Althouse: Christie...

June 30, 2015

Christie...

... launches.

66 comments:

Jaq said...: Is it officially seventeen gentlemen callers now?; 6/30/15, 10:48 AM
tim maguire said...: Why? He can't seriously believe he has a snowball's chance. Can he?; 6/30/15, 10:48 AM
BarrySanders20 said...: Christie . . . . lunches; 6/30/15, 10:49 AM
Etienne said...: He's looking thinner after the stomach reduction surgery. I may have to do that myself, as I had to buy some size 38 jeans last weekend.; 6/30/15, 10:51 AM
Etienne said...: tim maguire said...Why? He can't seriously believe he has a snowball's chance. Can he?

You don't have to win to make a lot of money. Plus, if you're a gas bag, anytime they print your name is a good day.; 6/30/15, 10:53 AM
garage mahal said...: Christie makes huge splash. Expect a seismic shift in the race.; 6/30/15, 10:53 AM
Nonapod said...: I'd probably vote for Jersey the Hut over Trump, but that's not saying much, like choosing between a kick in the crotch or a poke in the eye.; 6/30/15, 10:57 AM
Jaq said...: Hey! Fat jokes! garage has finally upped his game. Expected soon: Fart jokes!; 6/30/15, 10:59 AM
Gahrie said...: Christie is the guy that is great in small doses, but you tire of his shtick quickly.; 6/30/15, 11:01 AM
MadisonMan said...: Christie

...haunches. (Not linking to the obvious picture); 6/30/15, 11:04 AM
Brando said...: Those primary ballots are going to spill over onto several pages by the time everyone gets into this. The GOP will have enough candidates to put two football teams on the field.

On paper, Christie should have a good shot--a fairly conservative record without any major deviations from the party. But he's got a lot to overcome--his embrace of Obama in the final days of the 2012 election, his "bridgegate" scandal, and his general "in your face" personality which won't play well with lots of voters.

He should be entertaining at least.; 6/30/15, 11:05 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: Christie may be overweight, but he's got some work to do before he'll be able to get himself stuck in the White House bathtub.; 6/30/15, 11:11 AM
sinz52 said...: Coupe: "He's looking thinner after the stomach reduction surgery. I may have to do that myself, as I had to buy some size 38 jeans last weekend."

Nobody gets stomach reduction surgery for size 38 jeans. You may be overweight but you're not grossly obese. That type of surgery is used to treat a body mass index over 40 (twice normal). Such as a 5'10" man who weighs 300 pounds.; 6/30/15, 11:12 AM
lgv said...: garage mahal just made me laugh....

I wonder who has more skeletons in the closet, Christie or Fiorina? It's that crazy sort of thing, again. He could be elected president, but he can't win the nomination. He's in the same boat as many candidates. I think they will need a bigger boat.

I am part of this big block of voters, registered independents, that will have little influence on the primaries and a big impact on the election itself.; 6/30/15, 11:23 AM
Saint Croix said...: More like, "Cannonball!"; 6/30/15, 11:24 AM
Larry J said...: Nope; 6/30/15, 11:24 AM
Mike Sylwester said...: I'm advocating Walker and Rubio as the ticket. They can win.

If they do win, then they should appoint Christie to head whatever Department manages taxation policy. Would that be the Treasury Department?; 6/30/15, 11:24 AM
Jaq said...: Remember when he shut down the National Mall to punish his enemies and make a political point?

Oh, wait, that was Obama.; 6/30/15, 11:27 AM
Tank said...: As someone who lives in NJ, how can he run on his record here? Anyone look at our bond rating?; 6/30/15, 11:28 AM
clint said...: I don't get this at all.

Raising his profile as a GOP candidate probably doesn't help him win reelection in NJ. (Or a senate seat.)

Can he raise funds for a national campaign and then use them for his state reelection?

Is he jockeying for a cabinet position? (I would love to see him as the attack dog taking on the public sector unions with President Walker backing him up.); 6/30/15, 11:28 AM
clint said...: Is he running to be Jeb Bush's VP candidate?; 6/30/15, 11:35 AM
Saint Croix said...: Hey! Fat jokes! garage has finally upped his game.

