# Chris Christie: Just being a good governor or setting his sights on 2016? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 31, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390 "2012-10-31T02:32:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/21 "2012-10-31T19:59:38Z")
I’m sure the Romney campaign is loving seeing [photos like this one](http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/obama-christie-greet-local-residents-in-new-jersey) in the news today. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/22 "2012-10-31T21:06:37Z")
I’m thinking [THIS](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.vh1.com/celebrity/bwe/images/2010/10/SCANNERS-GIF-01.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.vh1.com/celebrity/2010-10-11/woman-transforms-herself-into-jared-leto-confusing-sexualities-everywhere/&h=236&w=320&sz=297&tbnid=azekpCFYWTK2-M:&tbnh=90&tbnw=122&zoom=1&usg=__cIlr3hlUS46gBiyDcB2TG5bcW60=&docid=TnRLPsZeyIAKlM&sa=X&ei=CJKRUJaZFcir0AHGzoHoBg&ved=0CCsQ9QEwAQ&dur=3037) must be Romney right about now. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2012, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/23 "2012-10-31T22:40:04Z")
The OP left out a third choice. Before even thinking about 2016, Christie needs to think about 2013, and his first order of business is getting reelected next year as a Republican in a Blue state. He is pretty popular right now, but Corey Booker is pretty popular too, and could well prove to be a formidable opponent. I’m not sure exactly what Obama himself is going to do in this situation or what specifically Christie might be looking for from him, but this hurricane is a huge deal in NJ, and Obama is fairly popular and if Christie is perceived as rejecting “assistance” from Obama because of political considerations it could seriously hurt his popularity in this state for a long time. I’m sure Christie would love to help out Romney, but his first consideration is helping out Christie. That’s how it works in politics and life. ---
**Author:** ![Andiethewestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Andiethewestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andiethewestie)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/24 "2012-11-01T05:35:28Z")
Ah, these men are both pragmatic centralists, it doesn’t surprise me that we’re actually witnessing government working. Find common ground and just do it. If that makes Christie disloyal to the GOP ticket, so be it. People’s lives are at stake. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/25 "2012-11-01T05:55:42Z")
> [@Andiethewestie](#): > > Ah, these men are both pragmatic centralists, it doesn’t surprise me that we’re actually witnessing government working. Find common ground and just do it. If that makes Christie disloyal to the GOP ticket, so be it. People’s lives are at stake. Well yes I understand that and that is true. But that doesn’t mean that Christie isn’t _also_ doing everything he can to use moments such as [these](http://hinterlandgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/official-white-house-picture-of-Obama-Chris-Christie.jpg) to bolster his standing come 2016. That was an official White House picture of Obama sitting discussing hurricane damage with Christie aboard Air Force One which Christie then _re-tweeted_ himself. And I think he doesn’t consider disloyalty to this ticket to be that much of a risk, considering the weakness of Romney’s candidacy. ---
**Author:** ![JohnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/848f3c/32.png) [@JohnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnM)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/26 "2012-11-01T18:16:48Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > And I think he doesn’t consider disloyalty to this ticket to be that much of a risk, considering the weakness of Romney’s candidacy. This. While I’m not a fan of Christie’s political views, he (unlike a number of national GOP figures right now, e.g., Michelle Bachman) is a realist. Given the state of the polls, does Christie want to make points with the guy who is probably going to lose next week, or would he rather make sure that he has a good working relationship with the guy who is going to be allocating recovery resources for the next 4 years? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/27 "2012-11-01T18:46:01Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > If this was the first and only such instance of Christie not embracing Romney too tightly in public during this campaign, I probably wouldn’t have noticed it as much. But it just seems like a bit of a pattern with Christie. Did I miss something and Christie recently resigned his position as governor of New Jersey to be Mitt Romney’s running mate? What responsibility does Christie have to be Mitt Romney’s parrot? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/28 "2012-11-01T19:03:00Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Did I miss something and Christie recently resigned his position as governor of New Jersey to be Mitt Romney’s running mate? What responsibility does Christie have to be Mitt Romney’s parrot? Well I don’t know about ‘responsibility’, but the Romney campaign certainly _thought_ they had a solid surrogate in Christie, prior to all of Christie’s “honesty” slips on the campaign trail. