EDITOR'S NOTE: Here is another periodic observation of happenings in the governor's race.

Jack Ciattarelli is convinced he's gaining momentum.

He appeared recently on the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, where he got an overwhelmingly favorable response.

How favorable?

When he called in, one of the hosts said Ciattarelli was trying to keep the state from falling into "communist hands."

Most talk radio is very right wing, so such comments are not unusual.

This show in question is heard locally on WOR but is national in scope. If "Team Jack" is looking for campaign cash from around the country, it is worth appearing on a show like this.

Ciattarelli, more or less, offered his standard campaign points about being a "Jersey Guy" and, as of late, slamming Mikie Sherrill for revelations contained in her recently-released Naval Academy records.

The upshot here is that Sherrill did not participate in the 1994 graduation ceremonies after she refused to identify suspected cheaters. This was the year of a well-publicized cheating scandal at the Academy.

To some, not "snitching" on your classmates is a very understandable position.

But during his radio interview, Ciattarelli went further.

"We believe it's for lying," he said. He meant to investigators.

In fairness, there is no objective information that supports that claim.

A larger issue here, perhaps, is the inappropriate release of Sherrill's files, which included her Social Security number and other personnel data. The National Archives, in fact, officially apologized for the mistake.

That was not brought up on the radio show.

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What Ciattarelli did bring up was Sherrill's answer at the Sept. 21 debate about raising the sales tax, which is now 6.625 percent.

Ciattarelli said he would not raise the tax.

Sherrill's answer was a bit more nuanced. She said she did not want to commit herself one way or another.

In the radio interview, Ciattarelli called this an "astonishing moment." And more so, he said, because Sherrill has accused him of wanting to increase the sales tax to 10 percent, which he denies.

Actually, Sherrill's position - policy wise - is quite lucid. A new governor has no idea what's going to happen, and there are times when one must consider all options.

But in terms of politics, that was not a good moment for Sherrill.

* * *

Team Mikie was paying close attention to the debate as well.

The candidates were also asked about vaccines. Only in these polarized times has preventing children from getting serious diseases become a political issue.

Ciattarelli said he supports vaccination and, more broadly, would do nothing to harm children.

Not so fast.

The Sherrill campaign in a recent social media post condemns Ciattarelli for attending a "health freedom" gala in Hazlet that featured anti-vaccine conspiracists.

It said this:

"Rallying with Scott Presler, support from anti-abortion organizations, and now sharing the stage with an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist?

You are the (right-wing extremist) company you keep, Jack."

Just for the record, news reports of the event say one of the speakers, a doctor, has asserted that the COVID vaccine can "magnetize" patients. (You really can't make it up).

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The lieutenant governor's debate between Democrat Dale Caldwell and Republican James Gannon is Tuesday night. You can watch it at 7 p.m. on WPIX, Channel 11.