Thread: Lou Dobbs for N.J. governor?

The Star-Ledger
CNN host lets talk go on of a possible run
Dobbs for N.J. governor?
Thursday, June 12, 2008
BY JOSH MARGOLIN
Star-Ledger Staff

It's a hot topic in Republican political and fundraising circles: CNN's Lou Dobbs is thinking of running for governor of New Jersey.

Several well-connected Republicans say they've heard the buzz that Dobbs, famous for his sharp commentary about Washington policies and politics, may be turning his sights on Trenton and has inquired about the steps necessary to start a campaign.

Reached by telephone yesterday morning at his home -- a 300-acre horse farm in Wantage, Sussex County -- Dobbs would not say whether he has any such plans. Asked if he wanted to deny it, Dobbs said, "I'm just not going to comment."

It is not the first time Dobbs, the host and managing editor of CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight," has been touted as a potential candidate. Around New Year's, his name was floated as a possible independent candidate for president, but he never entered the fray. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal in January, he downplayed the idea of entering politics but said, "I cannot say 'never.'"

Dobbs, 62, first registered to vote in Sussex County in 1991 as a Republican, then switched to independent in 2006, according to the county Board of Elections.

State Republican chairman Tom Wilson said Dobbs' interest in the Garden State's governorship is circulating among Republican officials and fundraisers in Manhattan and Washington. Several told The Star-Ledger they had heard about it, although not directly from Dobbs.

"It's certainly a fun and interesting rumor," said Wilson, "but if he's seriously interested, he'd be better off talking to people who actually live in New Jersey and who know what it takes to mount a campaign for governor."

Wilson, who managed the 1997 re-election campaign of Gov. Christie Whitman, said that if Dobbs is thinking about running for the GOP nomination, "the first thing he should do is register as a Republican."

Dobbs is a Texas native, has written or co-written four books, hosts a syndicated radio show and has an economics degree from Harvard University. He was one of the original personalities who launched CNN in 1980.

In recent years, Dobbs has gained a new level of fame as a self-described "independent populist" and "advocacy journalist." He has railed against illegal immigration and American foreign policy and in support of the border fence between the United States and Mexico.

Wilson said there is someone whom Republican leaders in New Jersey would like to see run for governor, "and right now it's not Lou Dobbs, it's Chris Christie," the U.S. attorney for New Jersey.

David Norcross, a Republican National Committee member from New Jersey and an acquaintance of Dobbs, said it would be a "dreadful idea" for Dobbs to run.

Norcross said he worries Dobbs would turn the governor's race into a platform for his worldview and the national and international issues he highlights on TV. "He ought to just stick to raising hell on issues on his TV show and leave New Jersey alone," Norcross said.

Talk of potential challenges to Gov. Jon Corzine has picked up in recent days. The Star-Ledger reported this week that the Democratic incumbent has started fund-raising for a 2009 race.

A poll released yesterday by Quinnipiac University show Corzine's approval rating remains depressed -- 38 percent, versus 52 percent who say they disapprove of the job he's doing. The survey has a margin of error of 2.6 percent.

Corzine said he's not surprised at those numbers in the midst of the state's budget struggles: "When dealing with a lot of difficult choices, I can understand why people are upset."

Staff writer John Mooney contributed to this report.

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf ... xml&coll=1

Wilson, who managed the 1997 re-election campaign of Gov. Christie Whitman, said that if Dobbs is thinking about running for the GOP nomination, "the first thing he should do is register as a Republican."

Don't think Dobbs would do that. He's made too much of an issue that he's an independent.

bttt