About Those Campaign Ads

I don't know about you, but the ads this season aren't particularly good. Heck, the candidates for some of the local races aren't that good - Freddy Ferrer, I'm talking about you.

But the cake for nutbar commericals has to go to Jon Corzine and Doug Forrester who are tossing so much money into advertising that it makes the head spin at how cringe-worthy they've made their ads.

Corzine brought out little Timmy in the wheelchair to decry Forrester's supposed opposition to stem cell research. Fact is, Forrester opposes embryionic stem cell research, but doesn't have a problem with other stem cell research (and that has already garnered results in treatments, which can't be said of the embryionic stem cell research).

Forrester turned around and broke out his wife to counter those claims, and then got the bonus of Corzine's ex wife Joanne going to the Star Ledger and New York Times to complain about Corzine and did so not only as his ex-wife, but as someone who worked on Corzine's campaigns. She complained about the choices Corzine made, and how he essentially gave up his morals and ethics by getting into politics (he wouldn't be the first to do that).

Forrester is now running a short and sweet ad that features the killer quotes from Joanne Corzine's interview. Corzine has tried to respond but hasn't exactly been a model of clarity. Forrester for his part had said that he wouldn't bring family matters into the race for governor, but ran this article because his media mavens said it was his last best chance to win the election.

This is what is has come to.

This election comes down to two simple issues for me: taxes and corruption.

I don't trust either guy on taxes - for the simple fact that neither is willing to address the core reasons for the spiraling taxes: state spending that is out of control. I also know that the Transportation Trust Fund needs to be fixed, and the only way that is going to happen is through raising some tax (gas tax) or diverting revenue from other programs to go to replenish the fund. Neither candidate's plans for property tax relief are realistic or workable unless spending is controlled.

And if they do find a way to control property taxes, expect the corporation business tax to rise again to deal with the shortfall and fees on most everything else to rise. That's what happened the last time that anyone tried to deal with property taxes in New Jersey.

As for the issue of corruption, I give Forrester a slight nod, if only because he's an outsider in Trenton. Corzine is too closely aligned to the machine politics and corrupt officials that run rampant in Trenton. Forrester may have the edge there since he's not an insider, but I don't think he's immune from being sucked into that den of thieves.

We shall see. Corzine is up in the polls less than a week out, and I don't think Forrester can make up the difference.

UPDATE:
Also blogging the NJ race: Mister Snitch, the NJ Blog, and Enlighten NJ.