Chris Christie: half (at least) RINO who at best is the best to hope for in New Jersey, but certainly should be nowhere near a national ticket? Or: a promising conservative presidential candidate?
He's a promising moderately conservative Republican, who would have a better chance of winning a general election than most other potential Republican nominees. By New Jersey standards, he is not al all a RINO, he has vetoed income tax increases passed by the Democratic legislature several times, he has held down the growth of state spending, and he has vetoed gay marriage, while saying that he would favor allowing a binding referendum on gay marriage. He has limited property tax increases by towns and school districts to 2%, anything above that requires a voter referendum. He is clearly to the right of the last three Republican governors, Whitman, Kean and Cahill, and likely is the most conservative New Jersey governor since World War II. He's clearly a promising Presidential candidate, who has worked with moderate Democrats in the legislature to steer New Jersey government on a more conservative path.
Christie's principal problem as a candidate for President is that he'd have no chance at surviving the rigors of a modern Presidential campaign, even for the nomination, even if he were carried everywhere in a sedan chair. I do know a few people who are close to him, and his lifestyle is appalling.
He's about the most electable candidate on the Republican front bench for 2016, and he is conservative enough to compete for the nomination. But I don't think he'll run.
Christie has a good chance of being the best President since Eisenhower. There's no one else I'd rather have on the national ticket.
ReplyDeleteHe's a promising moderately conservative Republican, who would have a better chance of winning a general election than most other potential Republican nominees. By New Jersey standards, he is not al all a RINO, he has vetoed income tax increases passed by the Democratic legislature several times, he has held down the growth of state spending, and he has vetoed gay marriage, while saying that he would favor allowing a binding referendum on gay marriage. He has limited property tax increases by towns and school districts to 2%, anything above that requires a voter referendum. He is clearly to the right of the last three Republican governors, Whitman, Kean and Cahill, and likely is the most conservative New Jersey governor since World War II. He's clearly a promising Presidential candidate, who has worked with moderate Democrats in the legislature to steer New Jersey government on a more conservative path.
ReplyDeleteChristie's principal problem as a candidate for President is that he'd have no chance at surviving the rigors of a modern Presidential campaign, even for the nomination, even if he were carried everywhere in a sedan chair. I do know a few people who are close to him, and his lifestyle is appalling.
ReplyDeleteHe's about the most electable candidate on the Republican front bench for 2016, and he is conservative enough to compete for the nomination. But I don't think he'll run.