Does the 51 year old husband, father of four, lawyer and current Governor of New Jersey have what it takes to be President, too?
By Anna Daniels
“Will he or won’t he?” was on every pundit’s mind when New Jersey Governor Chris Christie arrived in Las Vegas to address the Republican Jewish Coalition. Anonymous sources say that the real reason for the visit was to receive the blessing from billionaire Sheldon Adelson for a 2016 presidential run with the attendant promise of Adelson’s substantial financial backing. Christie coyly avoided directly answering a question about the purported meeting when asked at his Friday March 21 press conference.
Christie has a great deal riding on this visit to Las Vegas. He has clearly distanced himself from his two hour press conference in December 2013 when the Bridgegate Scandal genie could no longer be stuffed back into the bottle. During that press conference he seemed chastened, confused, vulnerable and according to an unnamed staffer, he looked…old.
At one point he choked up, seemingly at the point of tears. His approval ratings plummeted, with some left wondering whether his inability to control his emotions led to questions about his leadership capabilities under stress.
The Republican Jewish Coalition attendees seemed palpably relieved that the old Christie was back. Attired in a tailored dark navy suit with contrasting red and white tie, his measured delivery, occasionally punctuated by self-deprecatory humor, diffused criticisms that he too often crossed the line between being “bossy” and “assertive” in his remarks. A pair of gold cuff links– a gift from his wife when their first child was born-reflected the light when he emphasized a point with an upraised hand.
The audience appeared pleased that Christie was in control of his emotions but without coming across as being cold. He was focused but not strident in his assertions. One woman opined that Christie looked good for his age under bright lights that make even younger men appear tired and washed out. “He was smart to wear a cream colored shirt,” she added.
But it is not clear sailing toward the presidential nomination. Anonymous sources point to the significant power that his wife Mary Pat wields behind the scenes. These sources hint that Christie appointments are made only after receiving her approval and that his financial decisions are set by Wall Street, where Mary Pat is employed. Can Christie be perceived as independent of his powerful wife? Would he be a mere shadow president if elected?
Another issue is Christie’s weight. Although he directly addressed this issue when he ran for re-election as governor and when it was conjectured that he was also preparing for a presidential bid, his weight is still seen by some as a political liability and remains the object of what many view as gratuitous personal attacks on social media.
Christie maintains that his physician has deemed him healthy and he has admitted to having “work” done- gastric banding surgery in 2013 that has greatly helped with weight maintenance concerns. Yet Dr. Laura Sachs, frequent guest psychiatrist on Fox News, has opined on numerous occasions that Christie’s weight reflects unresolved emotional issues that may very well compromise his abilities to be the leader of the greatest nation on earth.
Christie’s chief of staff is quick to remind critics that men are still held to an unfair standard in terms of their appearance, damned if they look too good–“do you think he had a little work?” and damned if they don’t–“he wouldn’t look like such a dog if he took care of himself.” He added “I won’t even grace Fox with a comment about their sexist portrayal. I’ll leave the psycho-ceramics to the crackpots at Fox.”
The most conservative catholic and evangelical fringe of the Republican party, while small, is both vocal and critical of Christie’s willingness to leave child-rearing to others. “It is ungodly and utter nonsense for a man to think that he can ‘have it all.’ Will he become just one more father who chooses power and status over attending Little League games and PTA meetings and providing homework assistance for the little ones, as God intended?”
After the speeches on Saturday in Las Vegas, Christie sat relaxed in a corner of the room with a few of his supporters and members of the press. He had removed his jacket to reveal a cream colored polished cotton shirt that set off the gold cuff links. Christie had slipped one foot halfway out of his still laced shoe.
He was remarkably candid about the obstacles that he felt he faced simply because he is a man. “Look, I don’t get it. There is concern that I can’t think independently, that I am nothing more than Mary Pat’s Puppet Muffin. There is concern about my testosterone level and my emotions and my eating habits. There is concern that I spend too much on my suits. And I am constantly reminded that I look just terrible in white shirts–too harsh for my skin tone.
And this really grinds me- that I am president of the bad daddy club because I don’t stay home and build rockets with the kids. I love my kids. But when I used the state helicopter to fly in to attend my kid’s ball game, they were all over me like white on rice. I’m supposed to be concerned about their concerns? Let me tell you something– those people are morons.”
Christie flashes a wicked smile and asks “Am I being bossy or assertive?” He slips his foot back into his shoe with a sigh, stands and puts on his suit coat. “It’s 2014. It’s the 21st century. Is whether I’m bossy or assertive really the burning question? Am I seriously expected to still look youthful and dewy at 51? Is this what electability for the highest office in the land, for a man, ultimately hinges upon?”
Christie shakes his head and walks across the room to Mary Pat, who has spent the past half hour walking among the tables, conversing with attendees. The two of them resume the charm offensive, making their way among the remaining tables. Christie can be seen leaning in.
Anna Daniels
Latest posts by Anna Daniels (see all)
- Bob Dorn: Rest in Power! - December 3, 2018
- The Urgency of Transgender Safety, Legal Protections - November 27, 2018
- Chaos and Cruelty at the Border - November 26, 2018
If he comes to California and visits the Valley View casino the will probably have it all at the all you can eat buffet.
RIMSHOT!!
WHAT! ??? 1157 words and none of them mentions Bridgegate? Or Hurricane Sandy, and where all that FEMA money went???? This is like talking about Jesus and not including the Crucifixion. Oh, and there’s a typo in paragraph six, where you say:
“Anonymous sources point to the significant power that his wife Mary Pat wields behind the scene.” You left out the “d” in “powder.”
Um, second paragraph, Bob:
“…his two hour press conference in December 2013 when the Bridgegate Scandal genie…”
Also, nice wordplay.
Dear Michael-Leonard,
I think you’ll find that I’m off in my wordcount too.
*chuckles* Actually, short of copy/pasting into Word and checking it, I was prepared to let that go :-)
Always be prepared. Always let go.
How can anyone take this guy seriously? I can’t wait for Anne Kelly to be given immunity so she talks. Otherwise, she’ll have to take the rap which I doubt she’s willing to do. And those other guys involved like Samson. These guys will all take the rap so Christie can be President? I don’t think so. This bridge scandal ain’t over yet. Stay tuned.
Nomatter what you think of the man, his observations on the absurdity of the MSM are absolutely right on the money.
It’s a chicken-and-egg question: is that s#!t really what people want to hear about, or does the news media focus on that because it’s what THEY want people to care about?
Presuming a man of Christie’s limitations could be considered for President requires the same leap of logic that the NRA would have putting Dick Cheney on a gun-safety poster. We have an ignorant, misinformed and apathetic electorate that readily accepts the media darlings that serve their wealthy and powerful masters while Jeffersonian democracy rots and falls away. The sad thing is that a blowhard like Christie is just the self-flagellating representation for a country in the throes of fear, decay and dissolution.
I’m all for leaning in. So GO HILARY! I mean GO AWAY CHRIS!
I mean, is it still April fools day?
Very clever Anna.
Thanks, Norma and Lowell, for confirming my growing conviction that the article is primarily from Anna Daniels’ fertile imagination, despite the broader realities in which the irony is couched. I especially enjoyed the accumulating complaints about criticisms that are almost exclusively directed at women, in business, politics or government. Well done, Anna.
I also got a whole series of good grins at the exchanges between Bob Dorn & Michael-Leonard. Thanks again.
There hasn’t been a president who’s “oversized” since William Taft. And he went on to the Supreme Court.