Can Christie Break the GOP's MAGA Fever?
He's Attempting Something Not Yet Tried In the Age of Trump: Direct Confrontation
CNN, June 12 Town Hall
Think back to 2016. Other than Trump, who was the last other GOP candidate? If you thought Ted Cruz, you can be forgiven, since it’s been his strategy that was largely adopted since then (more on that later). If you remember the 2015 race well, Jeb floundered horribly leaving a huge (or as the Donald would say “YUGE!”) vacuum to be sucked up. Trump took in all that oxygen and one by one the other candidates dropped like dominoes. At first, they ignored him thinking Republican voters would stay away from him knowing what a danger he was to the country. Then, as he said more ridiculous red meat rhetoric, they gave some passive aggressive responses that were sure to have the same effect as a mean glare. However, once the voters started voting and confirmed the polling, the other candidates recalculated or flat out gave up.
The last one standing was John Kasich, who tried to stay above the Trump fray and his campaign was the Alamo for the GOP anti-Trump forces. By the time he was the last one left, it was too late, money had dried up and there was no longer a path to the nomination.
In regard to Cruz, he attempted to pull off what was called the “Pilot Fish” strategy. This is akin to the pilot fish that swim around giant sharks scooping up the aftermath of what’s been ripped to shreds by the huge predator. In Cruz’s case, it meant chumming up to Donald Trump and giving him some legitimacy; in return Trump would train his fire elsewhere and leave Cruz largely alone.Once Cruz was the last one left, he would only then confront Trump as they went head to head. It’s a decidedly weak strategy, since you play coward in the first half, and then punching bag in the second once you assert yourself. It’s only a strategy for second place, and as the candidates waned, Trump made mincemeat out of Cruz. Kasich was a distant 3rd or 4th at the time depending on how many were still in. Once Cruz was no longer viable as an option, it was just Trump against a weak Kasich campaign.
To his credit, Kasich stayed true to himself and didn’t let Trump dictate how he ran his campaign. He stayed relatively positive thinking it was what anti-Trump voters wanted to hear and made a decent run at it as the last man standing. Unfortunately, it wasn’t what the overwhelming majority of Republicans wanted to hear and he lost ignominiously.
Once Trump was in office, other Republicans in and out of Washington ingratiated themselves to him and attempted the same strategy from the Cruz playbook. They underappreciated what a force of nature he was and thought at some point he would need them to get legislation through, to serve as guardrails for the country, to provide Trump with political legitimacy and authority. Trump isn’t interested in any of those things, and one by one they paid the price for getting close to Donald Trump. It’s a phenomenon best captured by Rick Wilson who posited, “Everything Trump Touches Dies” or #ETTD for short.
Christie was kicked out of the clubhouse early. For putting Jared Kushner’s father behind bars, he was summarily excluded from the spoils that went with Trump winning and kept out of that circle from Day 1. That may have been a blessing in disguise. Everyone else associated with Trump’s administration, such as Nikki Haley, have the taint of Trump all over them. Christie does too, just not as bad as those closer than he was.
However, Christie is trying something not done against Trump before; direct confrontation. From the moment he announced his candidacy, Christie has been putting together the Republican case against voting for Trump. He’s an adept former US Attorney and is excellent at making the prosecution. His poll numbers are only at 1%, so he has nowhere to go but up. However, he has a platform nobody who has tried to make the case against Trump (namely Democrats) has; he is listened to in GOP circles and on GOP media. “There is only one lane in the Republican Party, and it isn’t around Trump, it’s through him.” He’s right. You can’t become the new king without getting rid of the old one, and he’s the only one making that case.
Other candidates seem to be warming up to the idea as well. After the indictment was released, Nikki Haley and Tim Scott both declared openly the dangers to national security alleged without commenting specifically on Trump. This is a break from the “Blame the Prosecutors” approach the rest of the GOP has taken. Likewise, something is happening in the GOP that hasn’t happened since 2016; never Trump Republicans are starting to openly kvetch about possibly returning to the fold if Christie is successful. That would be a boon to other candidates’ poll numbers and severely damage Biden’s candidacy should he lose this voting bloc.
