TAKE a look at how much money the front-running gubernatorial candidates are spending for next Tuesday's primary, and you can come away with only one conclusion. A recent and growing trend in machine politics has taken hold in New Jersey's statewide elections, and that machine is |the ATM - used by wealthy candidates to finance and dominate their races.
On the Republican side, West Windsor businessman Doug Forrester leads by 11 percentage points in a poll released yesterday and by an even wider margin in dollars raised. Mr. Forrester has put up nearly $9 million of mostly his own money in an effort to win his party's nomination for a governor's job that pays $175,000 a year. His closest competitor, former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler, has raised less than a quarter of that amount. The other five Republican candidates have raised even less.
On the Democratic side, the presumptive nominee, Sen. Jon Corzine, has mounted a $2.1 million primary campaign, even though he has negligible competition. Of course, one of the reasons Mr. Corzine has so little competition is because his deep pockets helped keep acting Governor Codey - a likable and popular politician - from entering the race. Mr. Corzine, who has been dubbed "the human ATM," put up $63 million to win his Senate seat 4½ years ago.
Do rich guys always finish first? No. But deep pockets sure give wealthy candidates huge advantages when it comes to winning their party organizations' backing, getting their message out, and - in some cases - trashing their rivals.
That's why it's important to do your homework before you vote in the primary on Tuesday.
Go to the candidates' Web sites and find out where they stand on the big issues. Look for objective accounts of the campaigns. Be wary of negative advertising, which only better-heeled candidates can afford and which often distorts opponents' positions and past performance.
And then vote for the candidate you think would make the best governor.
