Tuesday, June 04, 2013

CHRISTIE: NOT JUST AFRAID, BUT AFRAID OF NOTHING

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you what a boneheaded decision Chris Christie made with regard to the upcoming special election to replace Senator Frank Lautenberg.

Facing a reelection campaign in a blue state, Christie didn't want to anger Democrats by appointing a placeholder Republican and postponing the election until 2014; on the other hand, he wasn't going to alienate Republicans whose votes he wants in a 2016 presidential campaign by appointing a Democrat. And yet he didn't want the popular Democrat Cory Booker on the ballot this November as he's running for reelection. So he scheduled a special election a few weeks before the election he's running in -- and that's a big waste of money, which makes a mockery of his fiscal conservative image, particularly among his fellow Republicans. ("I think this ends his 2016 chances. It's year after year with this guy," says a Republican official quoted by National Journal.)

But what the hell is Christie afraid of?

Is he afraid he might lose in November? Check the polls. Before Hurricane Sandy and the Obama bro moment, Christie led Democrat Barbara Buono by 16 points in Quinnipiac poll. After Sandy? Christie has led Buono by anywhere from 30 to 43 points in thirteen consecutive polls. So if Booker on the ballot brings out a few voters who don't like Christie and who otherwise might not have shown up at the polls, what the hell difference does it make? Maybe Christie wins by 15 rather than 30. So what?

I know, I know: He wants a huge victory. A huge victory will show that he has the juice to be the GOP presidential nominee in 2016.

You know who went into the 2012 GOP presidential campaign coming off a huge victory? Jon freaking Huntsman. He was reelected as governor of Utah in 2008 with 77.7% of the vote. Fat lot of good it did him.

By contrast, do you remember who was the last guy standing against Mitt Romney in the 2012 primaries? Rick Santorum -- a guy who'd lost his last race by 18 points.

The idea thAT you need a huge victory to set the table for a presidential run is something only political pros and mavens think about -- the public doesn't care. And in fact, if you're running in a Republican primary, it probably helps not to run up a big victory. Win too many independent and Democratic votes and the GOP base will really think you're a filthy RINO. (Which, of course, already Christie's problem.)

And how much of a threat would Booker's presence on the ballot be to Christie anyway? National Journal says:
With Booker as the favored Democratic Senate nominee, less-reliable Democratic voters, particularly African-Americans, would be more likely to show up at the polls.
Here's an interesting thing I found in a February Quinnipiac poll: Booker's favorability rating among African-Americans in New Jersey is not much higher (67%) than his favorability among whites (58%). He's not Barack Obama -- at least not yet. He's more like Barack Obama before the 2008 primaries. (Remember when it seemed as if he might have to battle Hillary Clinton for the African-American vote?)

So Christie didn't have the guts to be on the ballot with Booker. And now he looks gutless.

9 comments:

Ten Bears said...

There are "health food stores" I don't patronize because when I walk into a health food store I expect to see healthy people working there. If I walk into a "healt food store" and its employees are fat ugly and stupid, who mock the selections I make, it's not a health food store.

Christie is to fat to run for President.

You want piece of me? Step up to the plate.

NO, fear.

Victor said...

Thanks for that, Steve.

At first, I thought it was a pretty shrewd move.

But I forgot that anything less than full-throated, in your face, Liberal/Democrat hatred, and confrontation, makes one a RINO with today's rabid Conservatives.

They would have wanted him to put the Tea Baggiest person humanly (?) possible, in to replace Senator Lautenberg - and tell the Democrats go give him their best shot.

Having realized that, all I can say is, that he might end up being the Democratic Presidential nominee, before he ever is the Republican one.
And THAT, ain't gonna happen!

Unknown said...

@Ten Bears-Yes, he is way too obese to run for president. With the schedule you have on a campaign, it's hard on people who are physically fit. It might kill him.
But what worries me about Christie is his temperament. Would it really be a good idea to have a Tony Soprano-type guy for president?
The tough-guy talk may work in Jersey town hall meetings, but I don't know how it would play with Putin.

Joseph Nobles said...

I thought this was easy. Appoint the most crimson red Tea Party Republican he could find. Sure, this fool would go down in flames in 2014. But it would still be a sop to the people he needs for a 2016 nomination. He would show he's willing to play ball with them when he's got the power and it counts. And for 18 months, whatever fool he appointed would be a member of the Thorn In Obama's Side gang that Cruz and Paul are running in the Senate.

Would New Jersey be mad at him? So he'd lose. But the Tea Party would also see him fall on his sword for them.

And he'd get two years to let the lapband work wonders, recover from the surgery to remove the excess skin, and be tanned, rested, and ready for 2016. I can't see a downside to any of this for him.

Instead, we get this silliness.

Victor said...

Yeah, Dennis, and a lot of us were concerned about W's past - which included pot and coke use, AND being an alcoholic, and the effect all of that would have, not just on his ability to run for office, but to be competent while he was in it.


'Disingenuous fraud' BACKATCHA!!!

Moar beter trollz, pleeze!!!

Steve M. said...

I've made it clear to Dennis that he's not welcome here. All of his comments are removed as soon as I see them. Please don't feed the trolls.

Victor said...

Dennis,
"You pick and choose your health concerns based on the political background of the individual involved, Victor."

Still the master of "projection," I see.
I'm NOT the one who brought up concern over drug use - YOU WERE.

And years and years ago, I tried to comment, politely and calmly, on right wing blogs.
Let me tell you, when they let me know that my opinions were not wanted, it wasn't exactly politely and calmly.

And, unlike Conservatives, I know when I'm not welcome.
And I have the decency not to try to force my opinion on people when they don't want to hear it, and have told me so - and, in fact, have, banned me from that site.
*cough-cough*

Why would I bother to go where I'm not wanted?
*cough-cough*

Victor said...

Ok, gotcha.

Buford said...

"cutting the baby in half" is usually not a good idea...especially these days...