Pundits: Senate debate a draw

Pundits have declared Wednesday night’s debate on NJTV between Sen. Bob Menendez and Bob Hugin a draw, and that plays to the senator’s favor.

“There was no win or lose because it really was, more than any other election, about the base and ‘did you do anything to upset your standing,’” Monmouth University pollster Patrick Murray said. “I would say, on the whole, Bob Menendez won because he was ahead and he didn’t do anything that would jeopardize that lead.”

The hour-long debate was largely a rehash of attacks made by either candidates’ campaigns.

But both candidates avoided making any mistakes that could cost them support when voters go head to the polls in less than two weeks.

“They both fired up their supporters and threw red meat to them,” Rebovich Institute Director Micah Rasmussen said. “But in terms of giving anybody an advantage that they can advance them tomorrow that they didn’t have today, I didn’t see anything like that.”

Menendez’s lead – a Rutgers-Eagleton poll released early Wednesday put him five points ahead of Hugin, while the Real Clear Politics polling average puts the senator ahead by 7.7 points – wasn’t the only outside force playing to the senator’s favor, Murray said.

While Menendez was able to jab Hugin over President Donald Trump on any given policy question, Hugin’s attacks over ethics were largely confined to a few questions on the issue that came near the start of the debate.

“There wasn’t a lot on corruption from the moderators, and considering that it really is the one reason we’re talking about Bob Menendez being in trouble here, I thought we’d spend a little bit more time than that,” Murray said. “He still has to pay back the fine or pay the gifts. They really didn’t push him on that.”