New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will spend the weekend considering whether to declare his candidacy for president. Should he enter the GOP race, he will have committed one of the biggest flip-flops ever, and many Americans will be asking, "What changed?"
For months the governor has been adamant that he will not run for the White House in 2012. Up to now the governor has repeatedly said on television, "I am not ready to be president." Should he declare his candidacy, he will be seeing that soundbite in a lot of campaign commercials.
But now what has changed is the intensity with which supporters and some leading party members are clamoring for him to enter the race. It seems that many Republicans are not happy with their existing field of candidates.
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has retaken the top spot in some polls of declared GOP candidates. A recent Fox News poll shows his support at 23 percent, which is about where it was two months ago. Despite his strong debate performances and tireless campaigning, Romney has not been able to win over most Republicans. It seems that "RomneyCare," his track record of changing positions on key issues and the fact he is a Mormon are all dragging him down among conservative party members.
Following his announcement in August, Texas Governor Rick Perry surged in polls to a commanding lead among Republican candidates. He quickly became the darling of conservatives and Tea Party members. But a series of poor debate performances and increased scrutiny of his record has rocked his campaign and dampened enthusiasm for his candidacy.
Businessman Herman Cain got a bump up to third place in this week's polls following his solid debate performance in Orlando, Florida. But his "9-9-9" plan for the American economy is more of a clever marketing pitch than a realistic solution to this nation's woes. Meanwhile, the rest of the field is mired in single digits and none are likely get their party's nomination.
Republicans believe they can defeat President Barack Obama in 2012, the number one priority of the party since he was elected. Whoever gets the nomination will campaign against the president's economic record, his health care reform act and his inability to end partisan politics in Washington. Their only dilemma is finding the right candidate.
So many key Republicans are pressuring Governor Christie because they believe he can unite the party and win over independent voters. The governor has only been if office two years, but he has received a lot of attention because of his straight-talking, brash style. Critics call him a bully. The governor has taken on the teachers' unions and he has balanced two budgets after eliminating huge deficits by working with a Democratic majority in the New Jersey legislature.
But is the governor ready for relentless national scrutiny? The unemployment rate in New Jersey is 9.5 percent, above the national rate, and the state's economy is struggling. The governor has no experience in foreign affairs and few, if any, relationships with international leaders.
Meanwhile, late night comedians are already making fun of the governor's weight. David Letterman reported to his audience, " [Critics] are saying he doesn't have the fire in his belly... his supporters say that's all he doesn't have in his belly... " And political columnists are also raising the weight issue. Take Michael Kinsley, "I'm sorry, but New Jersey Governor Chris Christie cannot be president: He is just too fat." Will Governor Christie's weight be too much of a distraction? Will he be able to conduct a rigorous campaign?
Meanwhile, conservatives are not going to be happy with some of the governor's positions. On gun control the governor has said New Jersey has a "handgun problem" and that he supports some gun-control measures. On immigration he has said that being in the country without proper papers is an "administrative matter," not a crime. When critics howled because the governor appointed a Muslim lawyer to be a New Jersey Superior Court judge, he snapped, "I'm tired of dealing with the crazies."
Running for president is incredibly difficult, and a candidate has to go all out to have a chance of winning. But will Governor Christie be able to run for president and run New Jersey at the same time?
If he chooses to run for president, Governor Christie will have to answer questions regarding his background, his performance in office, his weight and his positions on key issues. Perhaps Governor Christie should carefully reconsider his own words, "I am not ready to be president."
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HE IS NOOOOOO LEADER !!!!!
But Christie's corpulence isn't the real problem with this man. He's arrogant, boastful, and filled with contempt for average income citizens. Christie has lots of money, so he can send his kids to nice private schools, while he gloats about cutting funds for our public schools.
Christie does the bidding of the very wealthy and in return, they give him gobs of money for his "campaign expenses".
But the worst thing about Christie isn't his slovenly appearance, nor his bullying, smirking attitude: it's the corruption of his administration.
Christie uses state resources---like expensive helicopters---for his personal pleasure. He burns through taxpayer dollars to benefit his friends and business associates with cushy patronage jobs and sweetheart contracts.
