Chris Christie attacked Marco Rubio on his experience, and it didn’t really go well for Rubio.
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But he hinted that strikes on the tycoon may be coming soon.
Trump waited until the final moments of the Republican primary debate – at a point when it was too late for Cruz to respond – to pounce.
“You have not been involved in a consequential decision where you had to be held accountable”, Christie lectured the first-term lawmaker from Florida. “Under Chris Christie’s governorship of New Jersey, they’ve been downgraded nine times in their credit rating”, he said.
Trump’s lead shrunk to 11 points after finishing second in the Iowa caucuses, where Texas Senator Ted Cruz managed to defeat him by a 3 point margin.
“We can not nominate what the Democrats did eight years ago”, insisted Christie. He added: “There could be a time when I go after Mr. Trump as well”. Rubio then said he wanted to “dispel the notion” that Obama lacks competency, but is rather trying to change the United States to be like the rest of the world.
“It’s a sign of weakness when you make fun of the disabled”, Bush said. A strong second- or third-place finish in New Hampshire would create a little room and discussion about him going on to win super primary states, ” said Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. The poll includes interviews with a random sample of 953 adult residents of New Hampshire, including 406 who say they plan to vote in the Democratic presidential primary and 362 who plan to vote in the Republican presidential primary.
“Marco, the thing is this”, Christie continued.
Indeed, the Real Clear Politics average of polls shows that Mr. Trump, who has favored large rallies over the meet-and-greets and smaller town hall meetings, which voters here expect, has more support – 31.1 percent – than Mr. Kasich (12 percent), Mr. Bush (9.7 percent) and Mr. Christie (5 percent) have, combined. “Barack Obama is the first president, at least in my lifetime, who wants to change the country”.
Christie offered Kasich praise-with-a-punch, calling him an effective leader of OH but saying Kasich’s tenure is “like Candy Land” because he’s worked with a GOP-run legislature, versus the Democratic legislature Christie works with in New Jersey.
Marco Rubio participates in the debate in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Saturday.
CARLO ALLEGRI/REUTERS Marco Rubio has been the target of jokes for his robot-like performance during Saturday’s GOP debate.
Bush, Christie, and another governor – John Kasich of OH – are all seeking to overtake Rubio for second place, hoping to emerge as the main alternative to anti-establishment candidates Trump and Cruz.
“We are never going to defeat Hillary Clinton in November unless we unite the party and the only way we’re going to do that is with a candidate who has a message that can bring the Republican Party together”, he said.
Cruz is not expected to fare as well in New Hampshire as in Iowa, but he made memorable marks in Saturday’s debate, first repeating his apology to Carson for the false rumors and later offering an emotional account of his half-sister’s drug addiction and eventual death.
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“I’m not opposed to hope and bravado as an element, but hope and bravado don’t form the basis of a plan”, Christie said of Trump.
