Late yesterday Scott Rasmussen released his latest poll of the gubernatorial race in New Jersey and so far it’s anybody’s guess who is going to prevail. This one is going to be a classic nail-biter. Unfortunately, in those contests it is usually the Democrat who prevails, thanks to voter fraud and the untiring efforts of the folks at ACORN.

How would you rate the job Barack Obama has been doing as President… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?

38% Strongly approve
17% Somewhat approve
10% Somewhat disapprove
34% Strongly disapprove
1% Not sure

How would you rate the job Jon Corzine has been doing as Governor… do you strongly approve, somewhat approve, somewhat disapprove, or strongly disapprove of the job he’s been doing?

20% Strongly approve
21% Somewhat approve
14% Somewhat disapprove
44% Strongly disapprove
1% Not sure

2009 New Jersey Governor’s Race - Candidates for NJ Governor

Chris Christie (R)……46%
Jon Corzine (D)……..43%
Chris Daggett (I)……..8%
Not sure………………..3%

Which gubernatorial candidate do you trust more on taxes….Chris Christie or Jon Corzine?

44% Christie
35% Corzine
13% Daggett
9% Not sure

[W]hich candidate do you trust more to cut government spending?

46% Christie
28% Corzine
12% Daggett
14% Not sure

[W]hich candidate is more likely to crack down on government corruption…Chris Christie or Jon Corzine?

44% Christie
32% Corzine
14% Daggett
10% Not sure

NOTE: Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence

Perhaps these less than exciting numbers are what may have driven the Christie campaign to an act of ultimate RINO desperation:according to a breaking story at CWA, courtesy of my good friend Michael Illions:

In what could be seen as an act of reaching out to the Conservative voters in New Jersey, who may very well decide this race for or against Christie, the Christie campaign has asked Steve Lonegan to join Chris at a event on Saturday at the Historic Courthouse of Flemington, in Hunterdon County @ 3:00pm.

Too little, too late? Or just in time? Only each Conservative voter can decide that. But Steve had the opportunity to reject the invitation and that in itself would have sent a very clear message. But he didn’t. Lonegan accepted the invitation to appear with Christie at this rally in what will be the final 72 hours before the polls open.

Does this change anything for those of you who are not supporting Christie. Does this appearance by Lonegan with Christie 3 days before the election send a signal that Conservatives should put their discomfort with Christie aside and vote for him?

This pretty much confirms that not only will Lonegan will be voting for Christie, but endorses him. With the race this close, the fate of this candidacy truly rests in Conservatives coming home on Tuesday and supporting the Republican candidate.

Is 4 more years of Corzine worth Christie losing? Is it better to have a seat at the table then not be invited at all, and have to wait 4 more years to find a Conservative candidate, just to be held at bay anyway by the Establishment?

This can be taken as a show of force for the Conservative movement by Steve Lonegan and a Christie win will give Conservatives the edge in keeping this candidate Conservative.

What do you all think about this late development?

Lonegan’s decision makes perfect sense, Michael.

In the event Christie were to lose the election, the bony finger of accusation would be pointed in Lonegan’s direction for refusing to endorse the Michelin Man or come to his assistance.

I suspect that since June 2 Lonegan has been playing a game of “endorsement chicken” with the Christie campaign: he never offered and they never asked. Apparently the poll numbers rattled them so badly they flinched and begged Lonegan to come in at the last minute.

Either way, Lonegan comes out a winner. If Christie loses, nobody can blame the former Mayor and Lonegan can say: “I did what I could when asked to but there is only so much you can do for the worst-run campaign in state history. If the establishment had only come to me sooner…”

On the other hand, if Christie wins, Lonegan can claim credit for dragging the RINO over the finish line, saying “See, the conservative base pulled through and saved your flabby ass. Now you owe us.”

In light of the fact that the NJ economy will continue to tank even after Christie takes office and the state will be in an economic shambles by then, it appears that Steve Lonegan is laying the groundwork for another primary run in 2014.

Nothing about these events surprises me.