US: Christie promises blunt campaign as he enters 2016 contest

[webfact]

Christie promises blunt campaign as he enters 2016 contest
By JILL COLVIN and STEVE PEOPLES

LIVINGSTON, N.J. (AP) — A tough-talking New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie launched his 2016 campaign for president Tuesday with a promise to tell voters the truth even if it makes them cringe.

The Republican governor, a one-time GOP favorite who faded and now tries to climb back, lashed out at "bickering leaders" from both political parties in a kickoff rally in the gymnasium of his old high school. And in his trademark blunt style, he told voters — and warned Republican rivals — that he's ready to be aggressive in the 2016 contest.

"You're going to get what I think whether you like it or not, or whether it makes you cringe every once in a while or not," Christie declared. He added: "I am now ready to fight for the people of the United States of America."

He went on to a town hall meeting in Sandown, New Hampshire, receiving enthusiastic applause from the standing-room crowd as he arrived with his family. "I want to be the next president of the United States and I intend to win this election," he told the meeting, held in an actual town hall.

Christie has already held nearly a dozen town halls in New Hampshire, a state key to his hopes, and plans more as he spends the next week in the state.

Christie enters a Republican presidential field that already has more than a dozen GOP candidates. Not all draw as much attention as Christie, who will compete for the same slice of the electorate as pragmatic-minded White House hopefuls such as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

But it's an accomplished lineup of governors, senators and business people. Christie's effort is largely driven by his outsized personality, and his resume, while notable, contains scattered land mines that have given many Republicans pause.

Four years ago, some of Christie's backers tried to persuade him to challenge President Barack Obama. In the years since, he won re-election with ease, but also struggled to revive New Jersey's moribund economy and fought with the state's Democratic-controlled legislature over pensions and the state budget.

While Christie's turn as head of the Republican Governors Association was widely viewed as a success in the 2014 midterm elections, he's also faced the fallout from the actions of three former aides, charged with creating politically motivated traffic jams at a bridge to retaliate against a Democratic mayor who declined to endorse Christie's re-election.

Christie has not been tied directly to wrongdoing, denies he had anything to do with the bridge closing and has seen no evidence emerge to refute that.

Still, the episode deepened the sense that he may surround himself with people who will do anything to win. He declared early in the scandal that "I am not a bully" to counter the public perception that he is just that.

The governor faces a tough sell with many conservatives, but has seemingly found his stride at times in visits to early voting states with the lively town hall meetings he's known for at home. There will be plenty more of those now that he's an affirmed candidate.

Emboldened by his political successes in heavily Democratic New Jersey, he seems himself as a leader who can work across Washington's bitter partisan divide.

"We need this country to work together again, not against each other," he said with his wife, Mary Pat, and their four children standing behind him. He promised to lead a White House that would "welcome the American people no matter what party, no matter what race or creed or color."

Yet Christie also jabbed President Barack Obama's "weak and feckless foreign policy" and called Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton the president's "second mate."

"America is tired of hand-wringing and indecisiveness and weakness in the Oval Office," he said. "We need to have strength and decision-making and authority back in the Oval Office. And that is why today I am proud to announce my candidacy for the Republican nomination for president of the United States of America."

In 2012, Christie was seen as the charismatic, pragmatic governor who burst onto the scene in made-for-YouTube moments. He gained national attention with a landmark deal in which the state's public sector unions agreed to higher health care costs and retirement ages in exchange for promised payments into the state's chronically underfunded pension season.

Christie's fortunes have certainly changed.

Now, Christie has been eclipsed by others in a pack of more than dozen rivals. And his poll numbers at home have sunk to record lows. New Jersey's economy is lagging and there have been nine credit downgrades on Christie's watch.

Christie grew up in Livingston, a town about 20 miles west of New York City, and served as class president at the high school. His high school friends were among the first to receive word that Christie would be launching his campaign at their old school.
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Peoples reported from Washington.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-07-01

[Publicus]

He's a whale of a candidate.

Christie getting to Washington is however a bridge too far.

