No chance for Christie
New Jersey Republican governor faces insurmountable climb to the top
For the past several years, Chris Christie, the Republican New Jersey governor, has been a favorite presidential candidate for many in the Grand Old Party. There were a number of reasons why many conservatives thought he could win the nomination, including his dynamic personality, his fundraising abilities and the strategic location of his home state.
Shambles — Chris Christie placed tenth in a recent poll of presidential contenders. Google Images
However, Christie’s chances have recently taken some severe hits. With all this momentum in his favor, it is surprising that he has fallen to the point where many are describing his campaign as “crumbling.” Yet even with the shock of his fall, there are a few reasons that can be identified to describe it.
Inexplicable political mistakes have plagued Christie’s political career. Recent reports have stated that the governor is almost impossible to reach, as he refuses to return phone calls and often shows up late to meetings. His trip to London a few weeks ago was an absolute disaster, as he butchered a response to a question on
measles vaccinations.
Throughout the rest of the trip, he refused to answer questions from the media, even yelling at one reporter who dared to speak to him.
“He didn’t appear a hardworking public servant losing patience with bleating reporters — he had the air of a plutocrat irked that the little people weren’t doing what they were told,” Andrew Ferguson wrote of Christie’s bullish attitude.
Even more has been written about his expensive taste and poor associations. From his bizarre playoff football appearance embracing Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to his time spent at multiple parties with U2’s Bono, many are coming to question the people-first persona Christie has effused over the past few years.
“The jets, the meals, the concerts, the parties with celebrity pop musicians — we have at last learned that Christie is neither a populist nor a plutocrat, but a man striving to live out the fantasies of a teenage boy,” Ferguson wrote.
One of the most concerning aspects of Christie’s fall is the loss of many of his most important donors. He has had a reputation for being a great fundraiser, as he brought in more than $100 million as chair of the Republican Governors Association. Yet this has come into question over the last few months as many of the donors who gave this money say that it was because of their “interest in supporting various governors up for reelection” rather than Christie’s fundraising abilities.
Other donors are leaving the governor for more prominent moderate candidates, such as Jeb Bush. Important individuals like Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets (who play in Christie’s home state), have put their support behind Jeb Bush instead of the outspoken New Jersey governor. Even worse, three very critical New Jersey donors have deserted Christie for Bush in the past few weeks. A lack of effort and an arrogant approach have driven many who should back Christie to instead support the former governor of Florida.
A clear contrast would be the campaign of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. In some ways, he is similar to Christie — he is the governor of a very important state for Republicans in 2016, and he also had a misstep on a recent trip to England.
However, this is where the similarities end, as Walker has worked tirelessly and humbly to win the hearts of conservatives all across the country. Because of his recent performances, Walker has shot to the top of many polls in these early months. Many credit Walker’s experience in running tough campaigns, as he has survived repeated challenges by Democrats in his home state.
Although Christie has obviously won races for governor, he has not faced the kind of grinding, difficult campaign that the 2016 election season promises to be. His lack of experience in tough campaigns may be showing.
“(Christie’s) a very popular figure, but he’s made a mistake by not creating the necessary momentum for the kind of national organization you need to be successful,”
Anthony Scaramucci, a New York hedge fund manager supporting Walker, said. “He’s not touching enough people. And I think this is a classic rookie mistake.”
SUTHERLAND is an opinion writer.