Did Christie Throw The Election to Obama?
As someone who has witnessed the destruction of my hometown and the devastation Sandy wrecked upon the lives of so many people I care about, I really don’t care if the partnership that Governor Chris Christie forged with President Barack Obama contributed to Obama’s reelection.
As I embraced my dear friend while we were standing in the wreckage of what used to be her mother’s home while she was crying, “she’s going to die,” the last thing I cared about was politics.
For over a week I’ve witness my neighbors’ possessions be piled into a garbage transfer station that used to be a parking lot and then be loaded into trailers be be trucked away. Soon many of those neighbors will be living in trailers in a park while someone else decides when, how and if their homes can be rebuilt.
I won’t complain that I haven’t slept in my own bed and there is no power at my house. I still have a house. My friends don’t. My friend, the mayor, his wife and three young children are sleeping on cots in a gymnasium.
I could care less that Christie wept when Bruce Springsteen called him a friend. I care even less that Obama facilitated the friendship.
I am comforted that Chris Christie is doing his job and doing it well. I am comforted that he assembled such a competent team to form his administration three years ago and that they work so well together.
I can’t imagine Jon Corzine, Richard Cody, Jim McGreevey, Christie Whitman, Jim Florio, Tom Kean or Brendan Byrne being as hands on or as competent as Christie has been in this crisis. I also can’t imagine Cory Booker doing the job that Christie has done or assembling as good a team to do it.
Chris Christie is doing his job and doing it well. He’s witnessed far more of the devastation to New Jersey than I have. I’m pleased that for the last weeks he hasn’t cared about politics either.
Pundits on both sides of the aisle are saying that if not for Hurricane Sandy, Obama may not have been reelected. That could be true. But given Obama’s record, the state of the world and the economy, the election should not have been close heading into the last weekend in October.
Obama said he will be a better president as a result of the campaign. He said he heard those who opposed him and his policies. I hope that proves to be true. We’ll know soon enough.
I don’t think Chris Christie will be a better governor because he has Obama’s cell number. I think it is more likely that Obama will be a better president because he has Chrisite’s number.
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Really? I will give the governer credit for doing a decent job in dealing with the disaster ,not great but decent. I mean really what has he done that is different then any other governor would have done? He has let the State workers do their job.
He did however give us 4 more years of disaster by french kissing the President. A President who did no more then he was supposed too. Quite frankly I see our national guard, our neighbors,our emergency responders, our police, the red cross, utility workers from out of state and local public works departments doing an outstanding job. What have we gotten from the Federal government other then promises. The Governor did not need to give Obama the Photo opps he did to get what NJ is entitled too by law. In fact he could have done what NY did and said please stay away as your being here would just be a distraction. He could have given the President a simple heart felt thank you and left it at that. However apparently he is so star struck and so incapable of controlling his emotions he may very well have swung the election to Obama.
I say thanks for 4 more years of decline.
Considering the impossibility of being a free market capitalist in The Peoples Republic of NJ, Christie is holding back the damn as well as anyone else would be able to do. It is good that he spent his time doing his job with Obama rather than going across the pond to campaign for Romney.
Romney lost because it was not his turn. He was never electable and there was nothing he could do about it – he was not suited to fight in the big leagues. Democrats who try to act as Republicans don’t last on the national stage.
If Christie is to blame for anything, it was his bad decision to get on the bandwagon of Romney supporters from the beginning. We might have nominated a better Presidential candidate without the support of the early gold diggers.
With whatever in the world is going on with the tent city at Monmouth Park, somebody had better pay–either Christie or Obama.
Christie did a great job for the people of NJ before, during, and after Sandy came to town. HOWEVER, he was over the top with his praise of Obama. What did Obama do? Sign a piece of paper allow disaster relief to flow into NJ. All the years of hard work Christie, the Republican Party, Independants, and other Americans did to get Romney elected was eliminated in 24 hrs with the Obama/Christie show. Christie, in a weak moment, forgot about the people who supported him, got him elected, supported his future national aspirations, and OUR ASPIRATIONS for a return to good, sound,
constitutional government. CHRISTIE WAS PLAYED BIG TIME BY THE DEMS AND THE CHICAGO MACHINE WHO NEVER LET A CRISIS GO TO WASTE. It was unnecessary for Obama to come to NJ except for his own political agenda. Bloomberg told Obama NOT to come to NY. And how about that press conference where Obama introduced all the NJ Dem politicians. Not one Republican was there except Christie. Where was congressman Chris Smith whose district includes Spring Lake??
Where was Joe Kyrillos, state senator from Middletown?? Didn’t fit in with Obama/Christie show?? Let’s see how Obama returns the political favor when Corie Booker runs against Christie. Then Christie will see how hardball Chicago politics works when Obama goes up and down the the state campaigning against Christie and for his friend Corie Booker. How nieve of Christie.
When Gov You-tube sends out fundraisers, send back empty envelopes—lots of empty envelopes in honor of Milhous the Empty Suit
Silly for anyone to think a good word from the Trenton Blowhard is enough to tip an election. For all the Fox News/Tea Party bullshit, the silent majority spoke on Tuesday night. Simple as that.
Romney may not have been the perfect candidate, for many of us, but we lost a good, smart, and decent man who would have been a terrific president. Am devastated for our kids and grandkids. Many feel this Gov. began his re-election campaign on the backs of a disaster one couldn’t control.. Agree totally, no matter who the pres .was, he’d have signed the aid : most of this response by electeds is pure posturing for their next election. It is both predictable yet very disappointing when it happens , and yes , it did hurt Romney . All the dopey undecideds needed was another excuse to think this phoney socialist in chief was ok to leave there. Inexcusable and pathetic!
Art…very good piece.
As to whether the Gov and the President working together exactly as they should helped the President with voters consider this…the Reuters/Ipsos poll (which was probably the most accurate poll) had Obama ahead by one percentage point nationally the day Sandy hit and had Obama ahead by one percent on November 5. So as far as a very accurate poll goes, the storm and its aftermath did not make a difference in Obamas matchup with Romney.
Oh please. A 1% point difference is equal to a draw, even if you do not allow for the standard 4 point margin of error. You are speaking nonsense.