Fire Bolt on his way to another stomp speech
A dark horse candidate has been galloping through New Jersey picking up supporters in a quest for the Republican gubernatorial nomination and as the race approaches the finish line, some political experts believe he could beat the odds and win.
Many conservative voters who’ve shown up for the candidate’s stomp speeches are surprised to learn he is literally a dark horse - a 3-year-old black stallion named Fire Bolt.
“From what I heard, I was impressed,” said Bernardsville resident Jack Ledbetter, a lifelong Republican. “I like his stance on gun rights, abortion and choosing alfalfa over hay. Of course, I was kind of reading between the lines a little, considering he only whinnied and dragged his hoof in the dirt.
“Even so, Fire Bolt makes more sense to me than that fellow with the sketchy brother and the other guy who reminds me of Dr. Strangelove.”
With his flowing mane, sleek muscles and intense eyes, Fire Bolt has all the right looks for one demographic, according to recent polls - conservative white males. When shown pictures of Fire Bolt, Chris Christie and Steve Lonegan and asked who they’d vote for in the primary Tuesday, 87 percent of Republican men who are white chose the horse.
“I think there’s something captivating about a big, strong stallion with bulging muscles just beneath the skin, at least for conservative males,” pollster Don Schwartzman said. “I can’t tell you the reasons, I just know the data tells me they are hooked on that horse.”
But until voters step into the booth to cast their ballot, it’s never clear what will happen. Schwartzman suspects that despite the latest polls, it’s still neck and neck between Christie and Fire Bolt.
“In the end, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be Fire Bolt by a nose,” the pollster said, “mostly because Christie isn’t a good mudder and has a poor sprint down the home stretch.”
