Lou Dobbs for Governor of New Jersey?

http://www.nj.com/news/in...

It's a hot topic in Republican political and fund-raising circles: CNN's Lou Dobbs is thinking of running for governor of New Jersey.

Several well-connected Republicans say they've heard the buzz that Dobbs, famous for his sharp commentary about Washington policies and politics, may be turning his sights on Trenton and has inquired about the steps necessary to start a campaign.

Reached by telephone Wednesday at his home -- a 300-acre horse farm in Wantage, Sussex County -- Dobbs would not say whether he has any such plans. Asked if he wanted to deny it, Dobbs said, "I'm just not going to comment."

It would not be the first time Dobbs, the host and managing editor of CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight," was touted as a potential candidate. Around New Year's, his name was floated as a possible independent candidate for president, though he never entered the fray. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal in January he downplayed the idea of entering politics but said, "I cannot say never."

Dobbs, 62, first registered to vote in Sussex County in 1991 as a Republican, but switched to independent in 2006, according to the county Board of Elections.

State Republican Chairman Tom Wilson said Dobbs' interest in the Garden State's governorship is circulating among Republican officials and fund-raisers in Manhattan and Washington. Several told The Star-Ledger they had heard about it, although not directly from Dobbs.

"It's certainly a fun and interesting rumor but if he's seriously interested he'd be better off talking to people who actually live in New Jersey and who know what it takes to mount a campaign for governor," said Wilson, who managed the 1997 re-election campaign of then-Gov. Christie Whitman. If Dobbs is thinking about running for the GOP nomination, Wilson said, "The first thing he should do is register as a Republican."

David Norcross, a Republican National Committee member from New Jersey and an acquaintance of Dobbs, said it would be a "dreadful idea" for him to run for governor. Norcross said he would worry Dobbs would turn the governor's race into a platform for his views on the national and international issues he highlights on TV. "He ought to just stick to raising hell on issues on his TV show and leave New Jersey alone."