Partisans on both sides of the aisle are not going to like the way Governor Chris Christie, who had tepidly endorsed his opponent, embraced and reveled in Cory Booker’s election to the U.S. Senate. Offering bear hugs, the governor said “I’m happy for the mayor and his victory” and that was “really proud” of Booker. What’s clear is that these two gentlemen genuinely like each other and think that highlighting their productive relationship is mutually beneficial to their respective political careers. With his own reelection effort only a couple of weeks away, Gov. Christie was only too happy to show off his willingness to work across the political divide. Getting the endorsement of the popular governor works for Booker, too, as it helps him broaden his appeal.
Yet, Democrats are grumbling that such displays are unhelpful to state Sen. Barbara Buono’s campaign against Christie. And one can only imagine what Republican activists are thinking about Christie’s future campaign for president.
And Christie has been good for workers, how? It doesn’t surprise me that Booker and Christie get along. Elites love their fellow elites.
Yet, Democrats are grumbling that such displays are unhelpful to state Sen. Barbara Buono’s campaign against Christie.
And wasting $20 to $30 million the process because he’s actually afraid of Booker.
Both observations seem to be expressed in a semi-coherent fashion.
What are you trying to say?
As you know, Christie scheduled the Booker election yesterday instead of waiting 3 weeks. Costing the state the above stated money. Why? It just goes to show he’s not a fiscal conservative for one. And it tells me he’s afraid of Booker helping cut into his margin of victory.
I’m a Democrat, and I live in NJ, and the idea that Christie might be the GOP nominee in 2016 actually makes me pretty nervous. He’s been able to govern the state from the right while maintaining good relationships with Dem politicians and not generally enraging a very blue electorate. I just hope the Republican primary voters grade him on style instead of substance and choose Santorum or something.
Think about the treatment Huntsman got in 2012. Hell, “I” might have voted for him if he got the nomination, he was saying so many of the right things. But he didn’t pass the purity test because he had worked for Obama as Ambassador to China, and that defiled him.
Christie has to first make it through the primaries. He is as “dirty” as Huntsman is, because he saw fit to put politics aside and actually, you know, work with our President for the good of his constituency after Sandy trashed his state. Getting tight with Booker won’t help him one bit in the GOP primary.
Unless the GOP primary isn’t the usual cast of miscreants and snake oil men and women. And what’s the chances of that?
Obama defanged Huntsman as a possible political opponent by appointing him ambassador. He defanged Petraeus the same way , appointing him to CIA. I predict we will be seeing more pictures of Obama and Christie “working together”. I wonder if Christie is smart enough to try to steer clear of that trap. It may be too late for him already.
Christie might be thinking long term. Even in the best scenario, defeating a possible Hillary Clinton candidacy – now that she has made amends with the Democratic base – is a tall order for even the best republican candidate. He’s probably guessing (and rightly, in my opinion) that the current hard-conservative wave of Republican politics will probably die by 2020, and certainly by 2024. And besides, he still needs to govern.
When did this happen? She did fine in service to Obama but no way, no how do I want to see her as POTUS.
The Southern and Western delegations will never elect a moderate from the Northeast. Especially one who has said favorable things about Obama and Booker. The latter will especially enrage the Southern primary voters.
Hit “enter” accidentally.
He could campaign as the only one who could stop Hillary. Amazingly, the Tea Party hates Hillary even more than Obama. Maybe that translates as “The Tea Party fears Hillary more than Obama.” In their racism, they really feel that Obama is incompetent in their heart of hearts. They feel superior because their skin is lighter (don’t laugh! it’s true). But they fear Hillary because they KNOW she is competent. Listen to them talk about her. They will call her a murderer, a master conspirator, and all manner of sexist names of which the B word is the least objectionable, but they never call her silly or stupid. In their heart of hearts they KNOW she is smarter and tougher than they are. And that grinds them up.
I would be willing to fall down and worship Hillary if only she was as far Left as Republicans think.
Wasn’t Romney a moderate from the Northeast who designed ObamaCare?
In the primaries he emphasized his Michigan roots. And to a Repub, Romneycare was vastly different from Obamacare. Why? Just because.
Is Christie gambling that the GOP fever will break before 2016 or has he decided that 2016 is not his year? Or does he have the illusion that he can run a bipartisan centrist campaign and win against Hillary?
Arrgh! Replied in the wrong thread!
Here is is again:
Ah, I guess it doesn’t bother me.
Or rather, this was already priced into my expectations.