New Jersey's Motley Crew of Democratic Challengers To Corzine

If you think that the New Jersey GOP is in bad shape, consider the situation for the Democrats. Yes, they have Gov. Jon Corzine who's run the state's fiscal ship aground. But, they have a bunch of challengers who are even more out of touch than Corzine is. Of the three others seeking the nomination, only one is even reasonably in touch with reality and not engaging in conspiracy mongering or pushing crazy theories.

First, we meet with Jeff Boss of Guttenberg, who says the government plotted the 9/11 terrorist attacks and vows that legalized sports betting is the key to solving New Jersey's budget woes. Then, we travel to Glen Ridge to speak with Carl Bergmanson, former mayor of Glen Ridge, who blasts Corzine for failing to deliver on the promises he made four years ago. Finally, we head out Route 78 to meet with Phillipsburg factory worker Roger Bacon, who says he's running to lead a march on Washington against NAFTA.

This is such a motley crew of people.

There's the good, bad, and just plain ugly.

First the good: Former Glen Ridge Mayor Carl Bergmanson thinks he's got a shot. His platform makes sense, and he says many of the right things, including calls for the elimination of all toll roads, noting the costs in traffic and pollution and the nickle and diming of taxpayers. He also calls for a constitutional convention to eliminate the Supreme Court's involvement in property taxes and school funding. Specifically, he's looking to eliminate COAH, which is the affordable housing requirement, which is anything but affordable.

His biggest problem is that he doesn't have the bankroll that Corzine does.

The bad: Roger Bacon is a perpetual gadfly and candidate for office with no chance for winning. He's attempted runs for Congress and now Governor. He has no chance of winning, but he's going to make a show of it. What is his platform? He wants to march on Washington to repeal NAFTA.

Here's the flat-out ugly: I actually met Jeff Boss the other day as he was handing out fliers announcing his positions in Hoboken. I didn't realize that at the time, but with the photo accompanying the Star Ledger story, I've now made that connection. I wish I had known who this guy was because I felt like I needed to take a shower afterwards.

His flier reads more like a manifesto than a clear and lucid approach to governance. As the Star Ledger reports, Boss thinks that the solution to the state's fiscal mess is to jump on the sports betting bandwagon, but that's just a tip of this iceberg. Boss also thinks that New Jersey residents should get a total pass on having to pay NJ Turnpike or GSP tolls. It should be imposed on out of state drivers, as though that would ever pass constitutional muster, let alone represents even a modicum of fiscal responsibility.

Worse still is that he's a 9/11 conspiracy monger. He thinks that the US government was behind the 9/11 attacks. If there's a reason to send Boss packing, that's it. More to the point, the other candidates should be running this kook out of the room.

With opponents like this, it's no wonder that Corzine does so well.