October 15, 2009 - 9:01am

Inside Edge

Farmer says Daggett beat out Christie for endorsement

By Wally Edge

John Farmer, Sr., the legendary but aging Star-Ledger editorial page editor, told the National Journal that GOP gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie was the front-runner for their newspaper endorsement before independent Christopher Daggett came into their editorial board and blew them away. . "He was so good we brought him back a second time," Farmer told On Call, a National Journal publication.

Farmer said that Christie has played it safe - a reference to criticism that he has not been specific enough on his plans for taxes and budgets. Christie's "arithmetic...didn't add up," Farmer told them, "and I think that hurt his credibility." Calling him a "chaplain on a pirate ship," Farmer made it clear that Gov. Jon Corzine was never really in the running for an endorsement by the state's largest newspaper.

The Star-Ledger announced this week that they expect to cut another fifty full-time jobs amidst scary economic forecasts. (There is, of course, a temptation to suggest that they ask Mark Matzen to help them become a bit more creative.) The newspaper's political team appears to be safe: the Star-Ledger has just invested in some billboards to expand the name ID of their "A Team" - Pulitzer Prize winner Josh Margolin, young rising star Claire Heininger, and Tom Moran, who rejoined the newspaper after a short stint at PSE&G. The word is that Moran is Farmer's heir apparent.

Wally Edge can be reached via email at politicsnj@aol.com.

Related topics: Tom Moran, Mark Matzen, JOSH MARGOLIN, JON CORZINE, John Farmer, Claire Heininger, Christopher Daggett, Christopher Christie

If you liked this article, subscribe to The Wake-Up Call. It's FREE!

Email this Article

Comments

Contributors

Wally Edge

Emergency room doctor looking at Senate bid in 7th district

South Jersey Democrats are touting Cinnaminson native Anthony Mazzarelli, the head of the emergency medicine department at Cooper University ... >

Bob Torricelli

Torricelli on Chris Christie and New Jersey's future

Everybody needs to start a new job with a list of priorities and Chris Christie is no exception. There might be a thousand things that need to get ... >

Michael Patrick Carroll

Taking Corzineism National

Political discourse in America contains much in the way of intellect or intellectual honesty. One considers the Federalist Papers with wistful awe: ... >

Jeff Michaels

Obama blind spot?

The NJ gubernatorial election result demonstrates that Governor-elect Chris Christie resurrected the center-right voter coalition of Republicans, ... >

Richard LaRossa

Congratulations Governor Elect Christopher J. Christie

With a convincing win in defeating an encumbent Governor, why were there no coattails? >

Alan Steinberg

1992-1993: How Divided Government Worked in New Jersey

As in any transition, speculation is rampant as to whom Governor-elect Chris Christie will appoint as Chief of Staff, State Treasurer, and Attorney ... >

Dr. Joseph Marbach

Lessons from the campaign

Now that the dust has finally settled after the grueling campaign for governor, there are a number of lessons that we can draw from this ... >

Carla Katz

Christie and Labor: 5 Things the Governor-Elect Can Do

When he was growing up, Chris Christie's folks must have taught him that when he went to a new playground, he should pick a fight with the ... >

Joey Novick

We Need Sanctity of Marriage Boards

There has been a lot of talk about putting the issue of marriage equality on the ballot in New Jersey. This is something that Assemblywoman ... >

Murray Sabrin

Will Chris Christie punt or do the right thing?

New Jersey voters repudiated Governor Jon Corzine's policies of the past four years on November 3rd. Republican Chris Christie and Independent ... >