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Article: Whitman sampler: how a national GOP star barely survived a difficult re-election challenge for governor. (New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman almost loses to neophyte Democrat Jim McGreevey) (Grand Old Party)
- Article from:
- Campaigns & Elections
- Article date:
- December 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Campaigns & Elections, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Democrat Jim McGreevey, a virtually unknown 40-year-old small-town mayor and first-term state senator, came within 22,000 votes - out of 2.4 million cast - of unseating Gov. Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey.
How did this obscure Mayor of Woodbridge give such a glowing national GOP star the fight of her political life?
Through a well-orchestrated, well-disciplined media strategy, McGreevey effectively framed his message around two quintessential middle-class issues that the patrician Whitman had neglected during her first term - soaring auto insurance rates and property taxes. And, in doing so, McGreevey transformed himself into a middle-class populist ...