JUNE 30, 2015
Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) announced today that he is running for President and has become the 14th Republican candidate in the race. So far.
Speaking before an enthusiastic crowd in his hometown of Livingston, Christie spoke without the aid of a teleprompter for 27 minutes, emphasizing his newest mantra that he’s the guy who’ll “tell it like it is.”
Christie’s penchant for telling it like it is has gotten him into hot water in the past, telling off teachers or union workers who dare to disagree with him. That hot-headed Christie became far more subdued during the investigation of his Bridgegate scandal, but if the tone of today’s announcement speech is any indication, the old Christie has come roaring back.
Christie should be well aware of the difficult position from which his campaign is starting. He has jumped in very late in the game, and much of the donor class, who reportedly begged Christie to run against Romney in 2012, is nowhere to be found, having divided their money among other candidates. According to the latest Fox News poll, he currently ranks 11th among GOP candidates which is not high enough to qualify to be on the stage for that first Republican debate in August, thus denying him a chance to face off against his old nemesis Donald Trump. And New Jersey’s economy is in the toilet, with the state’s credit rating being downgraded nine separate times during the Christie administration.
The one advantage Christie has, and it’s a big one, is his skill at one-on-one retail politics — many have said he is the best in this GOP field and may only be rivaled by Bill Clinton. That ability to communicate with voters goes a long way in New Hampshire, whose voters are known for wanting a lot of face time with their candidates. But Christie’s strategy of putting all of his chips on New Hampshire is a risky one — Jeb Bush and Scott Walker are pursuing the same tack, and they’re starting off from far stronger positions than Christie.
Christie may potentially have the biggest chance for an upside in this contest. All he needs to worry about is another campaign hiring some wiseguy in a town hall crowd to proactively bait Christie. Whether he maintains his composure will be a telling sign of how serious he is about winning this race.
 announced today that he is running for President and has become the 14th Republican candidate in the race. So far. Speaking before an…){kind=link}