3 final things to consider before you vote

While Phil Murphy remains ahead in the polls, stranger upsets have happened. The only certainty about Tuesday's election is we will have a new governor and the name will either be Phil Murphy or Kim Guadagno. You'd better hope for the future of your children it's Kim Guadagno.

Here are three things you should consider before going out to the polls.

One. The economy. Phil Murphy has long tried to tie Chris Christie's record around Kim Guadagno's neck. How many of you work for someone in a situation where you would do so many things differently? Think about that. Then remember Kim Guadagno's main assignment as the first ever Lt. Governor of New Jersey was to help business and grow jobs. How did she perform? When she took the role the unemployment rate here was 9.8% in 2010 and is down to 4.2% now. 281,700 private sector jobs have been created. She had a major hand in all that.

Phil Murphy? Just remember this about Phil Murphy and the economy. The economic collapse of the United States that hit in 2008/2009 ruined a lot of lives. It certainly badly impacted mine. A major puzzle piece to that economic collapse was the subprime mortgage debacle and Goldman Sachs part in it. Phil Murphy was a Goldman Sachs guy. Remember this on Tuesday.

Two. Our security. The NYC terrorist truck attack serves as a good reminder that we are not as safe as we should be. Who is most qualified to protect us? Consider this. Kim Guadagno was a federal prosecutor as well as a sheriff. On top of that she's had 8 years experience as second in command. While Sayfullo Saipov was not an illegal immigrant, it shows where your priorities lie when you speak out against a sanctuary state as Guadagno has done.

Phil Murphy? Wants a sanctuary state, and in a town hall could not give a simple answer to the Jose Carranzo question, an illegal who was guilty of execution style slayings in a Newark schoolyard. Again, Saipov was not an illegal, but Carranzo was, and knowing that he still had no tough words for his position on such matters. Speaking of a lack of tough words, after 8 innocent lives were taken by Saipov on Halloween, what did Murphy call the terrorist? Not a monster. Not a soulless animal. He called him simply a "jerk" and "a bad apple." Is that the kind of tough talk you want in a leader when staring down the threat of terrorism? A jerk is what you call the guy at Wawa who steps in front of you at the register. Not what you call a guy who runs down innocent people screaming Allahu Akbar. If you put "jerk" in a thesaurus, you know what similar words come up? Dope. Nitwit. Numbskull. And blockhead.

Blockhead.

So think about who you want keeping your children safe.

A former federal prosecutor, former sheriff, and two term lieutenant governor?

Or Charlie Brown?

Three. Character. Phil Murphy didn't wow the voters on his way to the primaries with ideas. He wowed the democratic machine with money. Kim Guadagno is not an out of touch millionaire like Murphy and has served the public in various roles far longer. Kim Guadagno was on air with Bill Spadea not long ago when she took a call from a man who's life was being greatly affected by the 2% salary cap. It would have been very easy for her to couch her words in a political way and let him hear what he wanted to hear while still not boxing herself in. She didn't do the easy thing. She was honest with him. And I gained a lot of respect for her that morning.

Phil Murphy? Here's a guy who every time he's asked how he'll pay for his progressive agenda of fully funding pensions, restoring funding to public schools, improving our infrastructure, free community college for all, etc., can never answer the question. He dodges it with banal talk of "growing the economy". Well you can't grow the economy by taxing wealthy businessmen into wanting to move away. Instead of talking in the vaguest terms about "growing the economy it would be nice if he grew a set and answered some question. Character matters, and you're not going to find it in this guy.

I believe the choice is obvious on Tuesday. Vote for Kim Guadagno for governor.

More from New Jersey 101.5