To: longnshort who wrote (25435 ) 5/25/2004 8:50:52 AM From: Rock_nj Respond to Perhaps New Jersey will be closer than 2000. Certainly a good economy and name recognition helped Al Gore win New Jersey big in 2000. Perhaps 9/11 and the War on Terror is helping Prez Bush in 2004. But, I live in New Jersey and I think something has fundementally changed in this state. Republicans could still win under certain circumstances, but it's an uphill battle for them now. I think the main reason New Jersey is trending Democratic is social issues. New Jersey is a corridor state, a northeastern state, a state with a highly educated workforce that sits between the cultural hubs of New York City and Philadelphia. I think New Jersey voters just feel alienated by some of the hard right social positions of the increasingly southern Republican party. I know I hold some moderate to conservative economic views, but they are trumped by my moderate to liberal to social views. The Republicans just don't represent the way a lot of people think in the northeast on social matters. Even Republicans up here would be unrecognizable to a lot of hardcore rightwingers down South and in the West. Northeastern Republicans are very moderate, some would say Republicans in Name Only (RINO), like former New Jersey Governor Christy Whitman. She certainly did nothing for the cause of conservatism in New Jersey. She expanded government and was very moderate on social issues. She even made the Sumpreme Court more liberal. Republicans win in the northeast when they're moderates, something that a lot of conservative southern Republicans can't claim, like our current Prez Bush. New Jersey may be close now, but Kerry will win in November.