I say we enjoy our fat joke freedom while we still have it.

Maybe Christie can make it all the way to skinny town, and then he can speak for both communities. He can be a bridge! A fat-skinny bridge!; 6/30/15, 11:35 AM
tim maguire said...: Brando said...On paper, Christie should have a good shot--a fairly conservative record without any major deviations from the party.

Like his support for gun control? He's a Blue State Republican, he has zero national potential.

Gahrie's exactly right--he used to make some great YouTube clips but he's still a New Jersey pol and his schtick gets old fast.; 6/30/15, 11:45 AM
cubanbob said...: Right now I don't know who I will be voting for but I do know who I will be voting against.; 6/30/15, 11:45 AM
Scott said...: Jon Corzine was favored to win the NJ governor's race in 2009. Then Corzine's campaign started making sly references to Christie's weight in advertising. Christie went on the Imus in the Morning radio program and vigorously bitch slapped Corzine for that. Corzine's campaign was sent reeling and never recovered.

Referring to Christie's fat is probably not a winning tactic.; 6/30/15, 11:50 AM
Saint Croix said...: As you touch your toes and do your deep squats, remember to chant...

I am not
I am not
I am not
Tony Soprano; 6/30/15, 11:53 AM
Etienne said...: Tank said...Anyone look at our bond rating?

I think the economy has to be the big issue. No one's broken out of the mold yet, but each will have to explain how they are going to deal with the rise in interest rates, which will cut into discretionary spending by billions.; 6/30/15, 11:55 AM
mccullough said...: Christie is better than the freshmen senators. No more freshmen senators.; 6/30/15, 11:57 AM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: "Is he running to be Jeb Bush's VP candidate?"

Winner (assuming you're joking)! It is baffling as to what Trump, Bush, Christie, and Graham think they're doing. They're not going to garner enough support to leverage an ambassadorship to Andorra from the Walker administration.; 6/30/15, 12:02 PM
richard mcenroe said...: Christie launches

...and I suddenly have a vision of a cageball game from grade school: 'HERE IT COMES!"

Either that or "Rover" from the original "Prisoner" series.; 6/30/15, 12:18 PM
richard mcenroe said...: Saint Croix: video of Chris Christie EVER touching his toes or it didn't happen.; 6/30/15, 12:19 PM
richard mcenroe said...: lgv Christie never did business with Iran,so I'm guessing Fiorina.; 6/30/15, 12:22 PM
Smilin' Jack said...: "Christie...launches."

How can Christie be launched without a Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle? They stopped making Saturn Vs after the Apollo program.

Because fat jokes never get old.; 6/30/15, 12:32 PM
Smilin' Jack said...: Saint Croix: video of Chris Christie EVER touching his toes or it didn't happen.

Fuck that. Video of Christie ever seeing his toes or it didn't happen.; 6/30/15, 12:40 PM
Humperdink said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/30/15, 1:06 PM
Brando said...: "Like his support for gun control? He's a Blue State Republican, he has zero national potential."

I forgot about the gun control. Though I think even with that, it's not fatal to his chances--Romney was far more to the Left as governor (basically pro-choice and pro-gay rights, not to mention Romneycare) and only served one term.

The issue here, as with many other candidates, is that several of them seem to cover each constituency. The Tea Party, the libertarians, the relgious conservatives, the moderates--all of them have several candidates to choose from. The winnowing down will be interesting.; 6/30/15, 1:06 PM
Humperdink said...: > Unlike other candidates, Christie can campaign in two times zones at once.

> Weight and Balance calculations for Air Force One will require a significant re-do. Or an engine upgrade. Or lengthen the runways.

> Add two (or more) White House chefs.; 6/30/15, 1:09 PM
Mark said...: I'm expecting an "Oh the humanity!" moment sometime soon.; 6/30/15, 1:12 PM
Thorley Winston said...: Can he raise funds for a national campaign and then use them for his state reelection?

