Uncommon Knowledge: Boardwalk Empire: Chris Christie’s Unfinished Political Journey

 

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie began his political career as a teenager watching Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford joust for control of the Republican Party at the 1976 GOP convention. From there, he soon entered the University of Delaware and then received his JD degree from the Seton Hall University School of Law. He served as US attorney for New Jersey from 2002 to 2008 and as governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Gov. Christie ran for president briefly in 2016. The governor guides us through all of those—often embattled—chapters of his life in the course of this interview, including giving us his view of the Bridgegate scandal, and what it was like to be on the debate stage with Donald Trump in the 2016 Republican primary race. But it’s not all politics: we also cover the governor’s views on China, COVID policy, and domestic economic policy. Finally, while he doesn’t make any announcement about his future plans, Christie does describe why he might be the best choice to run—and win—in the 2024 presidential election.

Recorded at Fox News in NYC on October 28, 2021

Published in General
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  1. Scott R Member
    Scott R
    @ScottR

    A fitting irony would be for his political journey to end with his obliterating Trump on the debate stage, clearing the way for President Disantis.

    • #1
  2. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    Scott R (View Comment):

    A fitting irony would be for his political journey to end with his obliterating Trump on the debate stage, clearing the way for President Disantis.

    If anyone can demolish someone else on the stage, it is Chris Christie.  See his demolition of Marco Rubio in the New Hampshire debate.  Astonishing. 

    President DeSantis is fine with me.  Not my first choice, but I will happily settle for anyone other than Donald John Trump or his children.

    • #2
  3. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    Scott R (View Comment):

    A fitting irony would be for his political journey to end with his obliterating Trump on the debate stage, clearing the way for President Disantis.

    If anyone can demolish someone else on the stage, it is Chris Christie. See his demolition of Marco Rubio in the New Hampshire debate. Astonishing.

    President DeSantis is fine with me. Not my first choice, but I will happily settle for anyone other than Donald John Trump or his children.

    Christie is great at attacking Republicans to his right ( and as tepid as Marco is, he’s to the right of Crispy Kreme Christie. ) 

     

    Christie is running. He’s a complete fraud and suck-up to Democrats. I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him.
    Christie is a fool. The above picture is him hugging the owner of the Dallas Cowboys after they beat the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. For some reason Crispy Creme is a life-long Cowboys fan despite his New Jersey roots. South Jersey is Eagle country, Northern Jersey is NY Giant country. Eagles fans – for whatever reason – hate “America’s team” Giant fans don’t like them either. So Christie is too politically stupid to refrain from being entertained by Jerry Jones on Eagle territory, and then publicly celebrating.

    Regardless of whether one can objectively see that a person should be able to root for any team for any reason, it’s political suicide to aggravate your constituents unnecessarily. He will never be President. Don’t think he is a viable candidate 

    • #3
  4. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Unfinished political journey? Why do the fates hate us so?

    • #4
  5. Viruscop Member
    Viruscop
    @Viruscop

    Franco (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    Scott R (View Comment):

    A fitting irony would be for his political journey to end with his obliterating Trump on the debate stage, clearing the way for President Disantis.

    If anyone can demolish someone else on the stage, it is Chris Christie. See his demolition of Marco Rubio in the New Hampshire debate. Astonishing.

    President DeSantis is fine with me. Not my first choice, but I will happily settle for anyone other than Donald John Trump or his children.

    Christie is great at attacking Republicans to his right ( and as tepid as Marco is, he’s to the right of Crispy Kreme Christie. )

     

    I have been calling him Krispy Kremey for years.

    • #5
  6. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    It’s hilarious to watch pro John McCain people try to explain how he moved the ball forward for conservatives and libertarians. Word salad every single time. It’s probably an important question, here,  as seen from the discussion.

    • #6
  7. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf (View Comment):

    Unfinished political journey? Why do the fates hate us so?

    Why doesn’t he finish it already?

