Christie for Guv’

When a true-blue state like New Jersey gives its GOP governor Chris Christie a 67% favorability rating, it should come as no surprise that he recently decided to announce his bid for re-election to a second term.
 
Indeed, it is wholly consistent with Christie’s prior statements about his desire to remain here in The Garden State, and to see through as many of his priorities and goals as he can possibly implement. 
 
Earlier this year, despite all of the media attention about the possibility of his angling for the VP spot on the national presidential GOP ticket, Christie steadily refuted all claims to that effect
 
He was completely adamant and sincere about his statements that he is a Jersey Boy, that he loved his job and his state, and that he wanted to stay on the job right here.  I liked that attitude and still do.
 
 It is thoroughly refreshing to see a high-level, elected official act with such genuineness and dependability.  His style is compassionately confrontational and truthful.  When he speaks, any New Jerseyan – heck, you can add to that anyone else outside these borders – knows precisely what he means. 
 
The credibility of his words doesn’t seem to get infected by the politics of expediency.   
 
Those characteristics are what have endeared him to out-of-staters as well.  Two years ago, when I was out for a walk on a hilltop overlooking the town of Meredith, New Hampshire, seeking good photo ops of the scenery, a local resident approached me.  He asked where I was from and, when I told him, there were no bad Jersey jokes – just an unprompted and unsought for admiration of this guy known as Chris Christie. 
 
When was the last time that you came across a New Jersey politician who has enhanced this state’s reputation internally and externally as much as this man Christie? 
 
Now don’t go thinking that I’m slobbering all over him:  I have disagreed with the governor on some of his decisions and will most undoubtedly do so again in the future.
 
Example: 
 
I did not concur with Christie’s decision to move the school board elections from April to the November general election, unless he were to also retain in the enabling legislation the traditional franchise of New Jersey voters to cast an up or down vote on their district’s school budget, while also voting for school board candidates.
 
Instead, Christie moved in the opposite direction and signed legislation that permitted local school boards to sever the public’s right to vote on their school budget, by far the largest chunk of the local property tax burden.
 
I heard the governor give his reasons for that decision at a town hall meeting in Bridgewater, and I found his rationale not to have meat on the bones – still think it was a very unwise decision.
 
OK.  So he isn’t perfect!  I’m sure that countless people will come up with plenty of other reasons not to stick with this man.  But I’ll tell you one thing:  He is undeniably the most qualified person to keep at the helm as governor of New Jersey.  Let’s not kid ourselves about that. 
 
Chris Christie has pulled New Jersey back from the brink.  But it is still in bad shape right now – has been for years before he took office.  Need I count the ways?  This is not the time to change horses in midstream.