I assume so, I believe that’s what Michelle Bachmann did in 2012 – used the leftover proceeds from her presidential run to top off the funding for her House race. However that’s a federal-to-federal race and he may need to have his campaign set it a specific way so that the federal funds can be used for a State race.; 6/30/15, 1:16 PM
Humperdink said...: Looking forward to Christie walking the beach with Obama (again) as the campaign heats up. Laurel and Hardy.; 6/30/15, 1:18 PM
Tank said...: He can not run for re-election.; 6/30/15, 1:19 PM
Thorley Winston said...: Christie is better than the freshmen senators. No more freshmen senators.

I would probably vote for Christie in the primary over Rubio, Cruz, Paul, Graham or Santorum but I’d probably vote for Walker or Jindall over Christie (not sure about the other governors other than Huckabee who I’ve pretty much written off since he came out against entitlement reform). The value Christie has in being in the race is playing the role Fred Dalton Thomas played – he doesn’t suffer fools gladly and he’s great at putting out one-liners that will get a lot of play in the media while leaving the hands of the eventual nominee clean.; 6/30/15, 1:21 PM
Humperdink said...: @Thorley. Christie offers nothing. Will not win very many states outside the northeast. He's McCain light. (ha)

I am thinking he would skip Texas, among others. A lot of others. He would do well in California and still lose. He's a dud, a very large dud.; 6/30/15, 1:28 PM
Thorley Winston said...: On paper, Christie should have a good shot--a fairly conservative record without any major deviations from the party. But he's got a lot to overcome--his embrace of Obama in the final days of the 2012 election, his "bridgegate" scandal, and his general "in your face" personality which won't play well with lots of voters.

I’m not a Christie supporter (but if he’s the Republican nominee, I’d vote for him in the general election) but I don’t think these are necessarily problems. A lot of independents probably see the “embrace of Obama” as a sign that he put the welfare of his constituents first and can work in a bipartisan manner (something the Democratic nominees are going to have a hard time arguing with a straight face). “Bridgegate” is likely going to backfire on Democrats if they bring it up because it invites comparisons to how the MSM has tried to hype everything from Macro Rubio’s wife’s traffic tickets to Scott Walker’s Kohl’s cash to distract attention from actual scandals tied to the Democratic nominees. Besides which, when Christie shows the footage from the press conference he unqualifiedly denies any knowledge of it, condemns any who did so thinking he would have signed off on it and then proceeds to take any and all questions from the press for forty-five minutes while the Democratic frontrunner won’t take any, I think the contrast works in his favor. As far as the personality thing, what some take as “in your face,” others (like my mother) might see as “calling it like you see it” which for Christie will probably be an asset.; 6/30/15, 1:32 PM
jr565 said...: I thought it said lurches or
Lunches; 6/30/15, 1:50 PM
Brando said...: "I’m not a Christie supporter (but if he’s the Republican nominee, I’d vote for him in the general election) but I don’t think these are necessarily problems. A lot of independents probably see the “embrace of Obama” as a sign that he put the welfare of his constituents first and can work in a bipartisan manner (something the Democratic nominees are going to have a hard time arguing with a straight face). “Bridgegate” is likely going to backfire on Democrats if they bring it up because it invites comparisons to how the MSM has tried to hype everything from Macro Rubio’s wife’s traffic tickets to Scott Walker’s Kohl’s cash to distract attention from actual scandals tied to the Democratic nominees. Besides which, when Christie shows the footage from the press conference he unqualifiedly denies any knowledge of it, condemns any who did so thinking he would have signed off on it and then proceeds to take any and all questions from the press for forty-five minutes while the Democratic frontrunner won’t take any, I think the contrast works in his favor. As far as the personality thing, what some take as “in your face,” others (like my mother) might see as “calling it like you see it” which for Christie will probably be an asset."

I don't really have a problem with Christie myself, as he seems fairly conservative and as a man responsible for governing a liberal state he obviously has to move more to the middle--it's easy for a Ted Cruz to hew to the right (who governs nothing, and represents a very conservative constituency so he doesn't have to worry about getting re-elected if he veers right). I'm more interested in the record, though and what Christie has done in Jersey will be up for scrutiny (my friends who live there seem to like him). Plus, if he can appeal to moderates, that's exactly what the GOP needs in a nominee--Hillary is planning to veer left and that leaves an opening.

