NJ Gov.: The fix is in for Chris Christie

[Benj]

It's what happened in 2009, too. Corzine was the incumbent, so he could pull some strings, but the out-of-staters who whined about Corzine being a machine politician were too hilariously wrong for words. Christie was and has always been the machine candidate of choice; Corzine was, by New Jersey standards, an outsider (shown most by his choice of LG candidate, maverick and notorious enemy of Joe Ferriero, the disgraced former Bergen County Democratic boss, State Senator Loretta Weinberg).

Not that Corzine was a great governor. I didn't even vote for him in 2009 (voted for Daggett). But the machines put Christie in power, and the machines will keep him there.

Speaking of the Jersey City mayoral election, I may try to write something up about it soon. It's quite interesting, and the result is, I think, very difficult to predict.

[Benj]

I had presumed that Buono was in on it too.  Don't most sacrificial lambs know that that's what they are?

No doubt at all. After getting elbowed out as NJ Senate Majority Leader, I imagine she's just building name recognition to run for something bigger (maybe Pallone's seat if he decides to run for Lautenberg's seat?)

No way Pallone goes through with running against Booker. He's very politically timid. He turned down replacing Torricelli on the ballot in 2002 (leading state Democratic leaders to seek out Lautenberg) and again declined to run for Governor in 2005 and Senate in 2006 after initially expressing strong interest.

As for Buono's motives, hard to tell. I'm sure she knows she's a sacrificial lamb, though. She may view it as a stand on principle anyway.

[Benj]

What's the likelihood the state legislature (or one chamber) flips to divided or Republican control?

And if that's not likely, what about the chances of a 'coalition' agreement springing up like in the NY-state senate or the WA-state senate? Wasn't the NJ redistricting similar to the WA redistricting?

Zero chance of a coalition. Anyway, NJ redistricting went like WA (commission adopts GOP plan wholesale) at the congressional level, but for the state legislature they adopted a Democratic plan wholesale, basically as part of a backroom deal. I think in WA all of the chambers were effectively gerrymandered by the GOP?

[Benj]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PQ-SuCqJPA&feature=youtu.be

lol. Oh, New Jersey.