     

    • #7
  8. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    Peter Robinson: Gov. Christie ran for president briefly in 2018.

    I think it was 2016, but you’re right about “briefly” since he was summarily rejected in the primaries.

    • #8
  9. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    RufusRJones (View Comment):
    It’s hilarious to watch pro John McCain people try to explain how he moved the ball forward for conservatives and libertarians. Word salad every single time.

    On that point alone, all who call themselves conservatives should reject them.

    • #9
  10. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    It’s hilarious to watch pro John McCain people try to explain how he moved the ball forward for conservatives and libertarians. Word salad every single time.

    On that point alone, all who call themselves conservatives should reject them.

    It’s one of the most educational things I’ve ever done with the Internet. Policy is secondary with these people.

    • #10
  11. Max Coolidge
    Max
    @Max

    Christie’s “political journey” ended quite a long time ago. About October 29, 2012, or whenever it was he hugged Obama.

    • #11
  12. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    I just listened to this softball interview.

    So many falsehoods uttered by this corrupt lout.

    He dissembles well – well enough for Softball Robinson anyway.

    No question after hearing this, he’s going to run. Peter obviously knows that too.

    Christie is fighting the last fight, no – more like four fights ago.

     

    • #12
  13. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    Peter Robinson: Chris Christie’s Unfinished Political Journey

    Only if he runs as a Democrat.  But lemme give it a listen, out of respect for PR.

    • #13
  14. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    EDIT: Oooh, spoke too soon (context).  I retract.  For now.

    • #14
  15. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    BDB (View Comment):

    Peter Robinson: Chris Christie’s Unfinished Political Journey

    Only if he runs as a Democrat. But lemme give it a listen, out of respect for PR.

    If NJ had a Republican governor in 2009 I have no doubt that Christie would have run as a Democrat. He didn’t really have an agenda he was running for, he just wanted to be governor.

    • #15
  16. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Max (View Comment):

    Christie’s “political journey” ended quite a long time ago. About October 29, 2012, or whenever it was he hugged Obama.

    Then there was Bridgegate and Beachgate.

    • #16
  17. Blue Yeti Admin
    Blue Yeti
    @BlueYeti

    Max (View Comment):
    Christie’s “political journey” ended quite a long time ago. About October 29, 2012, or whenever it was he hugged Obama.

    LOL:

    Hey, how’d those “nuclear negotiations” work out anyway? Anyone remember?

    Oh, right…

    It’s weird who you guys think is acceptable to suck up to and who isn’t. 🤔

    • #17
  18. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Franco (View Comment):

    No question after hearing this, he’s going to run. Peter obviously knows that too.

    Well, I mean, what else is he going to do? Maybe he’s having a hard time finding work. And, . . . well, what kind of work is he suited for?

    • #18
  19. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    Alright, I’m halfway through this thing.  SO FAR, why is Christie running against Trump on China, with nothing to say about Biden?  Trump “threw bouquets” at China, sure — he did so *while beating them in a trade war*; it’s slap & tickle — and later (since Christie said Trump’s position was ‘Trust China” on COVID), Trump had to fight Rs and Ds a like to restrict travel from obviously contagious China.

    When I’m dealing with a project manager across the fence, I also say “I trust that PM to produce the desired results and the required reports.”  Because nobody on the other side of the fence works for me!  That’s a polite way of saying “When you F this up, it’s not on me,” which is the right answer when you have no authority over a loosely connected party.

    I don’t expect Robinson to go all Project Veritas on CC — not at this early stage of the game.  I figure his role is to help the Rs set up franchises wherever they want.  We are wa-a-ay pre-Primary at this point, and if we’re going to pretend that elections still matter. then this seems sound.

    So far CC has bunted on gay marriage and punted on abortion, and is running against Trump on China.  Hope the current administration gets some attention in the second half.

     

    • #19
  20. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    Franco (View Comment):
    South Jersey is Eagle country, Northern Jersey is NY Giant country.