The problems for him though are personality (he does have a demeanor that can come across bullying--while that sounds good for some as in how he'd stand up to foreign despots, it also makes you wonder if he can corral his own party and some across the aisle to get things done at home) and Bridgegate. While no wrongdoing connected to him was found, and he did open himself up to the press (contra Hillary, who is more anti-press than Nixon which says something), the problem with the scandal is this--it is relatable. Hillary's e-mail scandal was major, and she should be disqualified from office for it, but a lot of people really don't get why it is a big deal--they think it's a technicality that has no real world application. But the bridge--we've all be stuck in major traffic, and the idea that the state caused it specifically for political revenge hits home for many people. We'll see how Christie handles it when it comes up, but that I think is his biggest hurdle.

Right now I'm just thinking "Anybody but Hillary" and more specifically "who provides the best chance of keeping the Clintons out of the White House again?"; 6/30/15, 2:09 PM
Brando said...: "@Thorley. Christie offers nothing. Will not win very many states outside the northeast. He's McCain light. (ha)"

I can't predict at this point who wins what states in the primaries--if all these people are actually on ballots, the split can go any which way.

Imagine Christie running against only very conservative and relgious-right candidates in a state like Georgia--and they all split those segments of the vote, and the establshment/moderate wing unites around Christie. It could go any which way. This is also a party that nominated Dole, McCain, and Romney in recent cycles.; 6/30/15, 2:12 PM
LCB said...: Looking forward to Christie walking the beach with Obama (again) as the campaign heats up. Laurel and Hardy.

Christie with Obama as vice president. Bwahahahahahha

Going by what THEY do and not by what THEY say, I no longer see any difference between the two parties. The bureaucracies are running the country anyway and have been since the late 70's. They make their own rules and enforce them with their own SWAT teams (Dept. of Education, FDA, etc.) all without congressional approval and very little oversight. The monster will keep growing until it sucks the life out of the country...then it will all collapse. Who we elect will have no affect either way. And yes, I say this with much sadness...; 6/30/15, 2:24 PM
SomeoneHasToSayIt said...: As an Obama butt buddy, he doesn't have a chance.

That photo op was career ending. The fact that he didn't know that, is good enough
reason to question his judgement, and disqualify him.; 6/30/15, 2:37 PM
bleh said...: Christie recently pardoned a guy who was convicted of a felony for having his gun in his car's glove compartment without the necessary permit. I would say he's done something to endear himself to gun rights activists.; 6/30/15, 2:40 PM
Thorley Winston said...: Brando, that is an excellent point about how Bridgegate might affect your average voter who can relate to being stuck in traffic. Besides the safety issues, it’s a huge nuisance for most commuters and why it was important to get out in front of it as early as possible and show the public he had nothing to do with it and punish those responsible. If Christie wins the nomination (I don’t think it’s likely but it’s not impossible as the field is pretty open), it’s probably going to get brought up again and he’s going to need to an effective response for voters who never heard of it or don’t remember the details clearly.; 6/30/15, 2:48 PM
Brando said...: "If Christie wins the nomination (I don’t think it’s likely but it’s not impossible as the field is pretty open), it’s probably going to get brought up again and he’s going to need to an effective response for voters who never heard of it or don’t remember the details clearly."

One good thing about a contentious primary season is it'll give the eventual winner a chance to test out their "rapid response" to scandals and attacks. Hopefully by the time Hillary's attack gang crawls out from the sewer to attack, the GOP nominee is well-honed to parry each thrust. To the extent Christie can portray Bridgegate as the result of rogue underlings who were quickly terminated and prosecuted after he found out what they did, as well as to show that he learned from it, the damage will be minimized. If he can also contrast his reaction to the scandal--total openness, adequate remedies/repercussions, contriteness--to Hillary's usual "excuses, avoid media, blame others" tactic, voters may decide they prefer the latter.; 6/30/15, 2:54 PM
Scott said...: "Bridgegate" is nothing. It only carries weight with people who were never going to vote for Christie in the first place.; 6/30/15, 3:20 PM
Humperdink said...: "Christie recently pardoned a guy who was convicted of a felony for having his gun in his car's glove compartment without the necessary permit. I would say he's done something to endear himself to gun rights activists."

