2016 Postmortem

DonViejo

(60,536 posts) Thu Feb 28, 2013, 10:55 AM Feb 2013

Don't believe the hype. Chris Christie is a true right-winger

Chris Christie is no moderate

Don't believe the hype. Despite a CPAC snub and hostility from conservatives, Chris Christie is a true right-winger

BY STEVE KORNACKI

Chris Christie’s reputation as a moderate – even by the standards of today’s Republican Party – is vastly overrated. This is a key point to keep in mind this week, with the news that organizers of the Conservative Political Action Conference have snubbed the New Jersey governor.

The official explanation from Al Cardenas, the conference’s chief organizer: “CPAC is like the all-star game for professional athletes; you get invited when you have had an outstanding year.” Christie, apparently thanks to his loud public criticism of House Republicans when they delayed passage of a Sandy relief package, was deemed to have had a sub-par year.

The prevailing interpretation is that, as Nate Silver put it, this is “an ominous sign” for Christie as he positions himself for a potential run for the 2016 Republican nomination. The logic is understandable: The invisible primary has already begun, the terms of debate within the party are being set, and judgments are being formed by key opinion leaders. Christie, the thinking goes, has been exposed for holding views that are out-of-step with the conservative movement on the issues it most cares about – and the CPAC snub is a sign that the right is getting ready to write him off.

But I don’t think that’s quite what’s going on here, or that Christie faces anything like the intraparty peril that many are now suggesting.

more
http://www.salon.com/2013/02/28/chris_christies_premature_obituary/

18 replies

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Don't believe the hype. Chris Christie is a true right-winger (Original Post) DonViejo Feb 2013 OP

Christie is only popular in NJ because he doesn't push his pro-life views and he has "safe" CTyankee Feb 2013 #1

christie is only popular in NJ because he fought for Sandy money hollysmom Feb 2013 #3

Chris Christie vetoed a minimum-wage increase passed by both houses. athena Feb 2013 #2

If Christie hadn't pretended to be a Democrat this past year.... Walk away Feb 2013 #4

and if he runs in 2016, he will lose if Hillary is the Dem candidate. CTyankee Feb 2013 #5

he is up this year not in 2014 tabbycat31 Feb 2013 #11

Sorry. Walk away Mar 2013 #13

I Remember The Nasty Shit He Spewed About PBO @ RNC Convention otohara Feb 2013 #6

could he switch parties tho? jimmy the one Feb 2013 #7

He is not a moderate. He is a union busting asshole! When are Dems... Walk away Feb 2013 #9

Thank You I'm so sick of hearing how great he is because he made a few sane decisions. trublu992 Feb 2013 #8

I'll never understand why so many Democrats don't seem to GET this. forestpath Feb 2013 #10

Because we're accustomed to Rethugs being idiots every single time. Bake Mar 2013 #14

They ARE idiots every single time - REGARDLESS. forestpath Mar 2013 #15

Of course he is. BUT....... DFW Mar 2013 #12

That is why he is a Republican and not a Democrat. We can still appreciate that he isn't closed off Pisces Mar 2013 #16

Totally agree Presidentcokedupfratboy Mar 2013 #17

The liberal media is giving Chris Christie a pass on his lousy economic record in NJ flpoljunkie Nov 2013 #18

CTyankee

(63,912 posts)

1. Christie is only popular in NJ because he doesn't push his pro-life views and he has "safe"

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 11:04 AM

Feb 2013

targets, i.e. public unions. If he tries to please the repub base at all, he will lose his vaunted popularity...

hollysmom

(5,946 posts)

3. christie is only popular in NJ because he fought for Sandy money

Reply to CTyankee (Reply #1)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 11:11 AM

Feb 2013

not that any of my neighbors got any or any help at all. At least the towns get help. But that help was from a republican ":connected company from Florida that is grossly over charging. duh.

Hpw quickly they forget the snowstorm he could not be bothered with. -yes he worked hard, but most of us wold have, the fact that most republicans do not is about the only difference.

athena

(4,187 posts)

2. Chris Christie vetoed a minimum-wage increase passed by both houses.

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 11:08 AM

Feb 2013

All the people on DU who are enamored with him over Sandy need to look at the facts. Chris Christie is not even remotely progressive.
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/01/christie_minimum_wage.html

Walk away

(9,494 posts)

4. If Christie hadn't pretended to be a Democrat this past year....

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 11:15 AM

Feb 2013

he would never be re elected in 2014. N.J. is a Blue state and they were starting to get wise to the fact that he was destroying our health care and school systems (both rated far above any red state). He has been gutting our towns by cutting state aid and stealing money (state workers compensation fund) to keep property taxes artificially low.

Sadly, the voters are as easy to bamboozle as the Democrats around here who think "he's a straight shooter" and "an old fashioned republican moderate". It sucks for my state but it's going to suck for the whole country in 2016 if Democrats don't shut up about what a great guy he is. It's Democrats who will give him New Jersey and only Democrats can give him the Presidency.

CTyankee

(63,912 posts)

5. and if he runs in 2016, he will lose if Hillary is the Dem candidate.

Reply to Walk away (Reply #4)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 02:08 PM

Feb 2013

However, I don't think about it that much because a lot can happen between now and then...

tabbycat31

(6,336 posts)

11. he is up this year not in 2014

Reply to Walk away (Reply #4)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 11:07 PM

Feb 2013

NJ has off year state elections

Walk away

(9,494 posts)

13. Sorry.

Reply to tabbycat31 (Reply #11)

Fri Mar 1, 2013, 09:26 AM

Mar 2013

There is no doubt that he will win re election here unless he drops dead of a heart attack.

otohara

(24,135 posts)

6. I Remember The Nasty Shit He Spewed About PBO @ RNC Convention

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 03:14 PM

Feb 2013

fuck him

jimmy the one

(2,708 posts)

7. could he switch parties tho?

