How we voted. And why.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
TED SHERMAN
STAR-LEDGER STAFF
Wes Chalker didn't know for whom he was going to vote until he walked into the polling booth yesterday afternoon.
Then, the 63-year-old retired insurance executive -- who went for Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine four years ago -- cast his vote for Republican Chris Christie.
"I had mixed emotions," said Chalker, standing outside the Mendham firehouse amid a steady stream of voters entering and exiting the building where Christie himself had voted just hours before.
Many voters across the state expressed similar sentiments, offering little enthusiasm for either candidate and making their decisions at the last minute. In the end, large numbers of them ultimately decided they just did not want four more years of Jon Corzine.
According to exit polling for the National Election Pool conducted by Edison Research, Corzine and Christie were more likely to elicit negative feelings among voters than favorable ones. At the same time, independent voters broke strongly for Christie, by a two-to-one margin.
That spelled the difference between victory and defeat, said Cliff Zukin, a political scientist at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. If Corzine had just split the independents, he would have had enough to win.
Still, it was clear voters were not happy with the choices.
"New Jerseyans had more negative than positive feelings for all the candidates. They would have taken none of the above," Zukin said. "The independents saw it as a referendum and they went for a candidate they didn't like very much."
Issac Prince, 46, of Plainfield, who manages a family-owned retail store, called the election a choice between "the lesser of two evils." He said he supported Corzine despite the state's economic troubles, saying he did not trust Christie to keep his promise to lower taxes.
"Those who talk about it usually can't do anything about it," Prince said.
Cathy Omegna, 59, of Mendham, who voted for Corzine four years ago, said she "wasn't thrilled" by either candidate. But, she said, she felt Christie better understood the need to reduce the size of government.
Still, she was not sure how effective he will be.
"He might not have the political clout to force people in Trenton to do things," Omegna said.
Kuttivila Jacob, 58, of Paramus, voted for Corzine, albeit reluctantly.
"I really didn't want to vote for him because property taxes went up and he promised to cut them," Jacob said. "But I didn't know too much about Christie and I heard allegations about him using public money for hotel expenses. I thought he wasn't the right person to lead New Jersey."
The overriding reason voters cited in making their decision, the exit polls found, was that they were looking for someone to bring about change; those seeking change overwhelmingly went for Christie.
"It was a really difficult decision. I just decided in the end a change would be good for New Jersey," said Estelle Walter of Paramus, a Democrat who voted for Christie.
The biggest issue among voters remained the economy. Corzine was seen as being able to do more about the economy, but those most worried about the direction of the nation's economy were far more inclined to vote for Christie, the exit polls found.
"The state's totally out of control," said Steve Gorski, 54, of Cranford, an analyst for Dow Jones. "To me it seems like Christie is more in focus. We have to manage all the problems we have."
Brigid Harrison, a political scientist at Montclair State University, said the issue of corruption did emerge as a driving force for Christie, who made his reputation as U.S. attorney.
Of those concerned about corruption in government, 68 percent voted for the Republican.
"Corzine is a billionaire and he's just trying to buy his way in. He didn't put enough time in the trenches," said Bill Godleski, 78, of Paramus. "I voted for Christie because he sounds honest and I liked the way he prosecuted people."
Barbara Hoff, 78, Basking Ridge, said she liked Corzine, but could not vote for him.
"I think the Democratic Party in New Jersey betrayed him. It's corrupt," she said. She voted for the independent, Chris Daggett.
Although many observers saw the gubernatorial election in New Jersey as the first barometer of Barack Obama's popularity, exit polls found voters did not see the race as a referendum on the performance of the president -- who campaigned as recently as Sunday for Corzine -- but rather a referendum on the governor.
Staff writers David Giambusso, Rohan Mascarenhas and Brian Whitley contributed to this report. Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@starledger.com or (973) 392-4278.
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