As someone who is always skeptical of a politicians motives, I suspect this would not have occurred had Christie not planned to launch/lunch/spew his campaign today.; 6/30/15, 3:25 PM
traditionalguy said...: Fat chance he wins unless he moves to Ohio and runs as Taft II.; 6/30/15, 3:25 PM
Michael said...: The fat man is another of the great contenders we have. He is plain spoken and doesn't mind getting into verbal scraps. I like him a lot and think his approach resonates with a hell of a lot of Americans. The fact that the press hates him and that the lefties suddenly are experts in Bridgegate is a great reason to watch him carefully. Because they are afraid of him.

The Obama/Christie photo op is another bit of bullshit being offered up as a disqualifying moment.

Most of America is fat, by the way.; 6/30/15, 4:06 PM
Unknown said...: I like him. He seems to have the ability to think while talking, a fairly unusual skill. He might be able to deal with a largely hostile media. I hope so.; 6/30/15, 4:22 PM
Gahrie said...: The Obama/Christie photo op is another bit of bullshit being offered up as a disqualifying moment.

It is one of the reasons why I will never vote for him.; 6/30/15, 4:23 PM
Wilbur said...: "The Obama/Christie photo op is another bit of bullshit being offered up as a disqualifying moment."

I could not disagree more. To a good number of primary voters, it will be absolutely disqualifying. The video of this produces a visceral reaction in the gut of Obama haters.

And guess who votes in Republican primaries, Dear Heart? It ain't people who would love to bro-hug Obama. Are they going to trust Christie after a week of Obama-embrace ads in their state?

Not fair? So what. He screwed himself.; 6/30/15, 4:45 PM
Humperdink said...: Tradguy said: "Fat chance he wins unless he moves to Ohio and runs as Taft II."

Christie has three chances to win the nomination: slim, none, and fat. My money's on fat.; 6/30/15, 5:31 PM
grackle said...: It is baffling as to what Trump, Bush, Christie, and Graham think they're doing. They're not going to garner enough support to leverage an ambassadorship to Andorra from the Walker administration.

Re: Walker: Political adroitness on the state level does not necessarily translate to an ability to campaign for president.

Re: The others mentioned: You can never tell what will happen in politics.

Prediction: Trump will do much better than anticipated by the pundits, both left and right.

Like Christie, Trump is blunt. But wins points over Christie because Trump did not make up a bullshit anecdote about his mother during his launch.

Why I like Trump:

He has never held political office.

He has no political debts, which means should he win the presidency, he will not have to defer to lobbyists, corporations or activist groups.

He doesn’t need outside money, which means he cannot be easily bought.

He is combative, yet …

… he can negotiate a leopard out of its spots.

He understands the economy.

He is patriotic without apology or equivocation.

He is the opposite of an ideologue.

His organizational skills are second to none.

He worries conservative hacks, which is a positive, and drives progressives out of their living-in-a-bubble minds, which is wonderful to behold.; 6/30/15, 5:40 PM
Yancey Ward said...: I like Christie, but he has no chance at either the nomination, nor will he be considered a good VP candidate. The things about him that I like are anathema on the presidential campaign trail. That is the fault of the electorate, but facts are facts.; 6/30/15, 5:52 PM
sinz52 said...: A number of conservatives have now gotten turned off to Walker owing to the folks he has on his campaign staff, whom they don't perceive as sufficently committed to the conservative cause.

If I can mention other forums here: The leading conservative website, Redstate.com, has now disendorsed Walker on that basis.; 6/30/15, 6:39 PM
Joe said...: He doesn't stand a chance in hell. Against Hillary, you'd probably see the lowest voter turnout in history and Hillary would win.

Once again, the GOP is shaping up to lose big.; 6/30/15, 6:49 PM
Phil 314 said...: Christie is unloved on the left and right, but he's big in the middle.; 6/30/15, 8:01 PM
Bleach Drinkers Curing Coronavirus Together said...: Launching is an interesting way to describe the propulsion of a 300 lb man.; 6/30/15, 9:32 PM