    It is hard to unite Eagle and Giant fans, but rooting against the Cowboys is one thing they both agree upon. Our current governor is actually a RedSox fan, which to a Yankee fan is about as bad as it gets. But at least he isn’t advertising it the way Christie did.

    Also, Christie was MIA for much of his second term because he wanted to be president instead. Sure , he found time to stop back in Trenton to raise the gas tax, but that didn’t thrill me either. If he wanted to stay in politics, why didn’t he run against Booker for senate? 

    • #20
  21. Blue Yeti Admin
    Blue Yeti
    @BlueYeti

    Franco (View Comment):

    Peter Robinson: Gov. Christie ran for president briefly in 2018.

    I think it was 2016, but you’re right about “briefly” since he was summarily rejected in the primaries.

    Fixed. Thanks. 

    • #21
  22. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):

    Franco (View Comment):

    Peter Robinson: Gov. Christie ran for president briefly in 2018.

    I think it was 2016, but you’re right about “briefly” since he was summarily rejected in the primaries.

    Fixed. Thanks.

    Unfortunately, PR said 2018, but I chalk it up to him not sounding like he feels well.  Hope he’s okay.

    • #22
  23. Columbo Inactive
    Columbo
    @Columbo

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    Scott R (View Comment):

    A fitting irony would be for his political journey to end with his obliterating Trump on the debate stage, clearing the way for President Disantis.

    If anyone can demolish someone else on the stage, it is Chris Christie. See his demolition of Marco Rubio in the New Hampshire debate. Astonishing.

    President DeSantis is fine with me. Not my first choice, but I will happily settle for anyone other than Donald John Trump or his children.

    Chris Christie has NO leverage to “demolish” anyone, anymore. Bridgegate, Beachgate, pick one.

    • #23
  24. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    This is a dry run, and Christie desperately needs it. He just got completely lost in a pile of rhetoric about concentration camps.  Needs more salt.

    • #24
  25. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    Heh.  Check it out on YouTube.  The comments are savage.

    • #25
  26. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    BS alert.  PR asks him about COVID, sets the table with quotes from Biden and Fauci.  Christie pivots to anti-Trump, then says “we have 65% vax rate without mandates.”  I am not interested in the sort of quibble that makes the current oppressive, suffocating vax regime somehow not “mandates”.

    Pressing on just out of respect for PR.  I certainly hope this gets better.

    • #26
  27. Columbo Inactive
    Columbo
    @Columbo

    BDB (View Comment):

    Heh. Check it out on YouTube. The comments are savage.

    We are being overly kind. As if at a dinner party with Christie. He is toast. DOA.

    A pretentious loser who deeply cares what others think of him. Give me President Trump everyday, and twice on Sundays.

    • #27
  28. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    Columbo (View Comment):
    We are being overly kind. As if at a dinner party with Christie. He is toast. DOA.

    Yup.  Not gonna go all-in Christie-whacking on a PR podcast post.  I figure we’ll have another post up for the rest.

    • #28
  29. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):

    Max (View Comment):
    Christie’s “political journey” ended quite a long time ago. About October 29, 2012, or whenever it was he hugged Obama.

    LOL:

    Hey, how’d those “nuclear negotiations” work out anyway? Anyone remember?

    Oh, right…

    It’s weird who you guys think is acceptable to suck up to and who isn’t. 🤔

     

    Yep. Weird…

    Democrats want the best for America. Keep telling yourself that, and make sure you promote loser Republicans so more Democrats can win. 

    • #29
  30. Columbo Inactive
    Columbo
    @Columbo

    BDB (View Comment):

    Columbo (View Comment):
    We are being overly kind. As if at a dinner party with Christie. He is toast. DOA.

    Yup. Not gonna go all-in Christie-whacking on a PR podcast post. I figure we’ll have another post up for the rest.

    But we could, if the CEO wants it.

    • #30
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