SOMERVILLE, N.J. — Tanking in presidential polls and juggling economic and political problems at home, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie held his 130th town hall Tuesday, hoping his retail-politics approach can salvage his state budget and give him a boost nationally.
A little over a year ago, Mr. Christie was the front-runner for the GOP’s 2016 presidential nod, but the “Bridgegate” scandal and an increasingly competitive field of would-be candidates dragged him down, slicing his poll numbers from about 20 percent to less than 7 percent, according to the RealClearPolitics.com average.
But Mr. Christie has assured voters he is “still standing” and on Tuesday he returned to the town-hall style of meeting that have produced memorable exchanges that helped bolster his national profile and cement his “tell it like it is” image.
“Some of you may have seen some of these town hall meetings on the news, on the Internet, in the newspapers — and seen some of the more colorful interactions with my people,” Mr. Christie said, laying out the ground rules for the event, and sparking laughter. “We are all from New Jersey so we understand this final rule: If you give it you are getting it back.”
He also assured the crowd that converged on high school gymnasium were not prescreened.
Mr. Christie’s allies say the 52-year-old is still well-positioned if he decides to run for president. They say he’ll have the resources to complete, and say he can connect with voters in a way no other candidate can.
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“I really fundamentally do not believe that this race is going to be decided on any candidate’s record,” Phil Cox, former executive director of the Republican Governors Association, who has been advising Mr. Christie’s Leadership Matters for America political action committee, told The Washington Times. “I think it is going to be decided on the vision they lay out for the future and how they communicate those ideas.”
Former New Jersey Gov. Thomas H. Kean, who helped mentor Mr. Christie, but is undecided on who he will support in 2016, said, “on paper, there are a lot of reasons you should write him off.”
“But in fact, he is one of the ablest candidates in the field,” Mr. Kean told Times this week. “By able I mean he has as many natural skills as a politician as anybody I have seen since Bill Clinton. He may be the best speaker in the group, he might be the best debater in the group.”
“And if this thing gets into a brawl, who is the best brawler out there?” Mr. Kean said. “I think it is Chris Christie.”
Tuesday’s forum was part therapy session, part comedy act and part public relations push, as Mr. Christie continued to drive home his argument that his state must reduce costs for public employees’ pensions and health costs.
Mr. Christie said the costs of the benefits are squeezing out the state’s ability to invest in other areas, including community colleges, and said it is adding to the state’s tax burden that is chasing away companies, and jobs, as well as millionaires that comprise a key slice of the state’s tax base.
“We promised folks pensions and retirement ages and levels of benefits that we knew we couldn’t afford,” he said. “All these things are deadly sins of the past that are now coming back to haunt the state, and we need to clean them up.”
Mr. Christie also defended his decision to accept the Medicaid expansion under Obamacare, saying it saved the state money and provided heath coverage to more people in poverty. And he endorsed the idea of taxing sales from online retailers like brick and mortar businesses.
When a woman said she recently lost her job and asked him how he could help her land another job, Mr. Christie said the state has to create a friendlier business climate through cutting costs and taxes.
“I feel for you, and I wish there was a silver bullet I had to fix it for you tomorrow, for you and your family,” Mr. Christie said. “But on the other hand, I got to tell you exactly how I see the problem because you deserve the truth of it.”
When another woman asked him about programs for disabled people, he said he was on her side. When another man started ranting about becoming homeless, Mr. Christie calmed him down, saying a member of his staff would speak with him after the forum.
Mr. Kean said that Mr. Christie’s brand of politics is a double-edged sword, in that it could prove to be his biggest strength in the eyes of voters if he can be disciplined.
“If they look at his style as refreshing and honest and different form the rest, that will serve him well,” Mr. Kean said. “On the other hand, if they look at his as uncouth or saying things beyond the pale or rude, that is a different matter.”
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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