The protesters gathered outside of Chris Christie’s presidential campaign launch demonstrated more enthusiasm than the rest of the country has for the New Jersey governor’s presidential candidacy.
Video of homeless Sandy survivors protesting outside of Christie announcement:
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NJ.com reported on the protesters who represented a greatest hits collection of Christie’s betrayals and failures:
A group of Sandy protesters arrived by bus at Livingston High School, where the governor is expected to announce he’s running for president at 11 a.m. They included Terry DeDunta, also of Little Egg Harbor, who said her contractor has been waiting over two years to begin reconstruction.
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Protesters representing New Jersey Citizen Action, the Sierra Club, New Jersey Working Families, and preservationists interested in protecting the old Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital are also at scene.
The mood on the broad oval fields and school entranceway was spirited but unthreatening, as hundreds of protestors – mostly teachers – had their say. They chanted, sang, and chanted some more while their nemesis, the governor of the state, was making his candidacy announcement inside.
The Christie announcement itself was nothing special as the governor tried to revive his long deceased image of being a straight talker who will tackle the nation’s problems. His platform itself was nothing different. Christie mouthed the same talking points about restoring opportunity, repealing regulations, tax cuts for the wealthy, and killing Social Security that are virtually required for every Republican presidential candidate.
Bridgegate ruined Chris Christie. It solidified for the nation his image as a vindictive bully who has no conscience when it comes to harming people.
In the latest Fox News poll, Chris Christie was tied with Bobby Jindal and Rick Perry for 11th place among Republicans. Christie was one point behind Rick Santorum for tenth and has seen his support fall from 5% to 2% in the past three weeks.
Only candidates who are polling in the top ten will be invited to the first Republican presidential debate, and right now, Christie is on the outside looking in.
Christie, like Jindal and Perry, is running for president because that is what he decided to do years ago, and political reality is not going to stop him. Chris Christie has no support and even less money. He is betting everything on winning in New Hampshire, which means that his presidential campaign will end after the New Hampshire primary.
Few people want Chris Christie to be president. Even fewer people think that he can win. The fact that the only enthusiasm in the air today is coming from those who Christie has lied to or damaged in New Jersey tells the nation everything they need to know about Chris Christie’s chances in 2016.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
