Before the bridge scandal, I didn’t think much of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie or his presidential prospects. He seemed too Jersey, too volatile and too moderate to be a contender.
But now I dream of a President Christie.
My conversion has nothing to do with policy or ideology, and everything to do with the politics of the scandal, in which Christie aides blocked traffic to create jams in a small city whose mayor had failed to endorse the governor’s re-election. To recover from Bridgegate and win the presidency, the New Jersey governor will have to respond in ways that could one day make my life a little easier.
Here’s the context. As an Angeleno with a horrible cross-town commute, I’m used to battling traffic jams. But the traffic jams created by the visits of the president are so much worse than anything the city can throw at you. The current president has a nasty habit of showing up at rush hour, making matters worse. It’s always frustrating that President Obama does so little public business on these trips, which are devoted to political fundraising. Still, the president doesn’t seem to much care when he ruins a commute – or forces people to stay home from work.
But a President Christie would surely be more sensitive to criticism that he’s causing big traffic jams. Indeed, to win the presidency, he’d have to survive opponents who would make an issue of this. He’d have to convince the public that he’s not the kind of person who would ever block traffic for his own selfish reasons. And he’d be susceptible to criticism if he caused traffic tie-ups as president.
My guess is that a President Christie would travel to LA – on the inevitable fundraising swings – and make his way through town with the lightest footprint possible. The wide street closures that are characteristic of Obamajams would be narrower. There might be better warning of the public about where the president is going and when – so we might avoid the area.
Whatever the particulars, it seems quite possible that a President Christie would be less likely to disrupt the commutes of me and my fellow Angelenos.