Concerned about Corzine's drinking age comment-how will it have an impact

[Ignacio Upton]

I'm worried about what his gaffe over the drinking age could do to the outcome of the race. Does anyone in New Jersey have an idea of the impact yet? Talking to your friends, maybe? Also, will there be any polls released tomorrow that might show its impact?

[mcscajun]

1. What was the gaffe?

'splain, please, for those of us who've missed it.

[Ignacio Upton]

2. He said that the drinking age should be lowered to 18 based

on the fact that people can go off and fight overseas should have the right to alcohol. However, he said that he did not know what the actual drinking age in NJ was. Not considering his performance, Corzine has consistently supported keeping the drinking age where it is, but his gaffe is something akin to Gerald Ford's "Poland is not under the influence of the Soviet Union" gaffe against Jimmy Carter in 1976.

[mcscajun]

3. Well, admittedly he probably should know the age before he opens his

mouth on the subject, but I'll wager that unless you're close to the drinking age, a parent of someone who is, or work in a bar, you probably don't know either, or care.

I only know because I went to bartender's school, where I learned that if you're between 18 and 21 you can serve alcohol, but not consume it. :)

When you're as old as I am (four years younger than Corzine) you really don't pay attention to the drinking age at all. It's just not on the radar.

I'm going to wager this gaffe doesn't impact his vote count a bit.

[Ignacio Upton]

4. Well, it depends on how much Forrester talks about it

And how much the voters hear about.

[I_Make_Mistakes]

5. I thought the absence of both candidates in their ads was a question.

Why would you not appear in your own ad, well, Corzine did, Forrester didn't. It made me wonder, what is wring with them. I watched C-Span, so, I knew Corzine, but Forrester's wife had to define him, huh?

Just a weird thing, I watched F's wife tonight and something was wrong with the ad, I want to say her voice didn't match the visual voice (if so, very slight), or her facial expressions didn't. Something was off on the visual/voice, I couldn't tell what!

[LynneSin]

6. If anything I think this would boost him

First, this isn't a state filled with holy-rollers, it's a pretty liberal state. Second, they have a major economy based on the consumption of alcohol at beach related establishments. Changing the drinking age to 18 would only boost their tourism revenue and bring desparately needed cash into the economy and budget.

Finally, what he said wasn't a gaffe - it's the truth. If someone is old enough to serve our country at war well by golly he should be allowed to legally have a beer too!

[NNadir]

7. Well it is amazing that people are considered responsible enough

to kill other people at 18, but not responsible enough to drink alcohol until they are 21.

This was an issue in the Vietnam era with respect to the voting age, which was lowered to 18. Many Americans were being drafted and killed without the choice to vote.

If they do not lower the drinking age, and perhaps they shouldn't, then they should raise the enlistment age.

[I_Make_Mistakes]

9. I agree, they should raise the enlistment age! That 3 yr. difference

is a major growth spurt (mentally, not necessarily physically) for all involved.

The reason they increased, both PA and NJ (a resident of both states) was so that 16yr olds , weren't drinking (yes, I was in bars at 16, as well as everyone of my friends).

I truly believe as I watch the reports of our dead in Iraq, that it is the ignorance of youth (it won't happen to me) that guided their decision to join the forces. I, particularly focus on their ages, which, I think of my maturity at 21yrs. old sickens my heart!

[Jersey Ginny]

8. It was a mistake, but how can these candidates be anything but exhausted

I hope people give him a break and look at his record of standing up for ordinary Americans.