Hey NJ DP-er's... does anyone have any info on this 'independent' candidate Daggett?

He will be rewarded by the Democrats if Corzine holds onto his office.

Christie will switch parties in a year or two, finally being allowed to join the Democratic party after running a lame Republican campaign.

The Democrats sent him packing back in 1996 when he wanted in, they didn't even want him.

Making sense? NJ politics at its best. No matter what, Corzine wins.

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"The consolidation of the states into one vast republic, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of the ruin which has overwhelmed all those that have preceded it."

- Robert E. Lee, 1866

Says he is for "expanding" taxes. And not much else. Of course "conservative" ranters rarely talk about much but money.

However, it is understandable that taxes are the seminal issue, as money is tokens of life force expended, and a person's life is / or ought to be essentially their own.

But they sound like a broken record and people are tuning out.

There is hope for NJ!

Star-Ledger Spurns Christie, Corzine; Endorses Independent
By MICHAEL CLANCY
Updated 12:54 PM EDT, Mon, Oct 12, 2009

Independent candidate for New Jersey Governor Chris Daggett picked up the weighty endorsement of the Star-Ledger yesterday.

Finally, a third party candidate is getting some serious consideration in the highly corrupt and dysfunctional Garden State.

Independent candidate for New Jersey governor Chris Daggett has picked up the endorsement of the Star-Ledger, the state's largest daily newspaper, in an editorial published Sunday. It cited the need for "radical change" in how state government operates, saying Daggett's election would repudiate the status quo and put "a highly qualified occupant" in the governor's office.

"(Our) decision is less a rejection of Gov. Jon Corzine and Republican Chris Christie than a repudiation of the parties they represent, both of which have forfeited any claim to the trust and confidence of the people of New Jersey," the editorial stated. "They share responsibility for the state's current plight."

The perennially corrupt Garden State can only get healthy by rejecting both Democrats and Republicans, the paper editorialized.

"The lamentable fact is that the two parties are, themselves, little more than narrow special interests," the endorsement said. "Their competition for short-term political and/or monetary gain has jeopardized the state’s long-term economic health and left it with a tarnished national reputation."

Daggett said he appreciated the support.

More:

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/Star-Ledger-Spurns...

Race in New Jersey (At least this story is being covered.)

JERSEY CITY — Christopher J. Daggett had the crowd on its feet.

Well, it was a bar, there were not many seats, and the crowd was only about 50 people. But they were devoted Democrats in a bastion of New Jersey’s Democratic machine. And Mr. Daggett, the independent candidate for governor, was winning them over.

While the Democratic governor, Jon S. Corzine, and the Republican candidate, Christopher J. Christie, appear to be turning off voters with nasty ads and personal attacks, Mr. Daggett is turning them on — or at least persuading them to give him a closer look. After he showed up his rivals in the first debate, his campaign is causing concern in both parties. His plan to cut property taxes is getting attention. His poll numbers are climbing. And on Sunday, he won a rousing endorsement from New Jersey’s largest and most influential newspaper, The Star-Ledger of Newark.

Breaking from his wonkish, occasionally witty but mostly sober delivery, Mr. Daggett, 59, is telling audiences it is time to think the unthinkable: that a vote for him might not be wasted.

“It’s like the ’73 Mets,” he says. “Ya gotta believe!”

More here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/nyregion/12daggett.html?_r=2

Fortune Favors the Bold

is that his platform is basically anti-corruption. Politically, i would say he's a moderate, "conservative" on issues like budget and taxes, but "liberal" on environmental issues.

His main slant however, is cleaning up corruption. Which is definelty endemic in jersey, at every level.

The truth of the matter is, New Jersey has so many laws and regulations, it probably couldn't function without corruption, kind of like the old Soviet Union.

Also, he has no chance of winning. Politics in New Jersey are completely rigged.

fishy. Actually I smell a RAT.

is a "former" democrat appointee that is pretty much tasked with Ross Peroting, or Teddy Roosevelting the NJ governor election.

With Corzine polling at 40%, the machine in NJ needs to fool about 15-20% of the electorate so Corzine can get relected with 40% of the vote.

Daggett is the first independent in NJ to ever get any media coverage.

It's really a scam, and after Daggett delivers the goods and splits the ABC vote (Anyone But Corzine) , expect a cushy EPA job from the Democrat leadership.

NJ is the heart of corrupt government, and corrupt politics. No one can do what Daggett is doing (rasing money, media coverage) without the machine.

Lonegan isn't the GOP candidate. Christie is a tool, and while I'd prefer him over Corzine (by a hair), it's not much of a difference.

And when I say Republican, I mean a NJ Republican.... you know, the ones who believe in gun control and higher taxes?

I'm in NJ and this statement doesn't really make sense to me. I'm in South Jersey, though, so maybe that's the difference. The Republicans I know are not for more gun control and certainly not for more taxes. For the latter I can say that the NJ Republicans are absolutely and most certainly disgusted with taxes in this state.

So is NJ the most f*cked up state in the union or what?

The 2008 Freedom in the 50 States study lists New Jersey second to dead last.

Property taxes are highest in the nation, afaik.

The other day someone here at DP posted a link to some government website where it showed how much out of every tax dollar paid to the federal government comes back to the state. I only skimmed through the chart, but it showed NJ as being #49 or #50 every year since 1981 or so. Our state politicians are pretty much the worst in the country in terms of getting our tax dollars back from the fed gov.

After the markets crashed the state pension plan lost a LOT of money. They were wanting the taxpayers to replace the money they lost. Uh.... the taxpayers ALREADY PAID, but they were wanting us to pay a second time!!!

Speaking of money, how much debt is NJ in? 50 billion or more?

Then how about that FBI sting that nabbed all those NJ politicians.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07...

I'm sure that all states have their problems, but NJ sure seems pretty bad.