My alarm went off at 4 am. I snoozed. The alarm went off again ten minutes later. I snoozed again. But at 4:20, I rose.
I was on my way to Reading Pennsylvania Friday for the Chris Christie Road Show starring Tim Pawlenty, Haley Barbour and of course, the man of the hour – Chris Christie ( who btw, rolled up in a private jet I watched land that taxied and came to a stop just a few hundred feet from the event stage. Diplomatic parking indeed ).
So, you hearda these guys? Probably yes. That’s because Pawlenty and Barbour are the oft mentioned names among the Punditocracy as possible Presidential contenders in 2012. Today, in what was likely not an accident, Christie literally joined them. And I don’t just mean for the campaign tour.
The Fab Three will hit six states in two days for GOP gubernatorial candidates. Who wouldn’t want them as campaigners? These guys are literally the stars of the party which is in the midst of a nationwide comeback after stumbling off a cliff when the economy went bust two years ago. But as Hendrik Hertzberg acutely points out, it was Obama who was in office when the worst of this recession hit. And voters are about to let him know just how much it’s been hurting with these Mid-term elections.
So, give Christie his due. Right now the Republican party needs leadership, and he is very much filling that void by getting away from divisive social issues and bringing the GOP back to it’s core message: fiscal discipline.
But after delivering such strong soundbites ( I recall something about him saying “no” to the “Gods of the Republican party” ) that he is not seeking the nod in two years, will the NJ Gov be able to change his mind??? I suppose that is what makes this mystery tour so magical.
Programming Note: I feel a little bad about slamming Emilio Estevez so hard the other day in light of this week’s developments. Please note, that I made those comments prior to his brother’s meltdown at the Plaza Hotel. After all, I would never step on someone’s head while they are down…like that dude at the Rand Paul rally.
Zachary Fink Blog 