The Star Ledger - A Smarter Choice

News Article

Mark Di Ionno

Chris Daggett is a trim guy and he needed every bit of that trimness as he all but ran the two-mile route of Monday's South Plainfield Labor Day parade.

Actually, it was more like a 10K for Daggett, and his wife, Bea, as they worked sidewalk to sidewalk to shake hands and hand out brochures.

This is life for an independent candidate. Hustle to get your name known and your platform heard. In the past, those platforms were usually from leftfield or right, and the candidates were little more than footnotes in the final tally.

But this year, it's a little different.

There's a lot of anger out there.

Nationally, it's the high-volume rhetoric of partisan politics that has made voters feel the country is all but stagnant on major issues like health care and energy. The economy still hurts in places like South Plainfield, where financial sector bailout money is slow to trickle down.

“We're not getting anything done,” said Joseph Murano, one of the first people Daggett met on the parade route. “The government isn't taking care of business. It's not taking care of the country. They're only out for their political parties.”

In New Jersey, it's taxes, taxes, taxes. The nation's highest property taxes, with no solutions in sight.

On Monday, along the parade route, many people said they were ready for change.

In the past, an independent candidate would be almost invisible in the two-party race. This year, as Chris Daggett ran from curb to curb, people thanked him for running.

“Hello, Governor!” Mickey Gawlor said as he met Daggett.

“Thank you for giving us a choice!” Irene Wall said.

“Thank you for doing this,” echoed Betty Jane Tingley.

In the past, a vote for an independent was seen as a wasted vote. This year, some say it will send a message.

Jennifer Corsello, whose little boy, Patrick, shook hands with the candidate, said, “I don't think it's a wasted vote. Hey, maybe he'll win. I think people want a change.”

“I think a lot of people want a change, so I think he has a chance,” Diane Kanca said.

This “chance for change” is something Daggett is banking on.

“This state is ready for solutions that are not beholden to party interests, special interests, or re-election interests,” Daggett said. “I have solutions, and I can't tell how freeing it is to talk to people honestly and forthrightly about the problems we face.”

While the other candidate camps seem focused on driving records and off-the-books loans, Daggett is out talking about things like the public pension mess to people in and out of the system.

“Brendan Byrne has a great line: ‘If you live in New Jersey, and you're not getting something for nothing, you're not getting your fair share.' It's meant to be funny, but there's a certain truth to it. I've spent the entire campaign going from group to group — CWA, local leaders, teachers, firemen, policemen — talking about how everybody has to give a little on public salary structures, health benefits and pensions. And you know what? They get it. They just want fairness. They say they accept cuts if they go across the board.”

To Daggett's point, he met two people at the parade yesterday who said they will vote for him. One woman asked for a campaign sign to put on her lawn. But both did not want to give their names because they worked in “public jobs.”

“And I'm in a very Democrat-controlled town,” said the man.

Frank Esposito, the Kean University history professor who is Daggett's running mate, said “the third option” is becoming more attractive than in any other time in recent American politics.

“What we represent is not business as usual. It's amazing how many people are interested in hearing what Chris has to say.”

And so Daggett took advantage of his parade placement to get this message out. Governor Corzine was up front, walking with the elected officials of South Plainfield behind the high school band and twirlers. Chris Christie was about a hundred feet back, behind the Salaam Band Strummers. Daggett was further back still, in front of Spongebob and a tractor-trailer carrying Girl Scouts. What started out as a simple march quickly turned into a sprint as people called to him.

“The enthusiasm I saw today has me completely energized,” he said. “I'm in this to win.”

And if Daggett dares to dream big, so are some of the people who are thinking of supporting him.

“If he won, it would change the political landscape of this country,” said Murano. “The Republicans and Democrats would have to take notice.”

On Monday, he was behind them, so he went unnoticed by the Big Two as he went from sidewalk to sidewalk. There were times when so many hands came toward him, he slowed down the parade. The driver of the Girl Scout tractor leaned on the horn, and Daggett would hustle to keep up.

At one point near Spring Lake Park, the rest of the parade was so far in front, and the Girl Scouts were so far behind, Daggett had the whole middle to himself.

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