Too ‘Electable’ To Be Elected?

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush addresses the Wall Street Journal CEO Council in Washington, Dec. 1, 2014. Reuters/Jonathan Ernst

WASHINGTON – “Electability”: The magic word that moderate Republican candidates use every four years to explain why they should be the party’s presidential nominee. It’s the case that’s sure to be made on behalf of Jeb Bush and Chris Christie (if they run) — that unlike someone from the GOP’s right wing, they can beat Hillary… Read the rest of this entry »

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Quinnipiac Poll: Bridgegate Takes Toll On Christie’s Presidential Poll Numbers

The Bridgegate controversy has had a significant negative effect on national voters opinions of Governor Chris Christie as a potential president, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll released today.

The governor’s net favorable ratings have taken a 26 point hit since the December 11, 2013 Q Poll. Today, American voters have a favorable opinion of Christie by 33%-30% with 34% reserving judgement.  In December, 47% had a favorable opinion of Christie, 23% unfavorable and 28% said they hadn’t heard enough.

With 65% support from Democratic voters, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has no significant competition for the 2016 Democratic nomination for president.

Clinton would beat Christie is the 2016 election were today, by a 46%-38% margin.  In the December poll, Christie edged Clinton by 1 point, 41%-40%.

Christie’s support has weakened with Republicans nationally as well.  In December he lead the crowded field and had a 4 point lead over his closest competitor, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.  In today’s poll, Christie is in a statistical tie with Paul, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan and former Florida governor Jeb Bush.

The survey of 1933 registered voters was taken from January 15-19.  Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s allegations that the Christie Administration withheld Sandy Relief because he did not push through a development that Christie favored did not become public until the 18th and likely have little impact on today’s poll.

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Cory Booker, Rand Paul and a Festivus miracle

Cory Booker, Rand Paul and a Festivus miracle (via NJ.com)

U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Rand Paul had a Festivus exchange yesterday that could one day lead to drug policy and sentencing reforms. It began with Paul’s “airing of the grievances,” a tradition that is part of Festivus, the fictional Dec. 23 holiday…

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O’Scanlon Slams Rand Paul For Baseless Attack On Christie

By Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon

Yesterday Senator Rand Paul attacked NJ Governor Christie suggesting that the Governor’s landslide victory last week was the result of the federal aid package sent to NJ following superstorm Sandy.  

I occupy the unique combination of positions of Republican Assembly Budget Officer, long term fiscal conservative who has warned of New Jersey’s irresponsible spending polices for years, long-term advocate for reforms like pension benefit and collective bargaining reforms – and my District (13) covers the area of the bayshore hardest hit by the storm.

Unlike Senator Paul, I can state unequivocally – and based on first hand experience – that Governor Christie’s popularity wasn’t purchased with federal aid.  It was earned by tireless, extraordinary leadership on multiple crisis fronts from the moment Christie won election in 2009.  He inherited a state on the verge of insolvency, requiring reform solutions – pension and benefit, arbitration, property tax, budgetary – that no governor in the history of the state ever dreamed of tackling.  

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Rand Paul slams Booker and his ‘imaginary friend’ as he endorses Lonegan

Rand Paul slams Booker and his ‘imaginary friend’ as he endorses Lonegan (via NJ.com)

CLARK — U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, a leader of the tea party wing in Congress, today endorsed Republican Steve Lonegan in New Jersey’s U.S. Senate race and came out swinging against Newark Mayor Cory Booker and “his imaginary friend T-Bone.” “There’s 15…

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Christie Skipping Rand Paul’s Endorsement Of Lonegan

U.S. Senator Rand Paul is coming to New Jersey on September 13 to endorse Steve Lonegan for Senate in the October 16 Special Election against Cory Booker.

Governor Chris Christie, who had a well publicized rift with Paul over the NSA’s monitoring of domestic communications, was invited to attend the Friday afternoon rally.  Christie and Paul are widely considered GOP contenders for the 2016 presidential nomination.

Christie declined the invitation because he will be away celebrating the First Lady’s 50th birthday.

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In Boston at RNC gathering, Christie sounds like a presidential candidate

Governor Chris Christie and Danny Shields in Highlands earlier this year. Shields, an owner of Windansea, is Sen. Jennifer Beck’s husband.

Governor Chris Christie sounded like a candidate for President of the United States during an address to a private luncheon of the Republican National Committee this afternoon in Boston, according to a report at Politico.

The meeting was closed to reporters at Christie’s insistence, Politico said, but the site obtained a recording from someone in attendance.

Christie’s theme: Republicans need to stop debating, focus on winning and he knows how to win.

“We are not a debating society,” Christie said. “We are a political operation  that needs to win.”

“I’m in this business to win,” he said. “I don’t know why you’re in it…I think  that we have some folks that believe that our job is to be college professors.  Now college professors are fine, I guess. You know, college professors basically  spout out ideas that nobody ever does anything about. For our ideas to matter,  we have to win because, if we don’t win, we don’t govern. And if we don’t  govern, all we do is shout into the wind. So I am going to do anything I need to  do to win!”

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Sen. Rand Paul: Gov Chris Christie Is The King Of Bacon

Christie: New Jersey is a donor state.  Doubts Paul will cut pork he’s bring home to Kentucky

By Matt Rooney, SaveJersey.com

The Christie/Paul 2016 skirmish got ugly on Tuesday evening, Save Jerseyans.

Responding to Christie, who inferred that Paul was a hypocrite for bringing home to Kentucky, Paul told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that ”[t]his is the king of bacon talking about bacon,”

Sigh…

Watch:

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Lonegan agrees with Christie and Paul

Former Bogota Mayor Steven Lonegan, the front runner for the GOP nomination to succeed the late U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg, issued the following statement regarding the controversy between Governor Chris Christie and U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) regarding libertarianism and the federal government’s anti-terrorism measures:

Lonegan: Rand Paul is Defending Our Freedom

Metuchen, NJ – Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Lonegan today spoke out on efforts by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and others to curtail NSA surveillance. Lonegan said, “I agree with Gov Christie that we must be vigilant in our defense against terrorism, and this can be achieved without sacrificing our fundamental liberties. Senator Rand Paul is defending our freedom against the overreach of our government into our lives and privacy, and the NSA surveillance scandal clearly highlights this administration’s abuse of its power to invade our private lives. I support Sen Paul’s efforts. “

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What would Rand Paul say if he knew what Christie knows?

Gov Chris Christie and HUD Sec Shaun Donovan at Bahrs Landing, Highlands, 4/29/13, photo by Art Gallagher

Much is being made in the political media today about the “harsh assessment of libertarianism” and its most popular current spokesman, Senator Rand Paul, that Governor Chris Christie delivered in his remarks during the Aspen Institute forum with fellow Republican governors Bobby Jindal, Mike Pence, and Scott Walker last night.

Politico published an edited clip of Christie’s comment on “esoteric, intellectual” libertarianism that made it sound as if the Aspen forum was the kick-off of the 2016 Republican presidential primary between Paul and Christie:

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