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HENNY RAY ABRAMS / Associated Press

A supporter of Chris Christie awaits the candidate's victory speech Tuesday evening.

READER FEEDBACK

Editorial: Now it's on Christie

Now the bad news for Chris Christie: He must actually try to govern New Jersey.

Congratulations to Christie, a Republican and former federal prosecutor who scored an impressive victory on Election Day over Democratic Gov. Corzine. Even with third-party candidate Chris Daggett in the race, the outcome really wasn't close.

Christie was outspent by the wealthy incumbent in a heavily Democratic state. But he persuaded voters that he'll do a better job making New Jersey more affordable and prosperous.

Exactly how he plans to do that, Christie was not willing to share with voters during the campaign. He promised to cut spending (something that Corzine actually did). But it won't be enough to balance a budget with a projected shortfall of at least $8 billion.

Restoring property-tax rebates? Perhaps a fraction in his first year, Christie said, when he figures out how much the state can afford.

Income-tax cuts? Only for the wealthiest New Jerseyans in his first year, Christie said. He wants to allow a Corzine tax increase to expire, dropping the top rate from 10.75 percent to 8.9 percent on households earning more than $1 million. To make up for that lost revenue, he plans to cut the budget deeper. Voters can't say they weren't warned.

If Christie is to have better success than Corzine in managing the state's troubled finances, he'll need some luck in the form of an improved national economy. More robust tax collections would help him balance the budget without imposing drastic cuts in services. But at this point in a slow recovery, such good fortune doesn't appear likely.

Like Corzine, Christie plans to save money by shortchanging contributions to public-employee pension funds. It's merely deferring a growing liability, but Christie might have better luck than Corzine in curbing the costly benefits of unionized state employees.

Corzine lost his reelection bid despite significant help from President Obama and Vice President Biden. Some voters in New Jersey and elsewhere did intend to send a message to Obama, but most said in exit polling that the election was not a referendum on the president. Their concerns were more local - high taxes, corruption, and an unemployment rate in New Jersey slightly higher than surrounding states'.

The off-year election results were not a national referendum, but the Republican Party had some successes it can tout. In Virginia, the only other state electing a governor, Republican Robert McDonnell triumphed. Independent voters in New Jersey and Virginia supported the GOP this time.

But Democrats won congressional races in northern California and in an upstate New York district that was represented by Republicans for a century.

The New York contest pointed to a continuing challenge for the GOP. The moderate Republican candidate gave way in the final days to a conservative opponent endorsed by Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh, resulting in a Democrat winning the seat.

The GOP is still grappling with whether it wants "pure" conservatives or a big tent, and the rift is as prominent as ever. Christie won by embracing all comers.

Comments

Posted 05:32 AM, 11/05/2009

Liquidator

Sour grapes already? Come on Inky. Maybe this kind of editorializing is why people aren't buying your paper. As a NJ resident, homeowner and TAXPAYER, this election was about TAXES! It was NOT about conservatism or liberalism. Corzine proved he just didn't get it. With over $300 million net worth he never had to worry about losing all his savings to taxes or not being able to retire and still live in NJ. In addition, this was a choice between a Governor who wouldn't admit to very clear conflicts of interest vs someone with a clear record of prosecuting corruption and holding elected officials accountable. Yes, voters must now hold Christie accountable. If he doesn't deliver, he should be voted out of office too.

Posted 06:22 AM, 11/05/2009

tr88

High taxes and Corruption are the cornerstones of the democrat's playbook. I think the Inquirer should at least give Christie as much time and free marketing that they give to Obama as he tries to dig NJ out of the mess he inherited. What sore petty losers the Editors are.

Posted 07:30 AM, 11/05/2009

Liam I am

Before you build you need to drain the swamp.

Posted 07:31 AM, 11/05/2009

xi_lives

He'll govern with 'hope and change' and when the going gets tough, Governor Christie, blame your predecessor. The Inky is a sucker for these strategies.

Posted 07:44 AM, 11/05/2009

rmw38

Fat boy has to govern now. Let's see him undo the mess his mentor, George W left to this state and the entire country. This should get the neocons shorts in a knot.

Posted 08:46 AM, 11/05/2009

bill at

The key to support from the local media and Democrats is to constantly make speeches where you mouth meaningless platitudes like 'hope' and 'change'. Then, when the going gets tough and you actually have to do the job you were elected and paid to do, you whine like a little b!tch and blame your predecessor. How's that hope and change working out for ya?

Posted 09:29 AM, 11/05/2009

prudential2

Inquirer editors show once again that they are out of touch. How could your endorsement of Corzine be so far off? Thank God for the Phillies!

Posted 10:59 AM, 11/05/2009

jersey girl

Hey rmw38 - Bush had nothing to do with the corruption and high taxes of NJ. Its Obama's economy now. At least Christie put Sharpe James and a few other in jail.

Posted 11:21 AM, 11/05/2009

Ramon

Where's his award for getting elected?

Posted 11:30 AM, 11/05/2009

John Scanlon

I look forward to a bipartisan effort to improve the quality of life in New Jersey, with better legislative leadership cooperating with a governor who is tough but knows how to make deals. Let the zealots in the Congress and the White House, who lose credibility and effectiveness by refusing to concede anything to their opponents, see in New Jersey a model for productive governance.

Posted 12:06 PM, 11/05/2009

A Friend

Hey RMW38, tell your boy to lose that Larry Fine hairdo.

Posted 02:05 PM, 11/05/2009

jwad (D)

All he has to do is blame Bush and Corzine.

Posted 06:49 PM, 11/05/2009

lefty

A mea culpa editorial. Without waiting for the Christie administration to take office, you proceed to reinforce the dem spin that it's not Obama( over 40% polled said Obama did play a role), that if Christie succeeds, its luck due to an improved economy... dada, dada. Oh yeh, then there are the dems that prevailed in California and New York. A simple CONGRATS! would have sufficed.

Posted 10:02 PM, 11/05/2009

Noah_Webster

New Jersey has high taxes because it has high spending levels. Reducing spending intelligently is going to require some foresight and the sustained influence of papers like the Inquirer. Not a "good luck with that" inaugural kiss-off editorial (particularly since the legislature is still in the hands of the free spenders not Chris Chirstie's hands). If Jersey doesn't get its spending in line soon its going to end up in as bad shape as states like Ohio and California. Worse yet it could end up with the finances of a metropolitan newspaper. Oh yeah. Maybe we should forget about that foresight thing from the management and unions at the Inquirer.

Posted 10:16 PM, 11/05/2009

drhoagie

"Now the bad news for Chris Christie: He must actually try to govern New Jersey". What a condescending, snarly hissy fit of a statement to make by childish "journalists". We all wonder if nameless editorial writers asked the same of a man who had much less experience for a much larger position last November?