Chris Christie Enters Presidential Race

[onehandle]

Source: New York Times

LIVINGSTON, N.J. — Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, whose meteoric rise as a national Republican in his first term was matched only by his spectacular loss of stature at home in his second, enters the 2016 presidential race on Tuesday morning bearing little resemblance to the candidate he once expected to be.

The economic recovery he promised has turned into a cascade of ugly credit downgrades and anemic job growth. The state pension he vowed to fix has descended into a morass of missed payments and lawsuits. The administration he pledged would be a paragon of ethics has instead conspired to mire an entire town in traffic and the governor’s office in scandal.

Just three and a half years ago, Mr. Christie seemed so popular, compelling and formidable, such an antidote to all that ailed the Republican brand, that senior figures in the party pleaded with him to run for president as a substitute for their eventual nominee, Mitt Romney.

But today, a staggering 55 percent of Republican primary voters say that they cannot envision voting for Mr. Christie, according to an NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll, a remarkable deficit from which to embark on a national campaign. The only candidate less palatable: Donald J. Trump, the bombastic developer-turned-reality television star.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/01/us/politics/chris-christie-presidential-campaign.html

---

[Le Taz Hot]

1. To no one's surprise.

They're going to need a Clown Bus at this point. Seriously, most of these fools running know damned well they don't have a chance in hell of winning the nomination. But running for president has become a good source for Big Bucks. Sister Sara showed them the way. She kept it going for how many presidential elections?

[underpants]

4. Rand is the one who worries me

He has been laying really low recently (he did apparently meet with CLiven Bundy recently) letting everyone else flail about. He has some serious supremacist issues but the press will probably let those pass. He does connect through the TV screen and he is southern enough for their party but not Perry or Londsey southern which could scare off some in the general election.

My 2 cents.

[Le Taz Hot]

15. I can't see the Puppet Masters allowing anyone else in but a mainstream candidate

and Rand isn't it. OK, so "mainstream" is all relative when we're talking about Republicans. I think he has limited appeal but the moderates will never accept him. I just don't see him as much of a threat.

[underpants]

16. They may take away their biggest threat

but by moderation not like the whacked nominating The Cooch to run for Gov here in Va.

Let's hope.


I can NOT type on this phone

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

32. I think whoever is calling the shots in the R camp

has been trotting all these types out so that when the real candidate is introduced everyone will say,' well at least they are not like ____" Of course they could be worse but APPEAR to be better.
I mean come on, any one of the names right now in the ring has less than no chance so I can't think of who they will put up but I'll bet it will be someone seems more moderate.

[Botany]

2. 55 percent of Republican primary voters say that they cannot envision voting for Mr. Christie

[George II]

9. It's that low?

[bullwinkle428]

11. I thought I heard that Trump's number exceeded Christie's in that category.

[Botany]

27. Yes, repugs don't like Christie @ 70 to 80% rate ....

..... either they are deep in the river De nile, bone stupid, and or just
in it for the money and to build their brand.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. How many GOP candidates now?

22? 24?

It's the Biggest and Most Public Group Therapy Session Ever

and many need self-awareness therapy badly especially the 900 pound gorilla!

Some or most can't even tell how unappealing they are to voters because they
live, think, breathe, chew, marry, divorce, cook, sleep in their Right Wing
Bubble Gum Bubble.

[hollysmom]

5. does he really think that Bruce is going to let him get away with playing his music?

surely he does not think they are friends?

[Maeve]

6. And a great yawn was heard in the land! eom

[Third Doctor]

20. ROFL!!!

[Gore1FL]

7. His campaign slogan: A bridge too far. n/t

[katmondoo]

19. Love IT A bridge too far, Thanks Gore1FL

[George II]

8. "fighting for fairness and justice and opportunity"........for the CASINO industry!

Does his son look like he wishes he was playing video games????

This "speech" (they said without teleprompters, but they have them on the floor) is revolting.

[brooklynite]

10. UPDATE: Christie officially launches run for president

Asbury Park Press:

LIVINGSTON – Returning to the gymnasium of his former high school, Gov. Chris Christie this morning officially kicked off a presidential campaign six years in the making – and, skeptics would say, three years too late.

Christie now lives in Mendham, but he was joined at Livingston High School by family, childhood friends and longtime supporters for the announcement, which leaned heavily on his family background and community he grew up in. Two people spoke before Christie took the stage: A friend of his mother's and a former Christie classmate, both from Livingston.

