Governor Christie Does it Again
Pat Sajak ·
Jan 2, 2011 at 12:37pm
It's hard not to be impressed by New Jersey's governor, Chris Christie. His response to criticisms of him and his Lt. Governor for being out of the state during the recent snow "crisis" is a textbook lesson in how to treat such matters. It's strong and measured and complete, without any false notes, self-pity, bitterness or phony displays of emotion. It not only sets the record straight, it manages to paint his critics as carping, unfeeling politicians out for partisan gain. It runs over six minutes, but I think it's worth looking at and asking the question, "Why aren't there more like him out there?"
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Jun '10
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
Kwai Chang Caine: "But Master, how do I not contend with a man that would contend with me?"
Blind Master Po: "In a heart that is one with nature, though the body contends, there is no violence, and in the heart that is not one with nature, though the body be at rest, there is always violence. Be, therefore, like the prow of a boat. It cleaves water, yet it leaves in its wake water unbroken."
Dec '10
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
One of the things I like best about Gov, Christie is that he never demeans or condescends overtly to his questioners, but he certainly gives the impression by the time he's done answering that the question had an obvious answer that was plainly apparent to anyone not blinded by partisan fervor.
Nov '10
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
The Big Boy is smart, funny, feisty, honest, likeable and very human — everything that Obama is not.
If Chris Christie is not our candidate for President in 2012, we need someone a lot like him.
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
My dear Pat,
I'm a huge fan of Christie and Guadagno, but no Kool-Aid drinker. It pains me to be critical of either, but I'm forced to give them each a minus 1.
In the long run this minor issue shouldn't affect anything after snow and memories melt (although I still remember a President who didn't return from Hawaii when the underwear bomber was arrested).
The reason for having a Lt. Gov was because Jersey's strange system left in charge in the Governor's absence the President of the Senate. Guadagno is our first Lt. Gov. To be back to the old system, when the new system is still so new was simply bad form, no matter how heart-tugging the excuse.
Magnifying this issue is the snow plowing was the worst in Jersey's history. I'm not exaggerating, 3 days after the storm I missed a friend's wake because all roads were closed. Tomorrow, NINE DAYS after the storm, my kids' schools have a delayed opening because roads still aren't plowed.
Christie is great on political theory, but he has shown shortcomings in administration. At least Mussolini kept the trains on time.
Edited on Jan 2, 2011 at 6:10pmSep '10
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
Wow.
He doesn't take things personally, he understands all the underlying dynamics, frames these dynamics well, has facts at hand, and speaks from his experience.
He has enough confidence in his views that he doesn't try to convince people he is right, he is simply answering the questions. Few have this ability.
Edited on Jan 2, 2011 at 2:44pmRe: Governor Christie Does it Again
Tommy De Seno: My dear Pat,
I'm a huge fan of Christie and Guadagno, but no Kool-Aid drinker. It pains me to be critical of either, but I'm forced to give them each a minus 1.
Tommy...
I would agree that it's easier to overlook an unplowed road if you're not the own who has to drive on it. However, I'm not sure what more the presence of either would have accomplished. It's interesting to look back and see how many local politicians have been seriously scarred by bad snow removal over the years. It seems to be the one aspect of state or municipal government that can sink an administration quicker and more unexpectedly than any other. Even Chicago's autocratic Mayor Daley (Sr.), suffered a rare political setback after a two-footer hit that area in the mid-60s. Finally, whatever shortcomings might have existed after your storm, I do think Christie handled the criticism much better than, say, the Mayor of New York City.
Anyway, I hope your kids' delayed opening is the last for a while. (9 days later; wow!)
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
I agree with you Pat - snow removal is a weird thing to hold an administration accountable for, but it does happen. I guess it's related to road rage.
Just to show I'm a good team player, I'm going to blame Senate President Steve Sweeney, (D) who took the helm in Christie and Guadagno's absence.
Much of the problem with plowing was caused by people getting stuck and abandoning their vehicles in the street. Sweeney should have kept the state of emergency going for one day longer to keep folks inside while the plows did their job.
I guess I should also put some blame on my fellow Jerseyans for not knowing how to handle a car in two feet of snow.
I handled the storm nicely - a bottle of chianti, a wedge of provolone cheese and all the TV I could fall asleep in front of (W of F excepting!).
May '10
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
Not as impressed as I was hoping to be.
He's defensive here and using dying parents and children as shields. That gets my hackles up quickly and reminds me of a certain candidate who liked to throw the closest relative he could under the bus when going got tough.
