While a frequent flurry of Sarah Palin sound bites and Michael Steele gaffes dominate the hype surrounding the Republican party’s leadership void, many point to New Jersey’s Governor Chris Christie as a serious potential leader of the GOP. Since his first budget address on March 16th, conservatives have applauded Christie’s adamancy of spending cuts, and they particularly admire his battle with the state’s teachers union over $820 million in state education cuts. Conservative editorial pages in The Weekly Standard lionized Christie as a “rock star,” and the Wall Street Journal canonized him with a Ronald Regan comparison.
To meet the proposed education cuts, Christie demanded that teachers take a one-year pay freeze and begin contributing to their pensions and health benefits. The teachers union disregarded the demands, so the governor urged people to vote against local school budgets. Last Tuesday, voters rejected 316 of 541, or 58 percent, of the proposed budgets, an unprecedented rejection rate.
Conservative columnist, George Will, supported Christie’s demands on teachers’ pay in a Washington Post column, and also commended the governor for closing a $2.2 billion gap with spending freezes and cuts.
Marc Thiessen, also a columnist for the Washington Post and former speechwriter for George W. Bush, said that the school budget defeats gave the governor “a strong mandate to push through his reforms.”
Although Thiessen’s piece suggested the possibility of a 2012 presidential run for Christie — an idea based on the recent ubiquity of the governor’s name in national media — he also warned about premature presidential presumptions, using California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ephemeral popularity as an example.
But whether it’s a future presidential candidate or just a rational visionary, the GOP needs a leader. And as Peter Applebom of the New York Times’ noted, “If the Republicans ever hope to be more than the Party of No, they should be paying careful attention to how Mr. Christie fares in his demolition derby in Jersey.” Newjerseynewsroom.
Steve, if you have aspirations?, forget Bob & tighten the belt across the board.
well, if chas vesholom Moshiach isn’t here by then and the United States of America still exists, I will probably want to vote for Christie or someone like him.
I admit i love the job hes doing hes proving himself fiscally conservative. for the white house he will have to prove that he is also socially conservative, is he against global warming, 2nd amendment, tout reform, etc.. for example Rudy is great with fiscal issues crime and the like, but on all other issues he’s just as liberal as Hilliary and obama it could be he will be the perfect choice we just gotta wait and see how he moves.
I vote Rob Lawson for Pres
tea party is maskim CC for Pres!
It is silly to put up someone without a real record. They will bash the Repulicans for not practicing what they preach when last time they bashed Obama for running so quicly after being elected to Senate.
Hh for president
wow Reb Lawson would make a better candidate for president than Christie……………….but who would be chief of police………
harold 4 mayor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Carl Fink for President!
Harold for Governor
Catapult for president!!!!
Arnold is not allowed to be president because he wasn’t born here. Oh wait, I think that rule has been changed retroactively to before Obama got in. Christie and Palin. The perfect ticket!!