Despite rumors to the contrary, CNN anchor Lou Dobbs said Friday he will not run for governor of his home state of New Jersey, the Associated Press reported. Some Republicans in the Garden State and in Washington had been buzzing in recent weeks about the possibility of Dobbs taking on incumbent Governor Jon Corzine, who will run for re-election in 2009.

Dobbs' sometimes harsh populism and anti-immigration rhetoric might have given Corzine a difficult opponent, one who would certainly be well-funded and have a solid name-recognition base because of his television and radio programs. Dobbs has a farm in Sussex County, in the northern part of the state.

Other New Jersey Republicans mentioned for a potential governor's bid include U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, conservative activist Steve Lonegan and Morris County Freeholder John Murphy. Each would have a difficult time keeping up with Corzine financially, though they may be tempted given his flagging popularity in the state. A Quinnipiac University poll conducted earlier this month showed just 38% said they approved of Corzine's handling of the state, while 52% disapproved.

The direction of the state is not a major positive, either. Just 32% say they are satisfied with the direction in which New Jersey is headed, while 68% say they are dissatisfied. 39% think the state has gotten worse under Corzine's management, while only 10% say things have gotten better. The number of people who think things have gotten worse has been on the rise since February of 2007, when just 15% said the same thing.

With numbers that low, it's little wonder Republicans are taking an active interest in the race. But at least for now, it looks like the party will have to get along without Lou Dobbs heading the ticket. Actually, given Dobbs' bombastic style, that may be better for the party in the long run.

Posted by Reid Wilson at 01:00 PM | Email Author | Permalink

After seriously pondering an independent bid for president, CNN's bombastic immigration hardliner and defender of the middle class Lou Dobbs has set his sights slightly lower and is considering a run for New Jersey Governor as a Republican, well-connected sources tell the Newark Star-Ledger. Dobbs, a Garden State resident, would neither confirm nor deny the plans.

The rumors are running around GOP fundraising circles from New York to Washington, state Republican Party chairman Tom Wilson told the Star-Ledger. Not everyone is thrilled with the idea, though. National Committee member David Norcross told the paper Dobbs should keep his day job: "He ought to just stick to raising hell on issues on his TV show and leave New Jersey alone."

New Jersey, one of just two states that holds its gubernatorial elections the year after a presidential contest, has not elected a Republican governor since 1997, when Christie Todd Whitman won a second term. In 2005, Jon Corzine spent millions of his own dollars to win a 53%-43% victory; the former chairman of Goldman Sachs had put somewhere north of $100 million on successful runs for the Senate and governor's office this decade.

Dobbs, who laments the disappearance of the American middle class dressed in three-piece suits and lunches on $56 Dover sole, hosts a radio show alongside his television gig, and he could have a serious shot at taking the seat. Opinion polls have consistently shown Corzine's approval rating in the dumps, while his disapproval rating soars.

Still, Corzine has started raising money for his 2009 re-election bid, and given his history of personal contributions, Dobbs -- or any Republican -- will have to prepare their own major cash onslaught. In 2005, Corzine's Republican opponent, businessman Doug Forrester, spent $10 million of his own money on the race.

Posted by Reid Wilson at 10:00 AM | Email Author | Permalink