Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com
So it’s been revealed that NJ Gov. Chris Christie probably knew about the lane closures on the George Washington Bridge last year. Shocker! What this means is:
1. It is Christmas in February over at MSNBC
2. There is an important lesson in this for Dems who turn into big, wobbly piles of goo at the slightest sign of decency in a Republican.
Christie famously hugged President Obama after Hurricane Sandy and then bamboozled the public and credulous pundits desperate for a Moderate Republican SaviorTM for months after. He won his reelection for Governor easily – getting one third of the Democratic vote in the state – last November. Since taking that office in 2009, Christie had taken a sledgehammer to unions and public pensions and been a total dick to public school teachers but none of that mattered. Christie’s PR machine worked overtime to portray him as a likable guy with the “common touch”.
But, we continue to believe that in spite of Christie’s problems with some elements of the conservative movement, he is a major player in 2016 if he decides he wants to run for president.
Why? A lot of reasons but most importantly because Christie has the sort of common touch that is the rarest (and most valuable) gift in a politician. Take the clip below — from a Montville, New Jersey town hall meeting — where Christie gives his answer to a little girl’s questions about the best part of being governor. (Hint: It involves blocking traffic.)
Arizona liberals sure are familiar with this Regular Guy schtick, aren’t we? Christie’s ascension reminds us a lot of a certain Maricopa County Sheriff’s. As local filmmaker and muckraker Dennis Gilman pointed out on my Facebook page: “Christie reminds me of the “likeable” Arpaio. Many Dems supported him for years.” They sure did. Some still do, I bet. Joe Arpaio’s handlers spent years crafting and hammering home his phony image as a tough-on-crime, no-nonsense lawman with a soft spot for puppies and breast cancer patients. It worked brilliantly. Arpaio has won every election and enjoyed teflon-like popularity despite his office’s heinous human rights abuses, racism, gross incompetence, and fiscal debacles too numerous to list here.
Damn, if only he’d blocked traffic for a few days. We might have gotten rid of him.