Sunday, November 28, 2010

Super: Star-Ledger Columnist Now Holding Contests Asking Readers to Predict the Date of Chris Christie's Next Policy Shift

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie spoke at the Republican Governors Conference [RGC] ten days ago and reportedly brought down the house. He told the audience that sometimes leaders simply have to ignore their advisers and face the tough issues head on.

The New Jersey Star Ledger's Paul Mulshine has followed the career of Chris Christie for nearly two years. And he doesn't quite recognize the current version.

[The RGC] Chris Christie sounds like a heck of guy — not at all like the Chris Christie I have been following closely for almost two years... [For example, after] a number of legislators held a press conference in the Statehouse to announce they were... protesting the new screening policies of the [TSA, Christie] declined an offer to back the resolution because, his spokesman said, it was a federal issue...

...Just for fun, I put up a post on my blog asking readers to predict how long it would take before Christie came out against the TSA. If you bet on last Monday, you would have won. In response to a question from a kid at one of those town-hall meetings he holds, Christie announced the screenings were "too invasive."

That’s just one instance in a pattern obvious to those of us who’ve been covering Christie since he entered state politics. Name an issue — from judicial activism to the Highlands Act — and you will see Christie tiptoeing up to it and finally committing when the consensus is clear.

On issues such as guns and abortion, Christie’s views have moved rightward over the years, in remarkable harmony with the rightward drift of the GOP primary electorate... His position in favor of New Jersey’s participation in the cap-and-trade program, known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, for example, would be a non-starter with Republican primary voters. Sure enough, he recently made an incremental move away from that when he told a participant in another town hall that he is becoming skeptical about man-made global warming.

Some took that as a sign that he’s serious about running for president. If so, he’ll have to start inching away from other positions associated with RINOs, or "Republicans In Name Only," such as his mushy stands on gun rights and immigration amnesty.

Christie's oft-changing positions are the antithesis of the Tea Party's immutable principles.

Global warming.

Gun control.

• Amnesty for illegal aliens.

Mike Castle.

And those are but a few of Christie's amorphous policy positions.

Some great YouTube sound-bites have immortalized Christie's fight against the public sector unions. And there is much to appreciate in his stand.

But it is clear that the Governor has substantial work ahead of him. After all, Constitutional conservatives rightfully fear the nomination of another "Maverick", the positions of whom are rooted only in political expediency.


5 comments:

  1. Old Fan10:11 PM

    HELLO?

    The STAR LEDGER?

    That is basically a mouth piece for the Democratic Party. Everyone out East knows how pathetic the sinking Ledger has become.

    Remember when the New Yorker liar named Hersch, fabricated a concept that the Abu Ghraib abuse was orchestrated as policy via Cheney? The Star Ledger ran that as if it was factual on the front page.

    I like the challenge however, the honest effort to study the Christie Record vs. the image. We should investigate and review all - to find the best Candidate possible for the future.

    The question is, what about Palin?

    The fashion is so un-Conservative about the 'Hockey Mom', what about the many contradictions with the Celebrity Image played on TV vs. reality?

    1. Mrs. Palin joined - embraced the most Liberal Platform in GOP History with John McCain, including a push for Cap and Trade Taxation and a debasing of many of the sound efforts used by the Republican Leadership in the GWOT. Can a Politician truly represent the 'ideal" Conservative, when they accepted the Maverick folly?

    2. Mrs. Palin has tried to sell a "Reagan Conservative" image after the failed McCain-Palin Campaign, yet she provided populist tax increases on Oil Companies in Alaska. How does she justify this contradiction?

    3. Just last year, Mrs. Palin defended her Environmental Record to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (the failure of California), by referencing her "Climate Panel" building as the Alaskan Governor. Is growing bureaucracy in Government, attempting to appease a fashionable "Global Warming" movement, a genuine sign of a true Conservative?

    4. Conservatism is based on personnel responsibility, how does this relate to Mrs. Palin's abandoning her sworn Oath, her responsibilities as the Governor of Alaska?

    5. Is putting one's Family on a "reality" television program, really conservative in nature? Especially when you dishonestly deny it is a "reality" show to begin with? Doesn't it compromise one's Family, violating certain privacy issues often related to conservative principles?

    The point isn't whether Mrs. Palin is a fine American. She is an attractive politician on our own side. But she has numerous flaws, which are often ignored - and are enabled by many who seek acceptance with the fashion. And those similar imperfections are often used to vilify others who are not so "hip" on the good side today.

    This weak Image - Identity Game being peddled today, is as big of a problem as it was after 2004.

    I tried to urge against running McCain, and my instincts remain the same with today's fashionable push. We have to do better, and so far, Christie may be the finest offering in terms of reality for the Conservative Movement we have today.

    We shall see...

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  2. @Old Fan --

    The sourcing doesn't diminish the legitimacy of the story, which is why each policy position is hyperlinked.

    This is not picking on Christie -- I would vet any GOP candidate for similar (unprincipled) behavior.

    Simply put, we can not afford for our nominee to be a "Maverick".

    Rubio-West 2010?

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  3. Anonymous7:17 AM

    "I would vet any GOP candidate for similar (unprincipled) behavior."

    The GOP Ruing CLass hates free-market competition anddoes not want you making leadership decisions-your choice will never be their pick.

    The GOP Ruling Class has pre-determined the winner-they they rejected the mutt from NJ, his hair isn't as perfect as the candidate who has Wall-street mafia backing.

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  4. Anonymous7:20 AM

    The post is about Chris Christe, why is some nitwit commenting about Sarah Palin?

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  5. Anonymous7:25 AM

    "Rubio-West 2010?"

    Excellent suggestion though they would have too abandon their sworn Oath.

    IF that happens then the Saint Pious of Nitwits will condescendingly blue-nose both men to death.

    ReplyDelete