Election Day is less than two months away and candidates John Adler and Jon Runyan are really heating up their battle for a seat in the House of Representatives. Currently, the House has 255 Democrats, 178 Republicans, and 2 vacancies. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has deemed this district a leaning Democratic, implying that Adler has the advantage. The Republicans must obtain 38 seats in order to take over the House, and experts say the outcome for the Third District of New Jersey could make a critical difference in which political party comes out on top.
In early 2010, Runyan was accused of taking advantage of a New Jersey property tax break by registering the 5 acres surrounding his house as farmland. Records show that he uses his "farmland" to graze donkeys and sell timber. This seems extremely ironic to me as Runyan is a Republican using the Democratic Party's animal symbol to evade his taxes. Adler's recent campaign brochure showed Runyan and his donkeys covering up his gated mansion, clearly attacking Runyan by labeling him as being a wealthy Republican who finds loopholes for a tax break.
Runyan retaliated with home mailings that showed a caricature of Adler with fire coming out of his rear that read "Liar, Liar, pants on fire."
Although the battle for a seat in the House seems to have gotten pretty rough, analysts say that these attacks on each other's weaknesses probably will not sway voters. Political scientist Brigid Harrison from Montclair State University reveals what voters really want: a candidate that can help them wade through their economic turmoil. Being a resident in the state of New Jersey and a voter myself, I agree with this ideal. The current economy needs a candidate that can make a change. Even if it is not a big change, little steps will eventually help us out of this fallen economy.
Sources:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/ex-nfl_player_congressional_ca.html
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/front_page/20100910_In_3d_District__Adler_and_Runyan_firing_away_already.html
I agree, this is a chaotic economic time and voters are focused on candidates who can create jobs & support small business owners. If I had the desire or time, I could google the name of every congressional candidate and find dirt on all of them. President Obama admitted to smoking marijuana and that didn't stop votes from electing him. In this crucial race, bashing the other candidate is not going to win the votes but rather a platform and campaign that appeals to the majority of voters' concerns and expectations relevant to the issues of today, not the gossip of yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThis seems like an interesting week in this district, with both candidates seeming to be putting their energy into attacking the other instead of their actual platform. It seems like every candidate for any type of public office runs negative adds about their opponents but I agree in that it does little to convince or educate voters. Both Adler and Runyan need to instead focus on the talking about how they plan to change things if they are elected. They need to appeal to independents and swing voters with their ideas for job creation and tax cuts, not with childish insults to their opposition.
ReplyDeleteI think when candidates behave in this manner, it is a slap in the face to the voters. Although most people in our country seem to be uneducated or indifferent when it comes to politics, they can still tell the difference between cheap tactics against your competitor and actual issues.
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