There is no guarantee that taking down Trump ultimately benefits Christie. Trump’s voters can go elsewhere blaming his downfall on the NJ Governor. However, if Trump fails to get the nomination, Christie will be a huge part of the reason why. And should someone else reap the rewards, Christie can take credit and would be deserving of some payback within the next administration should the GOP defeat Biden.
I don’tknow if he’ll be successful, but it should be good to watch. I for one, am looking forward to these debates.
PurpleAmerica’s Obscure Fact of the Day
Delaware is not exactly a large state or plays a huge role in politics generally to any degree. It does play a role in business in that most large companies are incorporated there; its a product of the laws and its proximity to both NY and DC. However, should Christie win the nomination Delaware would be center stage: Everyone knows Joe Biden hails from there and represented it in the Senate for 30 some years, but did you know Christie got his undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware where he majored in Political Science?
Now you do. :)
PurpleAmerica’s Cultural Corner
Chris Christie is an avid Bruce Springsteen fan. I saw him once sing Thunder Road on some late night talk show and he didn’t miss a step.
In honor of his appreciation for the Boss, I’m providing my Top 10 Bruce Springsteen songs.
Growin’ Up. Have to say I never liked this song until I heard him sing it in “Springsteen on Broadway” and it opened my eyes to it. Fantastic song about youth and discovery.
Atlantic City. Off of Nebraska, such a sad song of dreams gone and lack of opporutnities. Sung on an acoustic, it sounds even better, very melancholic.
My City of Ruins. First heard this song as an Eddie Vedder cover and was floored. When I heard the original from the post 9/11 “The Rising” album I couldn’t escape it. Bruce imploring, “C’mon Rise Up, C’MON RI-I-SE Upppp,” still gets me. Such vivid lyrics, “Church doors thown open, I can hear the organ’s song, but the congregations gone…” Powerful stuff.
Radio Nowhere. I’m in a minority on this one, but it so captures the essence of being in the middle of the country or far from society and being unable to find any good music. It’s lost its cache since everyone has Satellite Radio or Spotify now, but it’s still a great song.
Pink Cadillac. So many of Bruce Springsteen’s songs are personal to so many and this one is to me. When my brother and I got our first car (a crappy Chevette), this was the very first song that came on, and we cranked it with that gyrating bassline and sang it at the top of our lungs. Then when we approached a car full of girls at the stoplight, settled down, looked calm and cool and when they looked over just nodded to them, with the Boss crooning “They say Eve tempted Adam with an apple but I ain’t fallin’ for that….”. Oh, what a great moment. Nobody in a Chevette ever looked cooler.
Dancing in the Dark. Most of his “Born in the USA” songs are either subdued quiet songs (My Hometown, I’m on Fire) or these anthemic MTVish power songs. I don’t like the latter too much. Most when they hear the title to this one, they think Courtney Cox dancing at the end of the video. I implore you, watch the “Springsteen on Broadway” version where he plays it just on a single guitar, and listen to the lyrics, and you’ll get it. What a great song.
Glory Days. An anthem for those who love nostalgia and like to look back at their lives and smile. Bonus points if you remember it was the very last song played on Late Night with David Letterman before he jumped NBC for CBS.
Brilliant Disguise. Another song I didn’t care for much when it was first out and was much younger. However, with the perspective of age, it really is an amazing song of depth and wisdom. As it remains the only song of Springsteen’s I can play on guitar with any level of aptitude, it holds a special place for me.
Thunder Road. Next time you are in your car, pop this song on at full blast. Maybe the single greatest road song ever, with the exception of the #1 song….
Born to Run. Just the single best song about getting away from your youthful surroundings, becoming an adult and going out and finding your place in the world. Just try listening to this song without singing “Baby we were BORN to RUNNNNN!” I don’t think it’s possible.
PurpleAmerica’s Final Word on the Subject
