Paper Out Of Debate Due To Endorsement

PHILADELPHIA - It was a surprising gubernatorial endorsement from New Jersey's largest newspaper, and we now know the price that paper will pay for announcing its support.

Fox 29's Bruce Gordon reported on what is becoming a fascinating race in the Garden State and the "Daggett debate distraction."

The Newark Star-Ledger was supposed to be a media partner, along with Fox 29, in the debate set for Friday night at William Patterson University.

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But the newspaper is out, having violated a state election regulation that says media participants in a debate may not endorse a candidate ahead of that debate.

In its endorsement, the Star-Ledger's editorial board spoke of "breaking the hold" of Republicans and Democrats and suggested independent Chris Daggett's election would send "shockwaves" through the Garden State's political establishment, change the "corrosive culture of Trenton," and that independent Daggett would be free to "recruit the best talent," regardless of party label.

Daggett told Fox 29 the paper viewed the endorsement as too important to hold.

"People across New Jersey are tired of politics as usual," the candidate said. "They are looking for someone who will give them the truth about what's going on in the state and an honest assessment of the problems, not sugarcoated in any way."

Polls suggest Daggett will finish a distant third come Election Day, behind Democrat incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine and Republican challenger Chris Christie.

Those same polls suggest a fair number of voters are considering Daggett, but don't want to "waste their vote" on a third-party candidate.

"Sounds like both of these two guys might vote for me," Daggett said during the first gubernatorial debate, drawing laughter.

But he said his performance in that first debate shows he is for real, able to convince his supporters that a vote for him is not wasted.

"And I think that corner is close," Daggett said. "Now, I don't have any – you know, it's hard to know, when is that corner turned. Is it turned because an endorsement comes? Is it turned because I have some bump up in the polls? I don't know. But I have a sense that, once it turns, it could end up where I could actually win this handily because I know the sentiment is out there."

Daggett points out that he needs just over 33 percent of the vote to win a three-way race for governor.

That's still a tall order. But a major endorsement and a second strong showing Friday could make the stretch run of this race nose-to-nose-to-nose.