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 04:17 PM

Feb 2013

Chris Christie’s reputation as a moderate – even by the standards of today’s Republican Party – is vastly overrated

Dunno, disparaging his own republican party after the atlantic storm was a daring maneuver, not done all too frequently by politicians to such fanfare.

And here I thought christie might just jump ship & change parties.... oh haha, no, not that far! jump ship & join bloomburgs 'independent' party.
Depends on next 3 years I think, and those 'useless polls which change all the time so we don't pay attention to them', haha again, for if polls point to a possible win over the 2016 dem candidate, while running as a republican, no change, but were he to become out of the running he just might jump ship to indy; .. I don't know if there's much love lost with his own party right now, & while breakin up may be hard to do, gettin' back together can be harder.

Of course if he switched to indy I doubt he'd be that vengeful towards gop, to run for pres as an indy. Maybe he's already addressed this somehow?

Walk away

(9,494 posts)

9. He is not a moderate. He is a union busting asshole! When are Dems...

Reply to jimmy the one (Reply #7)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 09:07 PM

Feb 2013

going to wake up? He hates the poor. Seriously. He spends most of his time kicking people off of food stamps and poverty health care.

trublu992

(489 posts)

8. Thank You I'm so sick of hearing how great he is because he made a few sane decisions.

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 04:28 PM

Feb 2013

One decision because he had to in regards to the storm victims and the other because he can see the writing on the wall in regards to his party losing the Presidential election. He also needed to boost his image amongst his constitutes in New Jersey. Before the storm he was just as vile as any other tea party ass in embracing the crazy hated filled rhetoric of the right.

forestpath

(3,102 posts)

10. I'll never understand why so many Democrats don't seem to GET this.

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Feb 28, 2013, 10:53 PM

Feb 2013

Bake

(21,977 posts)

14. Because we're accustomed to Rethugs being idiots every single time.

Reply to forestpath (Reply #10)

Fri Mar 1, 2013, 09:16 PM

Mar 2013

Christie made a few good decisions. We don't know how to process that.

Bake

forestpath

(3,102 posts)

15. They ARE idiots every single time - REGARDLESS.

Reply to Bake (Reply #14)

Fri Mar 1, 2013, 10:38 PM

Mar 2013

DFW

(54,408 posts)

12. Of course he is. BUT.......

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Fri Mar 1, 2013, 12:31 AM

Mar 2013

There is right wing and then there is the frothing-at-the-mouth-teabagger right wing.

Christie is no Democrat. But if he is not bat-shit crazy enough to suit the tastes of half of his party, I say let the fur fly. It's about fucking time a Democrat succeeded a Democrat in the White House. The last time that happened, it was only because the first one was assassinated.

Pisces

(5,599 posts)

16. That is why he is a Republican and not a Democrat. We can still appreciate that he isn't closed off

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Sat Mar 2, 2013, 11:16 AM

Mar 2013

and that he will compromise. He also uses some common sense and speaks candidly. Do we expect them to be Democrats?
I don't, I would like someone from that side to be able to say compromise.

Presidentcokedupfratboy

(1,054 posts)

17. Totally agree

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Sat Mar 2, 2013, 04:23 PM

Mar 2013

He acts like a moderate, governs like a RW asshole. Don't believe the hype!

flpoljunkie

(26,184 posts)

18. The liberal media is giving Chris Christie a pass on his lousy economic record in NJ

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Mon Nov 11, 2013, 12:16 PM

Nov 2013

From the Salon article in your OP…

It won’t take a person in a white lab coat to uncover Christie’s failings, however. They’re easy to spot. Here are just a few of his economic record’s lowlights, which his opponents are sure to broadcast:

Unemployment: New Jersey’s unemployment rate is 8.5 percent, considerably higher than the national rate of 7.3 percent, making the state 41st in the nation.

Job creation: New Jersey ranks 44th in job growth during Christie’s governorship.

Credit rating: Three major credit agencies have cut the state’s credit rating since Christie became governor, making it costlier to borrow money.

Economic growth: In 2011, New Jersey was just one of seven U.S. states whose economy shrank. The state ranked 47th in terms of GDP growth.

Taxes: New Jersey is tied for 50th in the Tax Foundation’s annual report, which ranks which states have the most business-friendly (translation: lowest) taxes. Plus, the tax burden grew by 18.6 percent for the average family under Christie.

Home prices and foreclosures: Mortgage delinquencies have increased 2.8 percent since Christie took over, the highest of any state in the nation. Plus, home prices are down 6.7 percent in that time, putting New Jersey in the bottom quarter of all states.

Poverty: Although this statistic may not resonate with Republican primary voters, the poverty rate in New Jersey has reached a 52-year high, with 24.7 percent of the state below the poverty level.

Of course, Christie isn’t responsible for all these economic woes. He is governor, not king of New Jersey. But that doesn’t mean his opponents in the 2016 GOP primaries won’t run negative ads showing the New Jersey statistics, followed by the tag line: “Can America really afford Chris Christie as president?”

A lot can happen to the state’s economy between now and then. But unless the economic numbers improve greatly, Christie will be wishing people were still just talking about his weight and not what matters most: his record.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/11/11/don-t-believe-the-chris-christie-hype-look-at-his-economic-record.html

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