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/29 "2012-11-01T19:37:43Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Before even thinking about 2016, Christie needs to think about 2013, and his first order of business is getting reelected next year as a Republican in a Blue state. He is pretty popular right now, but Corey Booker is pretty popular too, and could well prove to be a formidable opponent. This is true. And to address the OP’s question, it’s not as if being a good governor and thinking about his political future are mutually exclusive. Romney can’t do anything for Christie right now and Obama can. And so far the relevant elected officials really do seem pleased with the work the federal government did in advance of the storm. There’s not much to be lost by acknowledging that. And for that matter, spending time with Romney would probably hurt Christie right now. It would be a very obvious bit of political theater at a very bad time. Even if elected, Romney can’t do anything for Christie and New Jersey until (theoretically) late January. > [@Ambivalid](#): > > Well I don’t know about ‘responsibility’, but the Romney campaign certainly _thought_ they had a solid surrogate in Christie, prior to all of Christie’s “honesty” slips on the campaign trail. They did. Christie did plenty of over-the-top Obama-bashing on the campaign trail. He doesn’t owe Romney anything, and while the Obama administration seems to have done a good job preparing for Sandy and responding to it, Romney didn’t and hasn’t because he doesn’t hold elected office right now. Tough shit for Romney if he’s disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/30 "2012-11-01T20:41:06Z")
> [@Kyomara](#): > > I think that this interpretation of what he said is off the mark, and I’ve seen it a few places around the web tonight. Christie didn’t say anything unkind about Romney at all. He got upset with Steve Doocy for injecting partisan politics into the conversation. His beef (such as it was) was with Fox News, not Mitt Romney. I agree, Christie was pissed off at the idiots on Fox News for trying to inject politics into a situation like this. If only folks would exhibit the same sort of revulsion at Fox news injecting politics into the embassy attack in Libya. Noone attacked Bush for 9/11 the way people have been attacking Obama for Libya. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/31 "2012-11-01T21:18:57Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Did I miss something and Christie recently resigned his position as governor of New Jersey to be Mitt Romney’s running mate? What responsibility does Christie have to be Mitt Romney’s parrot? It is noticed because he has not stayed in-line with Republican thought - he is not opposing and attacking Obama on each - and - every - thing. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/32 "2012-11-01T21:33:22Z")
It’s debatable what effect these actions would have on a hypothetical 2016 run: Being seen to be willing to work with Obama could certainly help him among the general electorate, but it’ll also make it a lot harder for him to make it through the primaries. On the other hand, being willing to work with Obama and the rest of the federal government is undoubtedly in his state’s best interests right now. They’ve just gotten hit by a doozy of a natural disaster, and they need help. So I’m going to say that he’s probably more motivated by his governorship right now than by any hypothetical Presidential run. Now, is his motivation due more to him wanting to do a good job meeting his responsibilities, or due to him wanting to get re-elected by the people of New Jersey? I don’t know, and I don’t think it much matters: The effect is the same. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/33 "2012-11-01T21:39:00Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > In the midst of all this Sandy-craziness, Romney-surrogate Chris Christie has been making the rounds on many of the cable news show heaping praise on Barack Obama for what a great job he’s done in handling the disaster response in New Jersey, even complimenting his “great leadership” shown. > > When he was asked if Romney (who he is supposed to be a main, if not _the_ main, surrogate for) might tour the area of New Jersey that has been ravaged by Hurricane Sandy, Christie said something to the effect of “I have no clue and I don’t care. Do you really think presidential politics is on my mind right now?” hell yeah I do “I have governing to do.” > > Now don’t paint me a cynic but something has seemed a bit off about Christie’s surrogacy for Romney this entire election season. What it has looked like is someone who has their eye on future political goals for themselves, for Christie that goal would be the White House. This latest manuever fits that mold. Seem like a leader, seem Presidential. ‘What, me, politics?! I care about the people!’ > > He wants to be a viable candidate in four years and he knows Romney sucks. He is doing everything he can to set the groundwork now. What do y’all think? Why is not important, if you are a Republican you should be glad he didn’t try to make politics or allow politics to be injected into the situation. Sure some R’s got excited to bring down Obama because of the Libya situation but most rational people saw it for what it was: pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/34 "2012-11-01T21:43:31Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > On the other hand, being willing to work with Obama and the rest of the federal government is undoubtedly in his state’s best interests right now. They’ve just gotten hit by a doozy of a natural disaster, and they need help. So I’m going to say that he’s probably more motivated by his governorship right now than by any hypothetical Presidential run. > > Now, is his motivation due more to him wanting to do a good job meeting his responsibilities, or due to him wanting to get re-elected by the people of New Jersey? I don’t know, and I don’t think it much matters: The effect is the same. I’m not sure the issue is really his wanting to do a good job for the people of New Jersey. Its not like Obama is going to withhold federal aid if Christie doesn’t say at least six nice things about him on TV. I’m sure both men would still work together and behave professionally even if they didn’t go out of their way to say nice things about each other in front of the cameras. And Christie does seem to be going out of his way to praise Obama’s work regarding Sandy. I don’t really see any plausible reason for that other then either a) he thinks it will help his re-election chances in a blue-state to be seen as being enthusiastic about the Prez or b) he honestly thinks Obama did a good job and has decided he wants him to win. