Hopefuls say don't ignore N.J. races as campaign money, manpower leave state

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The reason for all this exporting of cash and manpower is a simple calculation:

New Jersey appears solidly in the Obama camp, judging from multiple polls that show a double-digit lead for the president — a poll right before the convention put Obama ahead, 51 to 37 percent — as well as the campaigns’ own assessments. Even Christie, ever the optimist when it comes to political fortunes, told delegates at the Republican National Convention last week that the party had no chance in his state. It’s a refrain he’s been repeating for months.

Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-Paterson, said he’s warned the Obama campaign not to take voters in blue states for granted, because they could decide to stay home. Pascrell, who won a bruising primary in June and faces a challenge from Republican Shmuley Boteach of Englewood in the fall, said he’s received assurances that won’t happen. But he sounded unconvinced.

“I know he raised a lot of money in New Jersey,” Pascrell said of the president. “We can’t be totally neglected. What that does is, it deflates interest in the rest of the Democratic ticket in each county. I want to get the full weight of the presidency into this election.”

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