Most recently, Christie gave a very lucrative "contract" to his former client and close friend, to provide "Educational Consulting Services". And every dime of "Christie's Gift" comes from the taxpayers of New Jersey.
Christie acts "tough", and talks a good game about being "fiscally conservative" but it's a ruse. He's playing with public money and engaging in "Quid Pro Quo" with his wealthy backers.
I was initially attracted to Christie, because he seemed to be "different" and "independent", but it didn't take long for me to realize I was taken in by this media-generated hype.
I don't trust Christie anymore.
1) two years and no national experience. - first he's pretty smart. He'll be able to learn as he campaigns, which is what people often do. The fact that he only has two years as gov isn't a detriment, O had two as a senator and he crushed the GOP. People don't want to hear about experience and O is the last person to raise the issue.
2) style. He is a bully. That is what people want. See, O isn't a bully and people mistake aggression with conviction, bullying with courage, and looking tough with actually being tough. But people keep asking, why isn't O fighting more. Christie is the anti O and that sells.
3) forget his previous statements they have no bearing on the campaign.
4) Weight. I don't think he can actually do it. Camapigning is tough work. He couldn't walk from a helicopter to his sons little league game. He had to be driven. He can't actually do it right now. And 18 hour days on the campaign are typical.
5) He will not be re-elected in NJ. The reality is that he should run, just like Scott Brown should run, because there is no chance of re-election.
6) he can't win NJ or any northeast state. So his value on the bottom of the ticket is minimal. It is top or bust. He and Marco Rubio would have a chance to realign the map.
Christie was a Morris County freeholder and was defeated for re-election after one term. But, because of Christie's work as a top fundraiser for George W. Bush's 2000 campaign, Karl Rove appointed Christie U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, despite Christie's lack of criminal law experience or any type of notable academic or legal achievements. It was clearly just a political appointment; a "payback" for helping Bush fund his first run for the White House.
Now, yes, there are some people who "want a bully". But not most. Most people are turned off by someone who screams in their face, acts arrogantly and boastful, likes to intimidate and thinks he can scare people into doing whatever he demands. This type of thing can work initially---"Hey, here's a different kind of politician, one who tells it the way it is, and that's refreshing. I kinda like this guy."---but that kind of attention fades over time.
The more people learn about Chris Christie and the more they experience his abrasive voice, his vicious words, his pushy demeanor and his arrogant, smug attitude, the less they'll like him.
And, after a few weeks---as with Rick Perry---people will start asking, "Was this the guy we were so hot for? Why?"
He's not. Get real. In fact, Christie epitomizes everything that's wrong with most elected officials today: wealthy, detached from the experience of average income people, arrogant, pushy, and firmly in the pocket of the richest 1% of the country, who easily persuaded Christie to veto a tax exclusively on millionaires, withdraw from clean energy programs, cut public school funding and go after the pensions of working people.
Um, no. He will not. Seriously, why are 80,000,000 denials not clear enough? Is there nothing that the man can do or say to make "no" more understandable? He's not running, oh dissatisfied conservatives and bored pundits everywhere. So stop pretending like he MIGHT if only one more column is written about it.
Let Samuel Pickwick's "Twin" jump into the GOP TP Crab Cauldron, so the speculation (Josef Goebbles style Lie) will be over.
Then we can finally move on and see all of the other Crabs sent to :Palookaville! Then we can also see, Christy "In Action".
Is he:
A) Really a "Bully" towards Women and others who ask questions he doesn't like, or suffering from Pre Metabolic Condition with up and down blood glucose levels that affects his answers?
B) Does he have a "Real" Vision for the USA or only one that reflects that of his GOP TP and JBS
"Bosses". Is he a Real "Bootlicker" to try and get the Job?
C) Then after this, will the "Truly" 98 percent of the American People really want this guy in Office as President? No:
Jobs Rights
Worker Safety
SSDI
Social security after age 55
No Court Redress for injuries
and Yada, yada, yada
Yep, "Let's Light this Candle" .... author Tom Wolfe, "In The Right Stuff".. The Movie
and get this over with.
Otherwise, its 13 more months of a Gnat flying around our Collective heads. Run, Don't Run, and then stop!