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/35 "2012-11-02T11:44:05Z")
Christie on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/GovChristieNJ/statuses/263629680731635712): _Today I’m touring NJ with President Obama. Yes, he’s a Democrat, and I’m a Republican. We’re also adults, and this is how adults behave._ We must now check the birth certificates of John Boehner and Mitch McConnell to see if they are old enough to be in their respective offices… ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/36 "2012-11-02T11:52:17Z")
I think a lot of people are overthinking it. I think it’s perfectly plausible that while Christie supports Romney, that pales in significance for him next to the crisis at hand. There’s a school of thought that politics becomes unimportant in times of national crisis, I think it’s quite possible that Christie subscribes to that. If it was possible for this to be resolved by Sunday, he’d probably go back to campaigning for Romney on Monday. For what it’s worth, I’m not positive that Christie is really fired up for Romney anyway- recall his convention speech: “me me me me me me me me me me me… oh yeah, vote for what’s his name.” ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/37 "2012-11-02T12:57:31Z")
LOL line from TDS: first clip had Christie mocking Obama as fumbling in the dark, looking for the light switch, followed closely by a clip of CC expressing thanks. JS comments: “Guess he found that light switch, MF!” 😛 Competent politicians at the level of governor say little without reasons for doing so. Yeah, maybe CC was just expressing his honest emotions. But I thought the effusiveness of his praise and the repeated mentions of O’s name curious. He could easily have referred to “the President”, “the federal government”, etc. But the fact that he mentioned Obama so repeatedly and in such strongly complimentary terms - well, maybe he was just genuinely expressing his appreciation towards an individual. But I am a tad too cynical not to suspect there was something else going on in terms of relationship over the next 4 years, and/or CC’s personal aspirations in the future. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/38 "2012-11-02T13:01:13Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Well I don’t know about ‘responsibility’, but the Romney campaign certainly _thought_ they had a solid surrogate in Christie, prior to all of Christie’s “honesty” slips on the campaign trail. Well, fine, so they thought he was a parrot. But how is it wrong for Christie to NOT be a parrot? People really are overthinking this. Christie is a hard core Republican. Nevertheless, his state just got smashed up by a hurricane, so he’s going to put that over politics. This doesn’t demonstrate that he’s not a good or bad Republican, it demonstrates he’s a good governor. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/39 "2012-11-02T14:13:02Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Nevertheless, his state just got smashed up by a hurricane, so he’s going to put that over politics. This doesn’t demonstrate that he’s not a good or bad Republican, it demonstrates he’s a good governor. Again, I don’t really see how strenuously praising Obama has anything to do with being a good governor. Certainly he needs to work with the President, and he certainly shouldn’t go out of his way to antagonize Obama while they’re managing the hurricane recovery, but Christie really didn’t have to go beyond a perfunctory statement or two in his praise of the Prez. Its not like Obama is going to tell FEMA to let NJ drown if he doesn’t hear enough nice things from Christie. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390/40 "2012-11-02T14:17:59Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > I’m not sure the issue is really his wanting to do a good job for the people of New Jersey. Its not like Obama is going to withhold federal aid if Christie doesn’t say at least six nice things about him on TV. I’m sure both men would still work together and behave professionally even if they didn’t go out of their way to say nice things about each other in front of the cameras. I agree with this. And as mentioned above, it’s not clear to me what Obama personally does here, as opposed to the relevant federal agencies. (I suppose he can clear some bureaucracy, if needed.) I tend to think this business of presidents - and governors - touring the scenes of disasters (as Obama & Christie did here) is just for show and serves no real purpose other than to help them get on TV seeming sympathetic and involved in the situation. IOW, this whole thing is really about PR and posturing by politicians, shocking as it may seem. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chris-christie-just-being-a-good-governor-or-setting-his-sights-on-2016/639390.md?page=3)