Daggett denies casting rumors

PISCATAWAY— The Daggett for Governor campaign today denied reports that Richard Dreyfuss would play Jon Corzine, and that John Goodman would take on the role of Chris Christie in the soon-to-be-released Daggett for Governor commercial.
“Despite the 2-for-1 magic of public financing, we just could not afford to hire actors of Dreyfuss’ stature or Goodman’s girth,” said Tom Johnson, campaign spokesman.

“We wanted to get Jon Corzine to play himself, but we knew he wouldn’t be available until at least October 22. In fact, based on his campaign’s public statements, we weren’t sure if he would be available until November 4. While we do not believe that he – or Chris Christie, for that matter – will be particularly busy after the voters speak on November 3, we felt that would be a bit late for a campaign ad.

“We also thought about letting Chris Christie play himself, but we felt Jon Corzine was giving him more than enough prime time exposure,” Johnson said.

Politickernj.com’s Wally Edge column broke the news last week that a casting call had been issued seeking Corzine and Christie look-alikes for the first Daggett for Governor commercial, which will be the first aired by an independent candidate for governor in New Jersey, The politickernj.com item sparked a flurry of calls last week from print and radio reporters seeking information about the ad.

Political consultant Michael Murphy complimented the reported Daggett strategy, noting on New Jersey Network’s “On the Record with Michael Aron” last weekend that he had used the same concept to critical acclaim.

For a sneak preview of the ad, please submit your email or use the comment box below. An invitation will be sent when the commercial becomes available.