Christie Faces Upill Battle with GOP

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright November 10, 2013
All Rights Reserved.                                      

            Pounding his chest fresh off a 22%-point re-election victory in New Jersey, 52-year-old Gov. Christie Christie faces a daunting challenge should he decide to run for president in 2016.  Asked repeatedly about his future plans, Christie ducked questions about a presidential run, telling the GOP on a Sunday morning TV talk shows to “show up.”  Christie, a bigger-than-life [no pun intended] character, is well-liked in New Jersey, a minority-rich blue state, despite his Republican affiliation.  What the press and Christie don’t get is that his success has nothing to do with the Republican National Committee’s Party’s platform, so fixated on slashing budgets, fighting Obamacare, shutting down the government and irrelevant topics like abortion to appeal to minority voters.  Christie thinks “just show up” means appealing to Hispanic and Black voters, something incompatible with his Party’s platform.

             Christie’s biggest obstacle to the White House are not minorities but the current leadership of the Republican Party.  Led by 42-year-old Tea Party favorite Reince Priebus, the Party’s fixated on ending Obamacare, not Christie’s effort to rebuild battered New Jersey in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.  “I know everybody is going to be speculating about what may come in my future and lots of other people’s future in our party.  But the fact is, I am focused on being the governor of New Jersey and being chairman of the Republican governor’s association,” said Christie, giving plenty of hints about his future plans.  Christie’s big win in the Garden State spells more internecine warfare inside the GOP, where conservatives have sabotaged Republican efforts in the last two presidential elections.  Christie has a better chance becoming president bolting the Republican Party.

             Tea Party conservatives prevailed on former GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2008, picking ultraconservative former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.  While McCain never came to grips with his colossal mistake, history repeated itself again in 2012.  When former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romeny Gov. picked Tea Party favorite House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan for his running mate, his campaign sank to the bottom.  Christie faces the same self-destructive forces inside the GOP, where Party-purity is more important than winning elections.  Pandering to minorities isn’t the way back for the GOP:  Republicans must change the Party platform that’s rich in right wing ideology but bereft of common sense ways to improve minorities’ lives.  It’s naive to suggest that the Party seeks a candidate, like Christie, that can take back the White House.

             Republican National Committee Chairman Priebus shows no signs of shrinking from his extremist right wing ways.  Fighting to end Obamacare is more important than finding an effective way of delivering affordable health care to the nation’s 40 million uninsured.  Whatever Christie’s success in New Jersey, Priebus would impose another Tea Party type on a moderate GOP ticket.  What Priebus and the RNC can’t fathom is that winning national elections isn’t about imposing a right wing agenda on mainstream voters.  “I got 61 percent of the vote in the state of New Jersey, in a blue state that had just re-elected Barack Obama a year ago by 17 points,” said Christie, boasting about his appeal to minorities.  Christie was blasted by Priebus in 2012 for cozying up to Obama before the election to work on Sandy disaster relief for New Jersey residents—the very strength that won him re-election.

             Sending a not-so-subtle message to Priebus, Christie talked up his appeal to minority voters.  “Getting 51% of the Hispanic vote, I’m very proud of that,” said Christie, signaling that he’s got national appeal.  Known as a do-your-own-thing maverick, Christie doesn’t fit the current GOP mold, more represented by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fl.) or Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.  All feel comfortable imposing Priebus’ right wing agenda of banning abortion, fighting Obamacare, slashing the budget, shrinking the size of government and imposing austerity on the U.S. economy.  GOP officials pretend the economy has tanked under Obama.  They don’t acknowledge Wall Street’s spectacular success, consistent jobs growth, greater government tax receipts, shrinking federal budget deficits and rising national GDP.

             Christie would like to set an example for the GOP but faces the same counterproductive forces as McCain and Romney.  “If you want to win a vote by that kind of margin, if you want to attract the majority of the Hispanic vote, if you want to nearly triple your African American vote, you need to show up, you need to go into those neighborhoods, you need to campaign in places,” said Christie, missing his Party’s ruinous platform.  Showing up in Latino or Black neighborhoods won’t do anything as long as the GOP bashes Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other federal entitlements.  Despite Obama’s economic progress, Priebus and his Tea Party friends aren’t content unless they attack government entitlements that help minorities and the aelderly get a leg up.  Unless there’s a dramatic change to the Republican platform, Christie’s message will drown out.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.