Why is the Democratic candidate for governor of New Jersey submarining her own party’s likely nominee for the US Senate, Newark Mayor Cory Booker?
Plainly that wasn’t state Sen. Barbara Buono’s intention when she released an attack ad this week. The Web-based ad was a giant fat joke aimed at her Republican rival for governor, incumbent Chris Christie. The punchline runs as follows:
“Guess what, governor? There’s no fried butter in Newark — just 13 percent unemployment.”
Fried butter is the specialty of the Iowa State Fair, which is where Christie campaigned last summer for local Rep. Steve King. It’s also a not-so-subtle reminder that Christie has a weight problem.
Leave aside the timing here: mocking the governor’s girth after he’s already lost 40 pounds from lap-band surgery. The bigger question has to do with her crack about Newark’s 13 percent unemployment.
Buono wants to blame Christie. But surely if anyone bears responsibility for Newark’s exceptionally high unemployment rate it’s the city’s mayor. That happens to be Buono’s fellow Democrat Cory Booker, now running to succeed the late Frank Lautenberg in the US Senate. It’s hard to see how highlighting to voters Newark’s striking unemployment rate helps Booker or the Democratic Party — which also controls the state legislature.
Then again, maybe this is an omen. The last Democrat who tried to win a race with a dig at Christie’s weight was Jon Corzine. Christie called him on it — “Why don’t you man up and call me fat?” he asked — and Corzine was tossed out of office.
That might help explain polls showing Christie leading Buono by 61-29 percent.