CNBC's Larry Kudlow conducts a spirited exchange with Tim Pawlenty about the barn-burner in New Jersey.
KUDLOW: Chris Christie in New Jersey has not had a tax-cutting plan. The guy has blown a 15 pt lead against Governor Jon Corzine. Does that not suggest that when the Republicans depart from the supply-side they go nowhere but down?
PAWLENTY: Well, I think Chris Christie's still gonna win that race, Larry. New Jersey's tough for a Republican even in a decent year, so don't count him out yet, and he's someone I think you would see as a tax-cutter and a fiscal disciplinarian.
KUDLOW: ..... I come back to Chris Christie. I don't wanna pick on him, but gee whiz golly, he should have been easily, I mean, New Jersey is the highest taxed state along with New York and California. I don't hear it coming out of the Senate, I don't hear it coming out of the House.
Can you lead on this question, sir?
PAWLENTY: Well, there's no question, but keep in mind, there's a 3rd party candidate in that race so the majority of people are not voting for the status quo in New Jersey but for change. Chris Christie will make the case and close the case....
KUDLOW: [interrupting] ... but that's because Christie gave him an opening. I don't wanna obsess this race, but I know you're a senior official in the Republican Governor's Association and this is a big race, but golly, it just seems he should have closed that independent down. He should've closed Corzine down.
