Rudy Giuliani

Republican presidential hopeful and New Jersey frontrunner Rudy Giuliani couldn’t catch a break today in Monmouth County.

First, the former New York mayor had to personally withdraw from a fund-raiser in Colts Neck because of flu-like symptoms that put him in the hospital.

The he came in at the bottom of the heap in Clerk Claire French’s ballot drawing ths afternoon for placement on the Feb. 5th primary ballot.

Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani continue to hold substantial leads in the February 5 New Jersey presidential primaries, with a general election matchup between the two in a statistical dead heat, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released this morning.

Clinton leads Barack Obama 51%-17%, with John Edwards at 7%.  Giuliani has a 38%-12% lead over John McCain, with Mike Huckabee at 8%, Mitt Romney at 7%, and Fred Thompson at 4%. 

In a general election matchup, Clinton leads Giuliani 45%-44%. 

Monday, December 10th is the state Division of Elections' deadline for petition signatures required to get the names of presidential candidates on the New Jersey primary ballot on Feb. 5th.

Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich may be a non-entity in the official polls in New Jersey, but his supporters made certain their candidate was the first Democrat assured of getting on the ballot. According to the Division of Elections, Kucinich, and Republican candidates Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain all have the requisite signatures to be on the primary ballot.

The wife of Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce has joined the Mitt Romney for President camp, according to State Sen. Joseph Kyrillos, the state's New Jersey chairman for Romney's campaign.

BettyLou DeCroce's politically prominent husband supports former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani for president.

David Watts, the Northeast Political Director of Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign, held a meeting with about twenty key New Jersey supporters, including Senate Minority Leader-designate Thomas Kean and Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore, on November 17 to discuss the exportation of volunteers to New Hampshire. Watts explained that the former New York City Mayor is the second choice of John McCain supporters. That prompted a discussion of McCain’s withdrawal, and a request that Gilmore ask New Jersey Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson, a McCain supporter, to call upon McCain to drop out of the race. Gilmore told the group he’s taking that “under advisement.” Kean’s father, former Governor Thomas Kean, Sr., endorsed McCain last week.

As recently as the American boyhoods of John Kerry, John McCain and George W. Bush, it was nearly impossible to think of becoming president without going through the ritual of combat.

World War II vets threw down a gauntlet that members of the succeeding generation couldn't hope to wield unless they donned uniforms and picked up rifles. But the motif of warrior as leader goes back most vividly and foundationally to Washington.

The general on horseback myth worked so well and the country's early talent pool tested in war went so deep, few men thereafter could assume the chair of presidential power without showing battle stripes. From the country's founding all the way up to 1908, only the elections of 1800 (Adams v. Jefferson), 1844 (Polk v. Clay) and 1861 (Lincoln v. Douglas) failed to feature war hero candidacies.

By throwing his support behind Ron Paul, Assemblyman Mike Doherty became the highest profile New Jersey politician to back the long shot presidential candidate.

This move wasn't surprising to people who have followed the career of the very conservative and outspoken legislator from Warren County, who tends not to equivocate on his political stances. But for a politician with aspirations for higher office, it wasn't the most practical choice.

While other legislators are lining up to hitch part of their political fortunes to Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and John McCain, Doherty chose a fringe candidate who consistently polls in the very low single digits. To Doherty, it's not so much about bolstering his own shot at a statewide seat someday as it is the principle of supporting the candidate he sees as most in line with old-fashioned, straight up conservatism.

Frank Lautenberg won't face Al Leiter in 2008, but the retired baseball player won't rule out 2014Retired baseball pitcher Al Leiter wants to set the record straight: he will not be a candidate to replace Jim Saxton in Congress next year.

The 42-year-old Ocean County native acknowledged his interest in seeking public office someday, and said that he appreciated the attention his potential candidacy has received since Saxton announced that he would not seek re-election.

"I'm not saying I'm not interested, but I'm also aware of what it takes and what the whole gain of it would be, and I'm not prepared for that at this time," Leiter told PoliticsNJ.com in a phone interview.

Tom Fitzsimmons becomes the first Republican campaign manager in ten years to oust an incumbent Democratic State Senator with Jennifer Beck’s defeat of Ellen Karcher. The last one was Michael DuHaime, who managed Anthony Bucco’s campaign against Gordon MacInnes in 1997. DuHaime is now the National Campaign Manager of Rudy Giuliani’s White House bid.