And then there’s New Jersey – I must admit (again) that I’m completely vexed by the Senate race in New Jersey between Republican Tom Kean Jr. and Democrat Bob Menendez. A month ago, when a federal investigation was announced against Menendez, I thought it was an easy pick-up for the GOP. But the polls haven’t budged at all and it looks like a hold for the Dems right now. I don’t know what Junior is doing wrong, but this line from a Slate profile suggests he may not have the gravitas for the job: “Almost everyone I talked to said they were planning to vote for him. I couldn't tell whether he had left a lasting impression or whether they were saying they'd vote for him out of kindness, an act of hospitality due an outsider who had come to visit the neighborhood.”