Chris Christie Loses His Temper (AGAIN)
I’m one of those independent voters who has been intrigued by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. While I don’t agree with all of his policies (to say the least) he has not been a lockstep talk radio political culture Republican, or someone who sounds like a conservative blog post. He has shown some significant, refreshing independence of thought.
But I am concluding he has a serious problem if he wants to run for national political office. The first time he blasted a voter, citizen, his opponents, you could say it’s kind of a refreshing Trumanesque candor.
But earlier this week he called a reporter who was simply doing his job asking a question “stupid,” and now he has had this verbal altercation with a citizen who didn’t agree with him while he was buying an ice cream cone:
So a citizen saying critical things about a Govenor means they are “shooting their mouth off”?
I thought that’s what our democracy allows — and encourages?
I think it’s now getting to the point where his problem is this: there are so many instances now of him being verbally abusive and seeming almost out of control that it’s a bit scary imagining him in the Oval Office.
I can just bet how the Cuban Missile Crisis would have ended — given the temper we’re now seeing on display…increasingly. And he and his team seem really proud of his outbursts.
This may play well for some GOPers but I’m betting he’ll have some problems on the national stage if he runs and the Dems run a bunch of commercials showing a montage of him getting angry or — as in this clip — seemingly losing it.
As Truman said, if you can’t stand the heat stay out of the kitchen (and I will refrain from making a crass, cheap joke here).
If Christie could exercise some control his candor could be a plus. But what we seem to be seeing is someone who appears to have no impulse control when he is challenged or not obeyed by those who are NOT as powerful or more powerful than him.
Not a good trait in a potential President.
Or even potential Vice President.
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When these politicians spout off on TV it reminds me of the movies about Roman nobility – they had no rein on their impulses – and whoever was in their way was eliminated one way or another.
We’re becoming innured to this coarseness by being exposed to it almost daily. What would have meant party expulsion years ago seems to be not only tolerated, but encouraged. And we are the worse off for it.
I thought CC was interesting too. I thought he was intelligent about certain matters. But, as of today, time to move on. I hope for statesmen/stateswomen.
Good column! Yes, I’m afraid Christie is emerging as everyone’s worst stereotype of mafia-run New Jersey. He seems to have morphed from a refreshing maverick into a crass bully who likes nothing better than to (cheap joke warning) throw his considerable weight around.
EE
This is not the way a serious politician should answer even a heckler. It’s just not. If we keep defending bad behaviour, all we will end up with is bad behaviour.