Republican South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford aroused suspicions earlier this weekend when staffers could not identify the Governor's whereabouts. They later said that he was hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Some reports indicated that the Governor was trying to get away from a hectic legislative session. However, how often does a sitting governor essentially disappear for a few days?
Today, reports were released indicating that Sanford had been in Argentina for the weekend. In a press conference, the governor admitted that he had an extramarital affair with someone in Argentina. Sanford has stated that he will resign as the head of the Republican Governors Association.
Sanford's behavior is mind boggling. Did Governor Sanford seriously think he could disappear to a foreign country without arousing suspicion? Sanford is a major public figure and he had to know that his Presidential aspirations would place him under a microscope every day. How could he possibly make such a blunder? It's impossible to know, but politicians frequently get into these problems when their ego's become too large or they just do something plainly dumb. It is unfathomable that so many politicians, like Sanford, are willing to gamble their careers away for an extramarital fling.
Is Sanford's political career over? It's too soon to tell, but his 2012 Presidential ambitions are likely finished (rightfully so). Sanford is a huge embarrassment for the Republican Party and South Carolinian's, but he has done the most harm to his family.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sanford Admits Affair
Friday, June 5, 2009
NJ-Gov: Christie Exceeds 50% In Post Primary Poll
On Tuesday night, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie defeated former Mayor Steve Lonegan to win the Republican nomination to run for Governor. While Lonegan had a passionate group of supporters, Christie is probably the strongest candidate the Republicans could have fielded. Of course, the decisive factor in this rate is unlikely to be the Republican nominee. Instead, November's election will be about Gov. Jon Corzine.
This has been a good week for Christie's campaign. A new Rasmussen Poll gave Christie a 51%-38% lead over Governor Corzine. Christie's lead is significant because it is the first time either candidate has exceeded 50% in a head-to-head matchup.
Corzine's weakness stems from his poor job approval numbers and low favorability - a whopping 37% of voters have a "Very Unfavorable" opinion of the Governor. Still, Republicans cannot be too optimistic - past candidates have showed signs of strength, only to lose in the November election.
Corzine has a tough road ahead, but New Jersey's Democratic tilt should keep him in the game through November. Beyond The Polls currently rates this seat as LEANS REPUBLICAN.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Lonegan Ad - Ineffective?
This is an ad that Mayor Steve Lonegan is running in New Jersey. I saw it on television yesterday for the first time, and I was struck by not only the poor production value, but also the ad's utter ineffectiveness. In the ad Lonegan says "We must go forth with a clear vision," adding he wants to "Make New Jersey the great state it once was and will be again" (nothing like bashing the state you want to run), and that he will "make this a great state in 4 minutes." Uh huh. How do you plan on doing that, sir? The ad certainly does not tell us.
Lonegan's ad shows what can happen when a candidate is desperate to get on television, but they do not have enough money to do it effectively. This ad does little for Lonegan, aside from letting viewers know that he is actually running for something tomorrow. It says absolutely nothing about Lonegan's plans for the future and it does nothing to distinguish him from Chris Christie. Overall, this ad has very little positive benefit for Lonegan and its poor production and confusing content run the risk of turning off the few voters who actually see it.
Christie Posts Leads In 2 Polls...
While this year is a relatively quiet one when it comes to electoral politics, there are two significant races coming this fall - the gubernatorial races in both New Jersey and Virginia. Tomorrow, the Republican Party holds its primary in New Jersey. The primary will see former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie face off against former Bogota mayor Steve Lonegan.
Christie, who has had an enormous fundraising advantage, has led every poll taken of the race, though some have indicated that Lonegan is within striking distance. A Rasmussen Poll released today gave Christie a 46%-35% lead over Lonegan. Lonegan does best among voters aged 30-49, whereas Christie did better among younger voters and older voters. Interestingly, conservatives were divided evenly among the candidates, even though Lonegan has portrayed himself as the true conservative in the race.
A new Fairleigh Dickinson poll gave Christie a much larger lead - 54%-30% over Lonegan.
In primaries with low turnout, anything can happen, but Christie clearly has the edge. Christie would also enter the general election better positioned to face Gov. Corzine than Steve Lonegan. Not only does Christie have better name recognition and a proven ability to raise campaign funds, but his moderate image may be more acceptable to New Jersey's liberal/moderate voters.