Chris Christie's Bridgegate silver lining playbook
Bridgegate is bad for Chris Christie, obviously. That (almost) goes without saying. Who ever said: 鈥淚f my staff created traffic jams to punish my enemies, and I had to hold a two-hour press conference to talk about it, it would be good for my political future鈥�? Nobody. Ever.
And it could get worse. Eventually Governor Christie鈥檚 fired staff members will have to testify under oath before a Democratic-controlled New Jersey Assembly investigation. That could kick the scandal up a notch, depending on what they say.
But is there any sort of a silver lining for the governor of New Jersey in his current predicament? We鈥檇 say, maybe. It鈥檚 even possible that if the scandal reaches a point of stasis, it could actually improve Christie鈥檚 prospects of winning the GOP presidential nomination.
That鈥檚 because it could broaden his appeal among party factions. The dynamic at work would be that old standby: the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
The enemy in this case is the Democratic Party official apparatus. As Politico reports today, the Democratic National Committee is producing anti-Christie messaging memos for party surrogates around the country. They鈥檝e accused Christie of trying to make himself 鈥渢he victim of the scandal," among other things.
鈥淭he goal of the current Democratic onslaught is straightforward: not just to harass Christie over the current scandal, but to permanently cripple his reputation as a likable and honest political maverick, kneecapping him as a 2016 competitor in the process,鈥� .
In Republicans, this onslaught is producing a sort of rally-around-the-Christie effect. Even conservatives who have been suspicious of Christie as a Northeasterner and possible moderate are now defending him. The New Jersey governor quickly fired the aides responsible and then stood in front of reporters for almost two hours, answering every question put to him, they say. That鈥檚 more than President Obama has done in regards to the IRS targeting of conservative groups and the Benghazi attack in Libya, according to the GOP鈥檚 own talking points.
For instance, on his Fox News show yesterday, the right-leaning Bill O鈥橰eilly said Christie should be believed when he says he didn鈥檛 know what was going on, until there鈥檚 evidence to the contrary. And the GOP needs a fighting candidate, Mr. O鈥橰eilly added. In this view, Mitt Romney lost in 2012 in part because he didn鈥檛 have the stomach to hit Obama hard enough.
鈥淐hristie does, and is therefore a threat to the power of the Democratic Party,鈥� and conservative bellwether.
In the Washington Examiner, the conservative economist and writer Thomas Sowell says that, in terms of policies, he鈥檇 prefer someone other than Christie as a 2016 candidate. But he adds that he was impressed by the governor鈥檚 press conference appearance.
鈥淲hatever the political fate of Christie, he has provided an example of the kind of articulation that is needed 鈥� indeed, imperative 鈥� if the Republicans are to have any chance of rescuing this country,鈥� .
For Christie himself, Bridgegate could have an annealing effect. The media and political onslaught he鈥檚 now undergoing could prepare him for the rigors of a national听campaign. If he wins, and manages to win a general election, he鈥檇 have presidential-level crisis experience. Given that this is the beginning of his second term as New Jersey governor, he might even be on guard against that dreaded experience of many recent US chief executives, the second-term slump.
That鈥檚 all notional, though. Christie鈥檚 got to make it through the next few months before he can see whether his 2016 chances have been hurt or enhanced. And some pundits say the Republican right isn鈥檛 going to go for Christie in the primaries, no matter if they鈥檙e defending him now.
Christie is considered a Republican front-runner mostly because of his name recognition, writes National Journal political expert Charlie Cook. In the end, he鈥檚 not the kind of person the GOP as a whole will support.
鈥淚t鈥檚 laughable that the party that has previously seriously considered some fairly inconceivable candidates as worthy of the GOP nomination would suddenly reverse course and head over to a center-right candidate such as Christie,鈥� .
