Incumbent U.S. Senator Bob Menendez would beat GOP State Senator Joe Kyrillos by double-digits in the election were held today according to the latest Fairleigh Dickinson University-Public Mind poll.

Senator Bob Menendez
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That doesn't necessarily mean voters are sold on Menendez because the results also reveal New Jersey voters are clearly craving an alternative, any alternative.

43% of voters would cast a ballot for the Menendez, a Democrat while 33% say they'd vote for Kyrillos. Another 23% say they're not sure whom they would pick. Democrats pick their party man by 78-2 and Republicans default to theirs by 72-11. Independents split between the two, but with a plurality of 42% unsure.

Here's the rub, if the election were held today, Menendez would lose to someone else. He gets just 30% of the vote compared to 37% for someone else. In fact, against someone else, Menendez gets just 44% of Democratic voters, while 23% cross over to vote for his opponent. Independents prefer someone else by 41-16 and Republicans break for someone else by 63-13.

"Most voters think someone else is a nearly ideal candidate," explains Peter Woolley. "They say someone else is refreshing, straightforward, honest, and represents the true interests of ordinary people. Someone else is almost always more popular. Someone else is a better dresser. Someone else gets the hot stock tips. Someone else gets promotions and pay raises too. Someone else even wins the lottery."

The poll did not ask about anyone else. "Asking about anyone else would be ridiculous," says Woolley. "Anyone else may not even be eligible to run."

Someone else does have a downside. "Someone else seems to have a troubled domestic life," opines Woolley. "Someone else always leaves dishes in the sink, lets the dog get out, and chips the paint on your brand new car," said Woolley. "Someone else is also reputed to have broken up more than a few marriages."

The poll of 800 registered voters statewide was conducted by telephone using both landlines and cell phones from Mar. 5 through Mar. 11, 2012, and has a margin of error of +/-3.5 percentage points. At random, half of respondents were asked their preference between Menendez and Kyrillos, and half between Menendez and "someone else

 

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