I'd be more impressed if he just took responsibility, said there were personal reasons for both vacations that he won't get into, and that in retrospect he should have ensured either he or his Lt Gov would have been in the state.
Jul '10
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
I expect a Governor to personally shovel snow under these circumstances. While wearing a festive ski hat.
If he can manage to rescue a handicapped minority child from a snowdrift while he's at it, that's just gravy.
Dec '10
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
A tale of two mayors:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/schedules_reveal_tale_of_two_mayors_Nw8vDaeFmh9cUkWISXdMiP
From the New York Post, a retrospective on how Guiliani handled a huge snowstorm.
I think it's difficult to blame snow removal on a governor of a whole state rather than a mayor. Ultimately, though, in both places, if there is any incompetence (or sabotage) it's really on the managers or the unions.
Jun '10
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
Exactly right, Kenneth. If he were really the totally prepared Governor he is made out to be, he would have brought a couple of dozen snow shovels to the news conference and said, "OK folks, vacation is over. Now everyone quit complaining, grab a shovel and let's get to work."
Dec '10
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
A bit of history about snow storms affecting politics.
Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley's successor after his death in office, Democratic machine selected Michael Bilandic, was ousted by Chicago voters in favor of the unlikely and machine hated candidate Jane Byrne in large part because he was viewed as having dropped the snow removal ball after a major blizzard.
Edited on Jan 2, 2011 at 6:27pmDec '10
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
A man of Governor Christie's girth should not be shoveling snow under any circumstances.
Jun '10
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
Maurilius: Not as impressed as I was hoping to be.
He's defensive here and using dying parents and children as shields. That gets my hackles up quickly and reminds me of a certain candidate who liked to throw the closest relative he could under the bus when going got tough.
I'd be more impressed if he just took responsibility, said there were personal reasons for both vacations that he won't get into, and that in retrospect he should have ensured either he or his Lt Gov would have been in the state. · Jan 2 at 5:13pm
Christie wasn't defending himself with the "dying parent." He was defending his Lt. Governor, who was being accused of demonstrating "insensitivity" by going on vacation. And, he was just answering the public's questions. He wasn't really apologizing. How would he get by with saying, "we both had our reasons to go, but you're not allowed to know what they are?" He had to explain his reasons. That's what he did.
May '10
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
etoiledunord
How would he get by with saying, "we both had our reasons to go, but you're not allowed to know what they are?" He had to explain his reasons. That's what he did.
Perhaps if he'd stuck with explaining why his Lt Gov was on vacation...but adding on to that his children as an excuse is a bit silly, especially in contrast to a dying parent.
Nov '10
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
The great thing about being in a leadership role is the fact that everyone, from every side, has something to say about how you handle yourself. You should have done this, or you should have said that. Because, you know, everyone who's got something to say would have done a better job. It's just plain silly.
I think this illustrates some thing that I believe is very American: delegation of power. No single person is the key player. Our system of government has built in redundancies. Both of them can nip off to wherever, regardless of the reason, and everything is just going to keep on going. Continuity of government, and all that.
Jul '10
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
I grant it would have been good "optics" if Christie had returned and was seen piloting snow-removal equipment begoggled and muffler clad -- symbolism is always more important than reality in today's world -- but I have trouble seeing this as his Katrina.
May '10
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
Kenneth: I expect a Governor to personally shovel snow under these circumstances. While wearing a festive ski hat.
If he can manage to rescue a handicapped minority child from a snowdrift while he's at it, that's just gravy. · Jan 2 at 5:23pm
I am a Twitter follower of @CoryBooker the mayor of Newark. Watching him monitor and respond to his constituents all week via Twitter was amazing. you got the sense that he was manning the plows himself. It may not be the right use of resources, but during a holiday week when nothing else was going on, he was practicing some amazing retail politics. You might not like his politics, but this guy understands constituent service, and politics a lot better than our president.
Re: Governor Christie Does it Again
I think the question you ask, Pat, is the right one, the important one: why are people like Chris Christie so rare? Why aren't there more like him? What's so hard about standing up to a biased, dishonest and bloodthirsty media and giving them the back of the hand they deserve? It's not whether Christie is always right, it's that he takes his stand, speaks his piece and sticks to his philosophy. Remember pompous Brian Williams pompously quoting a pompous editorial in the pompous New York Times pompously attacking Christie? And Christie's shrug of a reply: "It's the New York Times. I'll take a deep bow for that." He's not afraid of these idiots. Why is that so rare? The only answer I can think of, Pat, is that courage is an uncommon quality. Maybe that's why they call it courage. But still, it's frustrating and sad.