospect," said Gusciora, a six-term Democrat from Princeton. "Now he has an Oscar and a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. How do you not want this guy running our country?"

Paul Stuart AronsohnRotarian-American Paul Stuart Aronsohn says he will "lead the effort" against GOP Rep. Scott Garrett's campaign for a fourth term.  While he "stopped short of announcing his candidacy," he said he will "continue my consultations and conversations about a possible Aronsohn '08 campaign -- with an eye toward a late spring announcement."