Corzine's approval rating was 35%, yet he received at least 45% of the vote.

[Barack_America]

That means a full 10% of NJ voters preferred voting for a guy they thought was doing a shitty job over a Republican.

If you're looking for a referendum, there's one.


http://www.politickernj.com/matt-friedman/34675/monmouth-poll-shows-dead-heat-home-stretch

[napi21]

1. I don't live in NJ but even I didn't like Corzine. He was an arrogant

rich guy who tried to ignore the law when he ignored the seat belt laws because he was THE GOV! I didn't want a Pub to win, but Corzune was an AH.

[defendandprotect]

2. Corzine was definitely the lesser of two evils . . . Christie being very evil . . .

I'm in NJ and can't believe voters are this stupid???!!!

How could they do this?

And did they?

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

3. Property taxes in NJ are seriously f!@#ed up. What is up with them?

They are insane! How do people even afford to stay in the state?

Let's say you own a 500K house in NJ - Please tell DU what you pay in property tax. I would have liked to use a lower house value, but property values are through the roof, giving them a double whammy.

[FormerDittoHead]

6. The tax is a little over 4% on value...

A family down the street, the husband works for American Express. Their house was a bit over $320k something like that. They were paying over $1,000 a month for property taxes, plus 7% sales tax (Delaware has no sales tax) and income taxes (Texas and Florida have no income taxes, not that I want to be like them).

Don't ask where the casino money was EVER going...

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

7. How can anyone afford to live there?

[FormerDittoHead]

8. A neighbor of mine moved to Delaware just because of that. We're leaving too.

My wife works in Pennsylvania. The commute used to be gas (that's not going to go up, right?) plus tolls.

The tolls went up from a $20 monthly sticker plus 25 cents each way to the EZPass, which went up to $120 a MONTH.

We figured that between the taxes and tolls, we'd have two house payments a year right there, and she'd be closer to work.

[FBaggins]

4. Not a surprise really

Republicans got more votes than Bush's popularity would indicate.

It's a simple fact that some percentage of people with don't like a particular candidate... still prefer him to the opposition party.

In some races (not this one, but perhaps a number next year)... you also have people who disaprove because they candidate hasn't gone far enough right/left. If Democrats don't grow a spine and take their majority out for a spin on issues they promised to address... you'll likely find some people who disaprove, yet are certainly not voting republican.

[FormerDittoHead]

5. I'd be one of those...

I only wish the primaries were meaningful.

After paying so much for taxes. My town's property taxes are 4.2% on assessed value per year, plus 7% sales tax, plus income taxes, plus $125 a month for tolls to/from work, etc.

The state has legal gambling - where's that money going to?

If we were simply getting our money's worth, that would be OK, but we keep hearing time and time again about one guy or another getting busted.

I voted for Corzine because I want the public option. Otherwise, I want the rich bastard put out to pasture and someone in there who can kick butt.

This Republican is an asshole, and I'm really sorry he's in there. Things won't get better now, but that's the "choice" we were given, the bad choice we know is bad, or the bad choice, we don't know if he's that bad...

One last note: the new Gov's experience was a prosecutor - a political appointment in this state. So my hopes aren't too high. At least maybe we'll have some turnover for the people with their hands in the till...