The Jaffe Briefing - November 6, 2017
OUR TAKE ON THE NEWS IN NEW JERSEY
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL - It's one thing when cash-strapped New Jersey residents refrain from donating $1 to the Gubernatorial Election Fund on their tax returns, but it's an entirely different matter when the two leading candidates for governor fail to check off that little box for publicly-funded elections. NJ.com reports that Phil Murphy, who received $9.3 million in matching funds from the public supported program, abstained from the $1 donation. So did Kim Guadagno, before accepting $3.3 million. The Murphy campaign called the abstention an "oversight," while Team Guadagno wasn't talking. It's all moot tomorrow, when the polls close promptly at 8 p.m.
ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL - Even with the millions and millions spent on the election, experts think we will be looking at a ridiculously low voter turnout tomorrow. The trend in voting for gubernatorial elections shows a steady, apathetic decline since 1993, when the turnout was 65 percent. By 2013, it was driven under 40 percent. And experts expect that number to drive south tomorrow, maybe even around a dismal 35 percent. The reason? People just aren't interested in this crop of candidates, or maybe they are resigned to the fact that instant change is difficult, if not virtually impossible. But please, let's start somewhere.
TRENTON - As New Jersey is just one day away from welcoming a new governor, it is running out of time to kick who many consider the most unpopular leader in state history. FDU is not lost on that fact, reporting that four out of 10 responders in its latest poll consider Gov. Chris Christie among the state's worst governors. The latest: a 17 percent approval rating. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out," Poll Director Krista Jenkins concludes. "Right now, Chris Christie's job approval is the lowest that we have ever measured in 16 years of polling the state that we have done." The silver lining, we can only hope: Very soon, New Jersey will have new energy, new ideas and a laser focus on solving New Jersey issues.
ATLANTIC CITY - The zombie apocalypse it isn't, but incumbent Mayor Don Guardian said if he loses the election tomorrow, it's the dead voters to blame. The mayor, citing evidence of tried-and-true absentee ballot fraud, has appealed to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office to launch an investigation on the eve of the election, AP reports. Sure, it's easy to imagine that there are plenty of dead bodies buried in the concrete under all those vacant casinos. But at least they are eager to cast a vote in support of the Boardwalk Empire.
NEWARK - Forget rezoning or redevelopment, an apple-loving entrepreneur wants to revive Newark's Ironbound section as the hard cider capital of the world. It's a great idea; the owner of Ironbound Hard Cider ensures his workers live in Newark, and even gives them a second chance, as 30 percent of them were formerly incarcerated, TAPInto Newark reports. The problem? The company had to move its processing to a former farm in Asbury Park due to "complex state laws." Sounds like the real story is red tape, not red apples.
IN OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS
LAKELAND, Fla. - When you think of drunks riding horses, you think of gunslingers living on a steady diet of moonshine and dust. It was perfectly fine behavior in the 1880s, but a Florida woman is learning the modern-day world requires you to be sober before you giddy-up. And so this 53-year-old woman is facing DUI charges after taking her trusty steed down a busy highway on Thursday. Cops pulled over the horse and quickly noticed this cowgirl was plastered. She was sent to the Polk County jail, while authorities quickly noted they couldn't impound a horse. He's now at animal control, wondering what the heck he did wrong.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
WORD OF THE DAY
Esemplastic - [ess-em-PLASS-tik] - adjective
Definition: Shaping or having the power to shape disparate things into a unified whole
Example: Beginning Wednesday morning, the governor-elect will begin to assemble an esemplastic administration
WEATHER IN A WORD
Thunder