Posted on 10/02/2013 5:11:40 AM PDT by cotton1706
Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s political star is losing some luster in the closing weeks of his bid for Senate in New Jersey, prompting the favored Democrat to step up attacks on his long-shot Republican opponent.
Two consecutive polls of the race show Booker’s lead in the low double digits — down dramatically from late August and early September surveys that showed him leading former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan by between 25 and 35 points.
A survey Tuesday by Monmouth University showed Booker with 53 percent support, compared to Lonegan’s 40 percent support among likely voters. Last week, a Quinnipiac survey gave Booker a 12-point lead among likely voters.
In an interview with The Hill, Lonegan said it wasn’t surprising polls are tightening because he has been “working absolutely as hard as possible ... pounding away on our message, exposing Cory Booker for what he is.”
Lonegan said Booker is “not the big mythological candidate” that Democrats have touted.
“He made the tragic error of thinking he was the anointed candidate and spent two weeks running around California with the Hollywood elite,” Lonegan said.
Booker’s campaign insists it’s not concerned, but advisers say they plan to run hard in the final two weeks before the Oct. 16 special election to ensure a “comfortable” margin of victory.
Booker released his first negative ad Tuesday targeting Lonegan. The ad, titled “Done,” accuses the Republican of being “too extreme for New Jersey.”
It charges that Lonegan supports privatizing Social Security, banning abortion and favored shutting down the federal government.
Kevin Griffis, a spokesman for Booker, said the Democrat’s campaign had planned all along to focus attention on Lonegan’s positions and that the negativity had nothing to do with recent public polls, which they dispute.
“I think that what we’ve seen is that Mr. Lonegan’s base is to some degree coming home, starting to coalesce around him,” said Griffis.
“We want to be sure at this point that people understand what kind of a candidate Lonegan is.”
Booker entered the race to replace the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) as the prohibitive favorite. He came armed with high name recognition, a cadre of wealthy Hollywood backers and deep support among national Democrats, including President Obama.
Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, said the likely voter screen accounts for some of the apparent narrowing of the race. Earlier surveys polled just registered voters.
The newest poll, however, also suggests Lonegan’s attacks on Booker’s perceived preoccupation with celebrity — Hollywood fundraisers have held two events for him during the campaign — are taking their toll.
“The one thing I do know has shrunk significantly is [Booker’s] popularity rating. He has taken a hit. If that keeps going unanswered, we would expect to see the margin shrink even more,” Murray said.
Fifty-four percent of likely voters in the state view Booker favorably in the Monmouth poll, a decline of 7 percentage points. His unfavorability rating increased 13 points.
Booker has faced scrutiny over his business interest, which was subsequently divested, in a tech startup that appeared to be going nowhere. He also endured negative reports about two homes he owned in Newark, one of which has sat empty and in disarray with little attention from the mayor.
Murray said Booker has suffered from being somewhat removed from the campaign trail, bouncing around the nation to raise money, not just for the special primary and general elections, but also the 2014 Senate election in the state.
Booker’s also received criticism for being unavailable to press. His relative silence has allowed a number of negative reports to take hold and feed into Lonegan’s narrative questioning Booker’s integrity.
“That Booker hasn’t made any gains, and that his lead seems to be shrinking is due to the fact that he simply hasn’t been engaged in the race the way his opponent is,” Murray said.
Lonegan said he thinks Booker’s drop in the polls is due to renewed scrutiny over the Democrat’s character and support for his own platform.
“It’s my powerful message that resonates with Americans, particularly with Reagan Democrats, union guys who go to church, as well as the fact that all these myths about [Booker] are melting,” said Lonegan.
While Lonegan is drawing support from fiscal conservatives in the New Jersey suburbs, the state is typically Democratic on social issues. Lonegan, who is pro-life and pro-gun, doesn’t align with much of the electorate on those issues.
Going negative on Lonegan won’t help Booker’s favorables, but they may tamp down Lonegan’s support at the 40-percent ceiling Democrats believe he faces on Oct. 16.
Lonegan says he is confident of victory.
“When we win, it’ll just be earth shaking,” he said.
The Black precincts will have a 110% Democrat turn-out, and Booker will be the new “come-back kid.” Funny how those are always Democrats.
