5th District contenders Garrett, Gussen Square off at Temple Beth Haverim Shir Shalom in Mahwah

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5th District contenders Garrett, Gussen Square off at Temple Beth Haverim Shir Shalom in Mahwah
October 8, 2012
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ , Democratic challenger Adam Gussen deputy mayor of Teaneck tried Sunday to take advantage of his only face-to-face debate with incumbent Rep. Scott Garrett in voter-rich Bergen County by criticizing Garrett’s votes on economic and government social programs.

While Garrett focused his barbs mainly at President Obama and ignored the challenger, who is largely unknown in a redrawn 5th District and has struggled to raise money or gain any traction .

The debate was not carried on TV or radio,with only about 100 people or so in attendance , most were supporters of either candidate.

Gussen, who is the deputy mayor of Teaneck, tried in vain at one point to get Garrett to focus on the challenger in the room instead of Democrats in Washington: “I’m not President Obama, and there’s no empty chair for Clint Eastwood to talk to, either.”

Gussen is viewed as mostly as an “Obamabot” other than his doubts about the administration’s policy toward Iran, Gussen’s own positions mirrored those of Obama and other Democrats. Garrett is viewed as the quintessential conservative share many of the same positions as Mitt Romney .

While Garrett’s detractors continually attack him for being out of touch and far too “conservative” for left leaning Bergen county , voters disagree by voting Garrett in by landslides even in very “liberal” towns like Ridgewood.

Gussen while no gaff prone Joe Biden , he seems to be out of ideas other than the very tried , “evil Republics are all for rich people ” ,given by most standards Bergen county is full of those same “rich people” , who seem to vote Democrat , and love the president Obama .