Chris Christie has seemed on top of the world to donors and supporters in the days since the GOP racked up big wins in gubernatorial races with him leading the charge for the Republican Governors Association. He’s dined in Manhattan with millionaires, sat for an interview with NBC’s Matt Lauer and privately marveled at his party’s midterm scorecard.
The New Jersey governor sees his position within the party restored and the Bridgegate scandal as ancient history, according to several people who’ve spoken with him. As a center-right governor from next door, he’s confident New York’s conservative money set will be behind him in a 2016 presidential campaign. As for the complaints about his aggressive behavior? Meaningless whining.
Some of Wall Street’s biggest donors take a different view. Many of them believe the New Jersey governor still represents too risky an investment, at least at this stage.
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“There’s a sense he could melt down at any time,” said one donor who has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Republican candidates over the past several election cycles, and would be well-positioned to help Christie.
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“A lot of these people around Wall Street are more pragmatic conservatives,” said a donor who often serves as a liaison between GOP politicians and Wall Street donors. “And the ‘sit down and shut up’ stuff does not seem presidential to them. It seems disqualifying.”
Christie's been doing victory laps after helping GOP candidates win election in the midterms as head of the Republican Governors Association.
He clearly thinks this track record will help him win the 2016 nomination.
He might be strutting a bit too early.
When prominent (but anonymous) GOP donors go front page at Politico with an attack, it's a problem.
And I think they're right about two major criticisms that surface in the piece:
Christie's spiking the ball too early on Bridgegate.
Christie's temperament is a BIG problem - he's got a BIG mouth.
He literally looks and sounds like Ralph Kramden.
Alas, without any of the Kramden charm.
Yes, Ralph Kramden was a fat, deluded narcissist.
ReplyDeleteBut, unlike Christie, he wasn't a vicious son of a bitch.
Also, the character of Ralph Kramden had a conscience born out of his being a member of the working class that Christie holds in contempt.
ReplyDeleteOne a these days, Andrew.... POW to the moon...
ReplyDelete