Saturday, October 26, 2013

The real question with Christie is; will he turn to right wing extremism after his re-election to entice his nomination in 2016?

In other words, how close to the vest is Chris Christie playing his own re-election to facilitate his future ambitions? Will we see the other side of his personality that feeds his ambition? What is that phrase? Oh, yeah, Political Capital. Will the Governor spend his political capital once re-elected?

In all fairness, he once stated, "I am tired of the crazies." That was in relation to 2012 elections and the strong advocacy for his endorsement as a popular Governor by the Right Wing Tea Party. We'll see.

Something tells me the citizens of New Jersey keep their eye on the ball.

Employees (click here) of the Borough of Cadwell and a Caldwell firefighter listen in as Governor Chris Christie holds a meet and greet with seniors at the Caldwell Fire Department. Caldwell, NJ 10/24/13 (Robert Sciarrino/The Star-Ledger)

Martha T. Moore, USA TODAY  
2:05 p.m. EDT October 17, 2013

In August, (click here) New Jersey Republican Fernando Alonso heard great news at a county fundraiser: Gov. Chris Christie jokingly told the crowd that he would be spending so much time in the district helping Alonso defeat an incumbent Democratic state senator that he'd be charged property tax.

Seven weeks later, Alonso is still waiting for Christie to stump for him. Aside from both attending a seniors picnic last month -- where Christie directed his rhetorical fire at his own opponent -- the two haven't been on the trail together. "He will be here in the next month,'' Alonso spokesman Ira Treuhaft says. "We're very, very thankful for his support.''

Christie, running for his own reelection, may well be the first Republican to win more than 50% of the vote statewide since 1985. Opinion polls show him leading his Democratic challenger, state Sen. Barbara Buono, nearly two to one. But he isn't likely to win Republican control of the state legislature – and it isn't clear that he wants to. For a potential presidential candidate who wants to run as a Republican who can win a blue state, there's more mileage in having opponents in the legislature. And in a season where political intransigence is infuriating voters, Christie is busily sounding a bipartisan theme....