Christie has distanced himself from his state’s tough gun laws on the campaign trail, and what he calls his evolving views on the Second Amendment have riled up New Jersey Democrats who say he’s pandering to a more conservative electorate out of state.
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Christie’s problem might be that, as with many other candidates, voters will see him as an experienced politician and part of the political status quo. Democrats insisted that issue could be addressed later.
Though Thursday’s poll is the first to find him as the most favorable candidate, Christie is undoubtedly more popular in the state than he was several months ago. Even in seemingly exceptional places like New Hampshire. It asked a select group of Muslim leaders to break the daily Ramadan fast at Christie’s home, and began with a traditional Muslim salutation.
Seventeen Republicans voted against overriding Christie’s veto: Mary Pat Angelini, R-Monmouth; Brown, R-Burlington; BettyLou DeCroce, R-Morris; John DiMaio, R-Warren; DiAnne Gove, R-Ocean; Sean Kean, R-Monmouth; Gregory McGuckin, R-Ocean; Declan O’Scanlon, R-Monmouth; Erik Peterson, R-Hunterdon; Gail Phoebus, R-Sussex; David Rible, R-Monmouth; Scott Rumana, R-Passaic; Brian Rumpf, R-Ocean; David Russo, R-Bergen; Donna Simon, R-Hunterdon; Parker Space, R-Sussex; and David Wolfe, R-Ocean. In this, he separates himself from the callow Marco Rubio, who when talking about foreign policy always sounds like a half-bright student who spent his study hall last period cramming for a test; the cynical incantation of the magic words “radical Islam” that is the only distinguishing feature of Ted Cruz’s platform; and the over-the-top bullshit of Donald Trump. He’d be a heavy favorite in SC, and if he won there, he could be a juggernaut in the “SEC primary”.
The New Jersey governor went on to argue that he has “much greater depth at making decisions” than Rubio, who was elected to the Senate in 2010. It is outstanding, and one of many reasons we stand by our endorsement of Chris Christie for President.
“These acts of terrorism are not theoretical to me”, he said. “If we don’t do them, then we are putting you and your family at risk”. One of these four candidates, according to my betters, is “supposed” to win New Hampshire and use that as a launching pad for unifying the establishment and its resources behind his candidacy. Early momentum is important.
With the gathering, at an evening meal known as Iftar, Christie opened what Muslim leaders recall as a period of exceptional warmth between the state’s sizable Muslim community and a prominent Republican. We’re going to nominate that guy? How? McCain finished fourth there with 13 percent in 2008, just behind Fred Thompson.
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Christie’s rise, however, is significant given that the same poll in October found the governor was in the low single digits with 3 percent of the vote. How can a serious candidate for the nomination win one key state while being a total zero in another?
