MSNBC
By Aliyah Frumin
June 30, 2015
New
Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is polling terribly in his home state. In
the jam-packed 2016 Republican presidential field, he’s only pulling
single digits. The scandal known as Bridgegate, which sprayed his entire
administration with the stench of scandal, isn’t going away. And the
loud buzz surrounding Christie running for president in the last
election cycle? It’s nearly silent this time around.
But
on Tuesday morning, Christie – who conservatives all but begged to run
in 2012 – will try and change his fortunes and break away from underdog
status when he announces his presidential bid at his former high school
in Livingston.
What
does a path to victory actually look like for Christie? Several
involved in the campaign, including Ray Washburne, Christie’s finance
chief, say it largely rests on three main tenants – holding town hall
meetings (a format he does quite well in), eventually showing off his
debate chops on the national stage, and putting forth concrete policy
proposals.
“He’s
laid pretty low in the last few months to get through the budget
season. Now that he’s finished with that now, he can really get out on
the road and really let people hear him and see him,” said Washburne.
“Chris has just a good of a shot as anybody else. There is no frontrunner.”
BONNIE KILBERG
Bonnie
Kilberg, a prominent Republican donor and fundraiser who backs
Christie, insisted “Chris has just a good of a shot as anybody else.
There is no frontrunner. He has two overwhelming strengths, his ability
to stake out strong policy positions and articulate them and his ability
as a retail politician.”
If
his recently revealed presidential campaign site with the slogan
“telling it like it is” and a preview of his announcement video is any
indication, Christie will bank on pitching his personal – and
bold—style on Tuesday. But he may also try and strike a softer tone. In
the preview video, the governor attempts to explain his in-your-face
demeanor – a trait of his that has been criticized in the past.
He
points to his Sicilian mother’s influence on his life. “I know if my
mom were still alive, she would tell me, ‘I taught you that in a
trusting relationship, you don’t hold anything back. And if you’re going
to run for president of the United States and you’re going to ask these
people for their vote, that is the single most trusting they can do as a
citizen, is to give you their support. So you better tell them exactly
what you’re thinking and exactly what you’re feeling,” Christie is seen
telling a crowd at one of his famous town-hall meetings.
In
recent months, Christie has laid out detailed policy proposals on
education, entitlement reform, the economy and foreign policy –
something he has pointed to as separating himself from the rest of the
GOP pack. The governor has said he also intends to deliver remarks on
immigration.
Although
Gov. Christie will make his big announcement in his home state, he
won’t be there for long. After his remarks in Livingston, the governor
will head to Sandown, New Hampshire to hold a town hall meeting in the
early evening. He’ll stick around in the first-in-the-nation primary
state through July 4, holding an additional 10 events, including two
additional town halls, retail meet and greets and an appearance in a 4th
of July parade. New Hampshire is quickly emerging as a do-or-die state
for Christie, a northeastern moderate who experts say would have trouble
in other critical early voting states like Iowa and South Carolina.
Ben
Dworkin, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics
at Rider University, said Christie could face a slew of
challenges—including his record in New Jersey (where economic growth has
been lackluster) and whether primary voters are willing to vote for
someone who “while conservative is not the most conservative candidate.”
And
then there’s the 2013 Bridgegate scandal, in which three former allies
of the governor have been charged in a plot to close lanes and snarl
traffic on the George Washington Bridge, the nation’s busiest. Christie
has denied any prior knowledge of the plot, although the scheme resulted
in the governor’s popularity taking a hit. Plus, the federal trials for
those three former allies are expected to begin this fall. “While
voters in New Hampshire and Iowa won’t care about some bridge, it could
be a problem because it’s a federal trial and more importantly makes
Christie seem like a typical politician when his entire career has been
based on being an atypical politician” said Dworkin.
“It’s tough to govern in a state when you’re not there.”
Despite the challenges, Christie supporters say he still has plenty of time on his side.
“My
expectation is that there will be many, many more people for me to go
to for donors,” said Kilberg. “Lots of people were waiting to see if
he’s running. This expands the potential donor pool substantially.”
And
Washburne said backers can expect that fundraising pleas will be coming
their way shortly. “Now we can really get started,” he said.
Christie
will make his plans official at Livingston High School in the township
that he has long called home – and where he was school president and
catcher of the baseball team. Although the school’s gym is expected to
be filled with Christie supporters, outside the venue may be a different
story.
Anthony
Rosamilia, president of the Essex County Education Association, said
the group will provide bus service for demonstrators to the school from
Livingston Mall—and that so far, 1,000 people have signed up.
Democrats in New Jersey, meanwhile, are calling on Christie to step down as governor if he does run for president.
“It’s
tough to govern in a state when you’re not there,” said John Curie,
chairman of New Jersey Democratic State Committee on a conference call
with reporters on Monday. Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto agreed. “He
doesn’t have to legally, but I think it’s something that should be
considered,” adding it would “probably be in the best interest of the
residents.”
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