(AP Photoe/ Mel Evans, File.)
Not too long ago Chris Christie seemed to have the New Jersey Governor's race in the bag. A Quinnipiac College poll put Chris Christie 12 points ahead of Jon Corzine on July 14 and it seemed like voter dissatisfaction with the incumbent had iced the skids to a relaxing fall. Now less then three weeks away from election day, Quinnipiac has the race in a statistical dead heat, with Christie leading by one point over Corzine. The same poll shows Independent candidate Chris Daggett at 14%.
Daggett, a former EPA administrator appointed by the Reagan administration whose candidacy was described as "one that's an amusement" by Chris Christie on October 6 in the Star Ledger, has slowly emerged as, if not a viable option then a true spoiler in this race, and one that is primarily affecting Christie's hold on right of center moderates and those fed up with the status quo.
Perhaps it is the growing recognition of Daggett's appeal coupled with his recent endorsement by the Star Ledger that has forced the Republican Governor's Association to take notice and run attack ads that say Daggett is "Like Corzine Only worse". When reached for comment on this apparent shift by the Republicans regarding Chris Daggett, Daggett Campaign Spokesman Tom Johnson said, "Last week, Christie told the Star-Ledger the Daggett campaign was amusing. Tonight, the Christie campaign started airing negative campaigns about Chris Daggett. Apparently, Christie has flip-flopped once again."
The Christie campaign has yet to acknowledge whether they support the RGA ads or regard Daggett's candidacy as more then just an "amusement" in light of Daggett's growing popularity. But one thing seems abundantly clear. After a journey that has taken him from the realm of obscurity to the sights of the front runner in record time, Chris Daggett can no longer be ignored.
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