newjerseynewsroom.com

An end of summer poll provides the answer

BY TOM HESTER SR.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Do New Jerseyans prefer Jersey tomatoes or Jersey corn?

The answer is — by a large majority — tomatoes.

A majority of residents (52 percent) say they prefer tomatoes, while 30 percent prefer corn. Another 15 percent say they cannot make a choice, claiming they find both tasty and delicious.

And get this, Republicans prefer tomatoes and Democrats prefer corn.

The victory of tomatoes over corn came in a Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released on Thursday.

“We were stunned to find such a preference for tomatoes,” Prof. David Redlawsk, the poll’s director, said. “The Garden State is justifiably famous for both, but New Jerseyans of all stripes say tomatoes beat corn. The strong preference for tomatoes may also explain why it is the New Jersey state vegetable, even though it is a fruit.”

Since this is New Jersey, it doesn’t take much to make to find a political angle to the tomato versus corn debate.

Republicans prefer tomatoes more strongly than Democrats by a 34-point to eight-point margin. Independents lean Republican, with a tomato margin of 27 points. Conservatives also favor tomatoes by a whopping 59 percent to 21 percent, with 17 percent ambivalent.

Voters for Gov. Chris Christie in 2009 like tomatoes, 57 percent to 23 percent. Supporters of former Gov. Jon Corzine choose tomatoes, 48 percent to 34 percent.

“If we understood why Democrats and Republicans differ on how much they like corn, we might have a better handle on New Jersey politics,” Redlawsk said. “As it is, the differences seem to be driven primarily by young people and African-Americans, who not only are more likely to be Democrats, but who apparently have more interest in corn than the average voter.”

Residents of South Jersey and the shore counties are most likely to prefer tomatoes; corn comes closer in urban and exurban (northwest) areas of the state.

“We seem to see a North Jersey-South Jersey split,” Redlawsk said, noting that while South Jersey and shore county residents prefer tomatoes by a 31-point margin, those living in urban areas favor tomatoes by only 15 points. Exurban residents are even more split, favoring tomatoes by just 12 points.

Tomatoes may have an advantage in South Jersey, since they may have been first introduced on the steps of the Salem County Courthouse in 1820 by Col. Robert Given Johnson. Redlawsk said that could help explain why residents south of Route 195 really seem to love their tomatoes.

Men and women have similar preferences, although the former are slightly more likely to prefer corn, 32 percent to 28 percent. Women, however, are a little more likely to say that they cannot choose a favorite by 17 percent to 13 percent.

“Since tomatoes are generally quicker and easy to use, we may find it easier to make tomatoes part of our lives, compared to corn, which usually needs to be cooked,” Redlawsk said. “However, as several people pointed out, sweet corn right out of the field can be eaten raw and is delicious. But my guess is fewer people have ready access to fields of sweet corn.”