Jon Corzine isn’t the only Democrat whose political neck is on the line in the too-close-to-call governor’s race in New Jersey.
President Obama, who made his third trip to the Garden State yesterday to stump with Corzine, has invested so much political capital in the run for the statehouse that some observers say he has almost as much riding on the outcome as Corzine.
Obama’s star power attracted 11,000 people to a rally in Newark yesterday afternoon, following a Camden appearance earlier in the day that drew 5,500 who heard the president call Corzine “one of the best partners I have in the White House.”
In making his third personal appearance on behalf of Corzine, Obama is increasingly hitching his wagon to the New Jersey governor’s campaign, where Corzine is locked in a tight race with Republican Chris Christie.
“Certainly, it [a Corzine loss] will tarnish Obama’s image,” said Peter Woolley, a political scientist and polling director at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Corzine particularly needs help from the White House because, according to several polls, his support is consistently low among Democrats.
About three out of five Democratic voters report approving of Corzine, while Obama enjoys a strong four-out-of-five approval rating, Woolley said.
“You can’t muscle out the opposition in this state if your own base doesn’t do the job. That’s where Corzine loses his mojo and why he needs help from Washington,” he said.
With the Republicans poised for a victory in the Virginia governor’s race — polls show Republican Bob McDonnell enjoying a double-digit lead over Democrat Creigh Deeds — a Christie win would also give the GOP a badly needed boost.
Obama yesterday blasted Republicans for the nation’s economic woes.
“It wasn’t a consequence of Obama policies or Corzine policies that we went into this hole,” the president said.
“There seems to be some selective memory going on here.”
Meanwhile, a new poll from Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey showed a virtual tie, with Christie at 43 percent and Corzine at 42 percent.