The Republican field is a traffic jam already.

[MaxYakov]

Christie promises blunt (trauma) campaign as he enters 2016 contest

[abhaya]

Well a blunt campaign from Christie is what is to expected because he is not the sharpest pin in the box.

[samran]

He will certainly give the puritanical teabagggers some grief. And that will be entertaining to watch.

Along with Jeb, probably one of the more electable (in the real world) GOP nominees. Not sure at the moment if that is saying very much.

[Berkshire]

He will certainly give the puritanical teabagggers some grief. And that will be entertaining to watch.

Along with Jeb, probably one of the more electable (in the real world) GOP nominees. Not sure at the moment if that is saying very much.

I actually like Christie and I'm not even a Republican. The guy is a straight-shooter, but not in a mean and crazy way (read Trump). But he's too moderate for the GOP base. And in an odd way, he's probably not "presidential" enough for the traditionalist.

[samran]

He will certainly give the puritanical teabagggers some grief. And that will be entertaining to watch.

Along with Jeb, probably one of the more electable (in the real world) GOP nominees. Not sure at the moment if that is saying very much.

I actually like Christie and I'm not even a Republican. The guy is a straight-shooter, but not in a mean and crazy way (read Trump). But he's too moderate for the GOP base. And in an odd way, he's probably not "presidential" enough for the traditionalist.

I like anyone who has the balls to tell any wingnuts, on the right or left, to shove it.

Whether that gets him the nomination given the GOP primaries are controlled by the wingnuts, we will see. I dare say him takinga helicopter ride with Obama a few years back after the hurricane was too much for them already.

[Thakkar]

"Chris Christie launched his 2016 campaign for president Tuesday with a promise to tell voters the truth even if it makes them cringe."

Well, he's already made me cringe. Is that a cameltoe?

[BuaBS]

""a promise to tell voters the truth even if it makes them cringe""

A politian telling the truth ? No-one is going to believe that...oh wait they are american , ok got it.

[geriatrickid]

Running for VP is all he is doing.

I can't wait for the GOP bloodbath to begin. It will provide a year of madcap idiocy and will burn through hundreds of millions of $$$ that could otherwise be used to elect a sane GOP candidate.

[Publicus]

Christie on the ticket as vp would tell the nominee to shut the shuck up and sit the shuck down so that's wouldn't cut it. Think a giant male Sarah Palin beast.

Besides, R's have their blue state governor in Scott Walker of Wisconsin for vp or if he can pull it off, the nominee. Christie is from a state that is so blue it probably would vote for Bernie Sanders if he by some miracle were the D nominee (same as VT, MA, RI, CT, CA, WA, OR, DE, NY, ME, IL, MD, MI maybe PA, MN).

R's have their swing state guys in JEB, Rubio, Gov John Kasich of Ohio who is admittedly still a longshot for vp but, hey, he's from Ohio and is highly popular there, a very likable guy everywhere.

Red state guyz of no electoral college utility to the R's are Cruz, Paul, Huckabee, Jindal, Perry, Graham. In fact they're of no use to anybody in this election. Santorum is of course from a blue state, PA and hasn't a prayer anyway.

[elgordo38]

"Chris Christie launched his 2016 campaign for president Tuesday with a promise to tell voters the truth even if it makes them cringe."

Well, he's already made me cringe. Is that a cameltoe?

He had to come out with guns blazing to grab some attention. I think a month at the gym and a good tailor may make him a contender. Would not take much to leap over "Just call me Jeb" (he does have the big bucks behind him) and Donald "The Hairpiece" Trump. Sorry starting to think about the WWF again. Maybe the Hulkster should consider a run he was my hero years ago and he is a showman par excellence. He would make a good president devouring all the villains in Washington and in big business. Again I often wonder does the president act independently or after the election do about half a dozen suits come in and give him his script of what he can or cannot do over the next 4 years. Loved the championship matched when he slammed Andre the Giant. I still have the match on file.

[Chicog]

Wow the clown car is mighty packed now.