New Jersey politics is never pointed to as a good example of American democracy. New Jersey is liberal, with frequent corruption, and is strongly Democratic in politics.

Democrat Gov. Jon Corzine was not only entrenched as the incumbent governor, but had the big campaign money advantage, too. He spent $23 million on his re-election campaign, compared with $11 million spent by Republican challenger Chris Christie.

But Mr. Christie had gained statewide recognition as a prosecutor who had succeeded in convicting 130 — count ’em — crooked officials without losing a case.

Still, he had an uphill race that was not decided except by a hair after the last votes were counted. Mr. Christie barely won — the first Republican to win a statewide race in New Jersey in over a dozen years.

Why did he win? The biggest issue Gov.-elect Christie traveled on was his call for smaller government. State joblessness is running at 9.8 percent, and state property taxes average a staggering $7,045 per household.

Gov.-elect Christie won about 49 percent of the vote to Gov. Corzine’s 44 percent, with independent Chris Daggett taking 6 percent.

Will unemployment, high taxes and big spending be the big issues in our next national elections, as they were in this one?