New Jersey's Governor to Endorse Dean

New Jersey Star-Ledger: McGreevy to Back Dean in Early Gamble

Governor seeks to influence presidential race 6 months before state primary, adviser says

Tuesday, December 16, 2003
BY JEFF WHELAN
Star-Ledger Staff

Gov. James E. McGreevey plans to endorse Howard Dean for president this week, becoming the first governor in the nation to do so, according to four Democrats familiar with the decision. (....)

The alliance is unexpected. McGreevey has ties to a centrist Democratic group that has criticized Dean as being too liberal, and he has been a strong supporter of President Bush's decision to go to war with Iraq. Dean's fierce opposition to the war anchors his candidacy.

But one McGreevey adviser who requested anonymity said, "The endorsement is not built around foreign affairs. It's built around who we think can lead the party to victory, quite frankly." (....)

McGreevey and Dean will appear jointly later this week, and the governor will bring with him a "significant number" of Democratic elected officials and party leaders, two McGreevey advisers who requested anonymity said.

Many New Jersey Democrats -- including the state's two U.S. senators -- had put off making endorsements until now at the governor's request. (....)

Governor Holden (Missouri) has endorsed home state favorite son Gephardt.

Governor Easley (North Carolina) has endorsed home state favorite son Edwards.

And, of course, former Governor Dean (Vermont) has endorsed himself. :7

However, this endorsement would be the first gubernatorial endorsement of any presidential candidate outside the home state.

unless you count Jeanne Shaheen, former Gov. of NH, endorsing Kerry.

That's a good point, darboy. Do you know if former Gov. Shaheen is a superdelegate? I know sitting governors are automatically, but I'm not sure if she is, since she'd have to fit into another category (like DNC member).

Thanks.

Not exactly a feather in Dean's cap. McGreevy is not a popular Democrat in NJ.

I don't like him, but he's better than whitman ever was...he's unpopular because he was trying to clean up her mess with an even split in the state assembly and senate...things are going to go more smoothly now that we have a Dem majority in both houses....

I don't see this as being bad for dean, but not the biggest endorsment he's gotten so far (that goes to the unions and gore)

About a week or two ago when it became obvious that Dean was going to the the nominee, an interesting idea started cropping up. Even if Dean recieves the most votes in the primaries, his opponenets may be able to block his nomination if most of the superdelegates back another candidate. This appears scenario is becoming increasingly unlikely, as Dean now has more superdelegates than any other candidate.

Somebody's got to be keeping track of that, right?

http://www.freewebs.com/goobergunch/gpr.html

But keep in mind that it may not reflect the endorsements that Dean has reiceived in the last 24 hours.

The Democrats won big in the state legislature last November for McGreevy.

Hello Christy Whitman.

All the "Stop Dean" nonsense finally drove me to it. I was very impressed with the way this campaign is being run. I think over 150k people have signed up to volunteer. They are running buses to NH and Iowa from other states. This is why he is ahead, amoung other reasons. If you have not been there, you should go. It is an eye opener.
I don't any of the candidates has any better chance of beating Bush than he does. That in itself is not a reason to support him. But this idea that he will lose the election for us is really nothing but scare tactics.

this is why the Bushies are afraid and attacking in irrational ways.

Dean is their nightmare: A fighting Dem who will not back down from the bullying and thuggish tactics the GOP has to rely on if they want to hold onto power. He won't back down in the face of the GOP's strategy to rely on fear to cow Americans. He'll call the BS what it is: BS.

part of their operations to Hoboken.

I hate McGreevey!!!!

If anything McGreevey would lose Dean votes if there was a primary in NJ, but it is too late to count.

I guess that McGreevey can help in raising money in our very rich democratic state, but I don't know how much he can help there. However, if Dean wants him to, I'm sure McGreevey could just illegally find someway to get some money for him.