An unlikely alliance between a prominent Republican governor and America’s most powerful Democrat was front page news last fall. When New Jersey Governor Chris Christie appeared with President Obama in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, he risked subjecting himself to intense criticism from members of his own political party. And when he went so far as to heap praise on the Commander-in-Chief for his extraordinary leadership and genuine concern for the people of New Jersey, he shocked many people within the political establishment for his brazen embrace of the flag bearer for “the other political party.”
In the political arena, where bipartisanship is unfortunately the exception rather than the rule, the bromance between Christie and Obama was particularly intriguing. What is truly remarkable is the fact that Christie’s unorthodox admirationof President Obama came in the waning days of the 2012 campaign in which Republican Mitt Romney was hoping to put an end to Obama’s presidency.
Christie was a keynote speaker at the 2012 Republican National Convention, was a prominent surrogate for the Romney campaign, and is considered by many to be a rising star in the Republican Party. Therefore, when he gave President Obama a big hug as the pair toured the areas of New Jersey that were hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy, people took notice and the improbable embrace was talked about at great length.
Fast forward to the end of April 2013. Six months after Hurricane Sandy devastated parts of New Jersey, President Obama returned to the Garden State to assess the progress of the lengthy rebuilding process. And as he appeared side by side with Governor Christie, the bromance picked up right where it left off.Once again the political odd couple stole the show. Christie went out of his way to laud the president for his handling of the storm.After declaring that,“…the president has kept every promise that he made,” the governor emphatically stated that he had no regrets about embracing Obama after the storm.
So, when Governor Christie recently appeared at a town hall meeting at Vernon Township High School and gave an unsolicited and blunt criticism of President Obama, the bromance took a sharp turn and it appeared that the relationship was somewhat strained.
Referring to the president, Christie said that he is, “more concerned about being right than he is about getting things done.” Obama “can’t figure out how to lead,” according to the governor. “I don’t want him to be president,” Christie said.
The obvious question is, what did President Obama do to draw the ire of his “buddy” Chris Christie? What led to the stinging rebuke from the popular governor?
The answer is 2016. With Chris Christie perhaps positioning himself as a Republican presidential candidate and angling for broader support from his party’s conservative base, he could no longer afford to be perceived as being friendly with the Democratic president.His decision to partner with President Obama for the betterment of the people of New Jersey undoubtedly earned the Republican governor big political points in a state where Democrats far outnumber Republicans. And with Christie seeking reelection this fall, the image of him appearing alongside the president and repeatedly extoling Obama definitely bolstered his support among Democratic voters.However, with the 2016 presidential race looming on the horizon, it looks like Chris Christie chose politics and partisanship over the president. The Christie-Obama honeymoon is now officially over. If nothing else, it was certainly entertaining while it lasted.
N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and a principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political consulting firm.Visit him on the Web at www.PaulReverePR.com or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/troodler
By N. Aaron Troodler, Esq.
