Corzine Slips in Election Run as New Jersey Economy, Corruption Take Toll

[Purveyor]

By Terrence Dopp

Sept. 8 (Bloomberg) -- New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine finds himself in the most precarious situation of his political career: trailing his challenger by as many as 10 percentage points just two months before Election Day as residents vent frustration for the state’s financial and corruption problems.

Corzine, a Democrat and former chairman of Goldman, Sachs & Co., seeks to make voters look beyond their economic woes and recognize his efforts to create jobs, expand health care and improve public education. Republican Chris Christie, a former U.S. attorney riding a reputation as a corruption fighter, will continue blaming Corzine for the state’s 9.3 percent unemployment and the highest property taxes in the nation.

“The only way Corzine can win this is to make Christie the greater of two evils,” said Jennifer Duffy, senior editor at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report in Washington. “And what Christie needs to do is to deflect that as much as possible and keep the spotlight on Jon Corzine and his record.”

Corzine, 62, is the only U.S. governor seeking re-election this year. While Virginia has a gubernatorial race, the state’s chief executive, Tim Kaine, isn’t seeking another term. Both races are seen as a referendum on President Barack Obama, who has campaigned for the Democrats.

Support for Obama and his policies declined over the summer, making it harder for Corzine to ride the President’s coattails. Fifty-one percent of New Jersey voters approved of the job Obama is doing in a Sept. 1 poll by Quinnipiac University, down from 60 percent approval in a July survey.

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BLOOMBERG: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=a_oa9Yme1sEE

[Craftsman]

1. As the economy slips and jobs disappear I figure we will see more dems pushed out