SPENDING HUGE SUMS ON NEGATIVE ADS WORKS: Walter Shapiro on the New Jersey governor’s race. “Even with a generous state program that matches campaign donations, Daggett will end up spending less than $2 million. Corzine, in contrast, is expected to exceed the $40-million mark.” If the parties were reversed, we’d be seeing a lot of chin-tugging analysis about the evils of money in politics.

Plus this: “The Obama campaign’s 2008 mantra of hope will have absolutely no connection with anything that will happen in the cynical precincts of New Jersey politics.”