EDISON – The day ended with Jill Biden, the first lady, dancing on stage along with Phil and Tammy Murphy and Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver.

That followed a procession of speakers from bottom to top so to speak.

The first was Sam Joshi who’s running for mayor of Edison; the last was Biden.

In between came Democratic party officials, state legislators and local congressman Frank Pallone. All that led up to Murphy and Biden.

Speakers at political rallies tend to mush together. After all, everyone kind of says the same thing.

But give Murphy credit for getting to the point.

“Our team is bigger than their team,” he said.

So if his team votes reasonably well, the Dems win easily. If not, it will become, as Murphy said, a “coin toss.”

There you have it – everything you need to know about Nov. 2.

The Democrats have almost a 1.1 million voter registration advantage, so the election is theirs to lose.

It is acknowledged that Republicans are more enthusiastic. That’s understandable with the party that wants to remove an incumbent.

So Friday’s event at Middlesex College, and certainly next Saturday’s planned event in Newark with Barack Obama, are designed to drum up interest.

So, speaker after speaker told the audience to take nothing for granted and reminded people how they can vote.

More options now, of course, than there used to be. Besides going to the polls the traditional way on Nov. 2, there is vote by mail and for the first time in New Jersey, early voting, which begins Oct 23.

It’s worth asking the question if the Murphy camp sees the race closer than it appears to the public, The last poll gave Murphy a solid, 9-point lead over Jack Ciattarelli.

That’s one possibility.

Another possibility is the belief campaigns should be run like you’re 10 points behind. Or as Saily Avelenda, the executive director of the state Democratic Committee, said at an event the other night in Denville, the goal is not just to win, but to get a mandate.

The first lady for her part told the 250 or so people in attendance to “make a plan” to vote. And she said of Murphy, “He’s going to fight for you and your family every single day.”

The governor who strives to make a Jersey connection all the time recalled seeing Jill Biden at the White House a few months ago at a dinner honoring the departing German chancellor  Angela Merkel. Murphy said among the musical numbers played that evening were Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark.

Jill Biden then appeared on stage to Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer.

Oh well, it’s the thought that counts.