That focus on biography and personality is reflected in the slogan for his campaign: Telling it like it is. His campaign frames that as a willingness to address big issues without pandering and points to proposals and speeches he has made on Social Security, Medicare, foreign policy, education and the economy. It's counting on that to distinguish him in a crowded Republican field that could reach 16 candidates.

Christie held a conference call with donors, friends and out-of-state supporters Tuesday morning before his official launch, the Associated Press reported.

[NJCher]

12. public radio is playing the announcement

and I'm listening now.

Wonder how many people he had to pay to show up, a la Trump.

Poor thing. He's so, so delusional.


Cher

on edit, from the Bergen Record:

The crowd featured familiar faces of Christie’s circle. Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick, a staunch Christie ally who is considered a possible successor, was among the first wave of people to arrive. Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, also a possible gubernatorial candidate in 2017, was also there, as was Christie’s former chief of staff, Kevin O’Dowd, and his wife, outgoing health commissioner Mary O’Dowd. But there were also people of all ages – children with their parents, recent high school graduates and local officials, including Bergen County Freeholder John Felice and the county’s GOP chairman, Bob Yudin.

More than a thousand demonstrators - mostly dressed in red and carrying banners and signs - congregated on the front lawn outside Livingston High School Tuesday morning to protest Governor Christie announcing his presidential bid. Most of the crowd was made up of public school teachers and other union members, but environmentalists, historic preservationists and Sandy victims also were present to voice their concerns.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/christie-kicks-off-presidential-bid-today-from-his-old-high-school-1.1365623

[kairos12]

13. LOL. The run should be titled "A Bridge Not Too Far to Jammed Up for Political Purposes."

[Hepburn]

14. Signal Clown Car for Entrance and New Candidate Pick Up!

OMG...they're gonna need a LIMO before this is over!!!

[sofa king]

17. Remember that Richard Scarry story?

Where they keep packing vermin into the airplane until it splits down the seam, and the boa constrictor has to hold the plane together so that it can fly?

Well, the Republican Party is not lacking in snakes, so there's always room for one more.

[briv1016]

18. Hopefully he and Bush will go negative early and bloody each other up.

[sofa king]

23. An early fight between the fat guys is possible.

I consider Jeb! to be the primary suspect in the question of who, exactly, dropped Bridge-gate on Christie, and if they don't know for sure I'm sure the Christie people also think Jeb! is the culprit. Long ago I predicted that the mole would wind up in Jeb!'s camp, so we'll see about that soon enough, too....

The reason Jeb! needed to torpedo Christie so early was because of all these mooks Christie was the only one with a solid long term plan that was showing results.

Christie used a Senatorial appointment to gain his personal representative permanent Senate floor access, and carefully played his cards to win himself the Chair of the most powerful lobbyist group in the US, the National Governors' Association. He has surely been using that position to solidify his national network and also freeze out most other potential gubernatorial candidates (remember that Republican voters are very partial to governors over other politicians, probably because of the authoritarianism their offices command).

One possible strike back would be for Christie to secretly back the entry of yet another candidate into the fray: current Florida governor and nakedly ambitious sociopath Rick Scott. Christie could use Scott as a poop-throwing proxy, and Scott's doomed candidacy would be sure to ablate and disaffect a few Florida voters away from Jeb!, and also do us a favor at the same time, so let's hope for that.

[shenmue]

21. Another one

who's going to be as spectacular a failure as the rest.

[xocet]

22. Does Jon Bon Jovi support Chris Christie? Christie is certainly playing enough of his music...

@2:06 "It's My Life" - Bon Jovi
@6:26 "We Weren't Born To Follow" - Bon Jovi
@35:26 "Who Says You Can't Go Home" - Bon Jovi, Jennifer Nettles

http://www.c-span.org/video/?326839-1/governor-chris-christie-rnj-presidential-campaign-announcement

[Gore1FL]

26. His campaign is living on a prayer. n/t

[OKNancy]

28. No, Bon Jovi was playing for a Clinton fundraiser last night

He did however agree about the music

[SoapBox]

24. Pardon me...I've got to run into the bathroom...

[Blue_Adept]

25. And the Christie money grab goes national

[rocktivity]

29. Christie Enters Presidential Race

And Falls Flat Right On His Way Out Of The Gate...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6925392


rocktivity

[napkinz]

30. that's great! ... I mean crate

[Darb]

31. The Clown Car just got much tighter.

This ain't gonna be pretty.