In the old days, the bosses in Hudson County led by Haig would have picked their candidate and I guarantee it would not have been Booker. Today the national mob bosses pick the candidates.
Has the plague been up to NJ to support Booker? I don’t recall him doing so. Yeah the Kiss of Death has a whole new meaning in dem political circles in NJ since His Excellency became president.
I’m sure Chris Christie is out campaigning hard for Steve Lonegan. Oh. Actually it’s Governor Rick Perry and Senator Rand Paul who are campaigning for Lonegan.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but Christie has done little more than endorse Lonegan.
But no one see's this.
* This is Scott Brown Part 2, aka all about Obamacare.
* I'd like to see the shutdown go to the 16th, the day of this election.
* Let this election be a referendum on Obamacare and Harry Reid.
* Watch Reid stop playing Chicken if Lonegan starts really gaining steam...
My guess is one of Christie’s motives in having this special election so early was to prevent Lonegan from getting too much traction against his little buddy Booker.
Its AMAZING how Christie has IGNORED LOnegan and REFUSED to campaign with him.
Christie and Booker are buddies.
I have no doubt that Christie talked to Schumer and Bloomberg, and scheduled the election on a day where his own coattails wouldn’t help the republican nominee. And in the meantime, he nominated a senator that votes like Lisa Murkowski.
Christie will do whatever is necessary to undermine conservatives and conservatism. I hope every conservative comes out for Lonegan and stays home for Christie. Let him get the votes of the democrats and moderates he loves so much.
I WILL vote for Lonegan.
I REFUSE to contribute to Christie’s pleurality in a general election as he intends to use that as a campaign lever in the primaries.
Christie is anti-gun, pro-illegals and pro-Muslim - among other things.
I moved out of Rural Red NJ to NW PA in 2011, but did not register to vote in PA. I am assuming this means that I am still able to vote in NJ, right? I never even got myself a PA driver’s license, or changed registration of my car... the thing is I am on the road so often for work that, it’s not even like PA is “home”.
Of course I get people telling me “You can’t do that! That’s illegal! You will get a ticket!”. I just don’t care... I haven’t been arrested for illegal intrastate imigration yet.
It’s great, though because now my old diesel car is no longer required to be inspected in NJ... so I get the registration from my NJ address (dear old mom’s), and just renew it, no bullshit from either the State of NJ or the Commonwealth of PA.
Still, I am curious how voter registration works... people of less integrity (0bama voters) would be voting in multiple places at once... how do states prevent this?
I still get sample ballots for my old voting district sent to me... so I can go and vote for Lonegan (again), right? I remember he had my vote in the primary when Chris Christie won... I saw Christie as a RINO from jumpstreet.
Good for you for getting out of the s-hole. NW PA is beautiful and the gun laws are WAY better.
I despise Christie, but at the time the election was scheduled, it wasn't clear that Christie would win in a walk. NJ has become much more liberal than it used to be.
Kriskie Kreme is just glad Booger isn’t running against him.
Actually, it was the Democrats who did the scheduling and the are being hoist by their own petard. Some electoral shenanigans from years back, preventing Gubernatorial and Senate elections from occurring the same day.
Glad you are voting for Steve Lonegan!!! If all New Jersey Republicans and Conservatives turn out on Wednesday, October 16th for the special USA Senate relection...Steve Lonegan will win!!! Cory Booker is just simply another Obamabot clone and thug!!! Lonegan is for New Jersey!!! New Jersey voters....you can save our nation...if you turn out and vote for a Steve Lonegan victory!!! Do it!!!
Lonegan will be a great Senator.
We must win this and win the Virginia gubernatorial race. Also, let’s get Gracie Mansion.
Every single person in the State could vote for Lonegan,and Booker would still win.And if by some miracle Booker doesn’t win,the State Supreme Court will appoint him to the Senate,as happened with Lautenberg
Lonegan would be a YEA vote in a senate impeachment trial of this s.o.b. in the White House.
I wish I lived in New Jersey!!! I’d be pounding the pavement for Steve Lonegan.
New Jersey needs a man that stands for all New Jersey citizens and...for the true interest and demand of the entire state of NJ. Lonegan is that person.
Totally agree.
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