Tuesday, August 20, 2019

A Bad Egg Returns


If history is our guide, a moderator of a presidential general election debate (if any is held) will ask each candidate to say something positive about the other. The Democratic nominee should turn to Donald Trump and remark "you kept Chris Christie from the presidency."  (New Jersey viewers would cheer.)

It's not primarily because the ex- New Jersey governor is opening The Christie Institute of Public Policy, described here as "a non-profit, nonpartisan institute in part with his alma mater, Seton Hall University School of Law."

Christie promises "we're going to focus on national issues and on having nonpartisan conversations and research on national issues and international issues." He stated also "unfortunately, our politics have gotten so ugly and divisive in the country that people are not having civilized conversations." Yes, he went there. As a devoted resident of the greater New York area, Christie know doubts understand "chutzpah" and realizes how hypocritical he is.
















But Trump's value was not in keeping this ghastly individual from the GOP nomination, hence the presidency. It was in keeping this governor from national office. Under his leadership, local government budgets were squeezed of funding, leading to property tax increases; slashed aid for women's health; cancelled the Access to the Region's Core tunnel project, connecting commuters to New York City, NY; legalized gambling spread; a bridge was partially closed to pressure a mayor to support the governor's re-election bid; the state's pension shortfall shot upward; growth in the state paled in comparison to that in the region and the nation; and more.

Chris Christie wanted to be President of the United States of America. He first had to gain the nomination of an increasingly right-wing party, and governed accordingly to the extent possible in a relatively liberal, Democratic state.All he got out of it was a job at a law firm, a gig with ABC News, and now a non-profit institute. It's at least three things too many.



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