New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) appeared at a water treatment plant over the weekend, and told reporters on hand that he only wanted them to ask questions about the plant. One journalist decided to ask an unrelated question anyway, and Christie didn't respond well.
"Did I say on topic? Are you stupid?" the governor said. When the reporter followed up, Christie ended the press conference, calling the journalist an "idiot."
Maybe now would be a good time to remind politicians of a basic truth: you don't get to decide what topics media professionals are allowed to consider at a press conference. In this case, if the reporter had asked Christie for his favorite color, fine, let him have it. But the journalist asked a legitimate question, which makes him neither "stupid" nor an "idiot."
I realize Christie's m.o. is to bully people into submission, but is anyone seriously supposed to respect a governor who loses his cool so easily?
Postscript: Speaking of Christie, Jeffrey Goldberg has a good piece in The Atlantic on the governor's love for Bruce Springsteen, who apparently doesn't love Christie back. Apparently, the governor thinks The Boss would love Christie and his conservative policy agenda, if only Springsteen would give him a chance. Christie added that Springsteen only disapproves of the right out of some kind of class guilt: "He feels guilty that he has so much money, and he thinks it's all a zero-sum game: in order to get poor people more money, it has to be taken away from the rich."
What a deeply strange perspective. It's as if Christie has never even talked to a liberal, and has no idea what those on the left actually believe.
We could try to have a dialog, I suppose, but he'd probably tells us liberals are "stupid" and "idiots."
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I thought when he said sorry for the idiot he was talking about himself.
I strongly suspect that Christie will come to a bad end. First, he is morbidly obese. Second, his fondness for jack@ss trash talk will quite possibly be directed at the wrong person some day.
Journalists should just stop covering the politicians who do things like that. See how that works to make them realize if they want coverage then they have to play the game by honest rules.
On the contrary, the more the press gives coverage to this obnoxious governor, the less popular he will be on the political stage, state and national.
The media doesn't have to shut out right-wing politicians, because right-wing media strategy is to boycott the media. Just consider Sharon Angle, who always ran like a bunny from any legitimate reporter. And it seems that's Romney's media strategy as well.
Technically, I suppose they're not boycotting the media entirely, just the majority of the mediaverse that doesn't occupy the far-right of the spectrum. Although right-wing voters love it when their mighty leaders slap down reporters, what these politicians ultimately are doing is confining themselves within a right-wing media ghetto. Right-wingers are very loyal to the media that cater to them, but the majority of the country is more diverse in their news-consumption habits; and the more right-wing politicians cater to right-wing media, the more they will seem to disappear from the view of everyone else.
This is all very stupidly insular, and while I doubt that a bad media strategy is enough to sink a campaign, it's not going to help, either. It certainly didn't do Sharon Angle any good.
Maybe he would be a little happier if he lost some weight. Definitely not the archetype Happy Fat Man.
Please eat more cheeseburgers, Please eat more cheeseburgers, Please eat more cheeseburgers, Please eat more cheeseburgers, Please eat more cheeseburgers, Please eat more cheeseburgers, Please eat more cheeseburgers, Please eat more cheeseburgers, Please eat more cheeseburgers, Please eat more cheeseburgers, Please eat more cheeseburgers, Please eat more cheeseburgers, Please eat more cheeseburgers, Please eat more cheeseburgers, Please eat more cheeseburgers......
I'm sorry for those that think that behavior is acceptable, especially for young minds that might be thinking of taunting an elderly lady relentlessly on the bus.
Christie's "guilt" explanation is surely to get Springsteen to love him back. Hahahahahaha...
Sadly, those on the right (including NJ Republicans) tend to eat this crap up. The media's in the tank for the left, dontcha know, so when someone one the right calls them idiots, it's like a Republican angel gets his wings. There will be no apology; in fact people on the right will demand the reporter apologize to Christie, and some tool like Peggy Noonan will bemoan eveyone's lack of civility but will nonetheless admire Christie's "choots-pah."
I love how Christie lives up to all the stereotypes about fat morons.
Yet again he channels the Republican/Tea Party 2012 Playbook. Do not deal in facts; do not treat journalists with even one iota of respect; ignore the truth; only repeat campaign rhetoric and slogans; and in Christie's case, play the bully card whenever it is convenient. I didn't realize he was crowned Emperor of Jersey. All along, I thought he was a public SERVANT who spent a lot of money to get the job. My bad.
Governor Christy to stay classy? Not bloody likely!!!
Good point - he'd have to get "classy" first.
;-)
This guy has a lot to answer for, including those halfway houses where those who commit misdemeanors are routinely robbed, brutalized and even murdered by inmates who are real felons... This "Sopranos" routine of his is becoming very stale.
Christy like the rest of the GOTP see that rich people paying their share - is paying too much! It's a lack of understanding about how the economy works, stupid! Christy getting angry about an "off topic" question, well he's in a long line of GOTP'ers!
Ha! I think there should be at least one off-topic question at EVERY Christy news conference. Either everyone will see him acting like a tool, or he'll stop throwing tantrums and answer real questions. Of course there always a third option... he could just stop having news conferences all together which would be just fine too.
They should all be "off topic".
I suspect in his case it's easier to throw out insults rather than to think about engaging the topics at hand. He does, in the end, make clear which "side" he's on (and it doesn't sound like it jives with the working-class ethos inspired in so many of Springsteen's songs)... but to come up with a reasoned response takes effort and constant updating of one's knowledge base. Sad to say, there are not many members of the GOP who are good at engaging politics on the local level. Olympia Snowe can talk issues, or perhaps Dick Lugar could, but most (including Christie) have to use nasty words as a foil and hope it boils up their base to support them.
Glad he doesn't want to be VP! If Mittens doesn't keep torpedoing himself, this fat moron would be the U-Boat that sank the campaign.
Out of curiosity, what was the question? I couldn't make it out in the video.
Reporter asked if Christy would be addressing the (NJ) legislature on Monday.
What nerve, huh?
PJ
It's "as if" the people of New Jersey cared about what their Governor is doing. Sheesh….
Let's talk 'bullying'...that's what HE is, that's what ROMNEY is and they take it as a badge of honor...while pretending to despair about the 'bullying in schools'...
Mister right honerable Christie please,,, Does this water treatment plant represent socialism in action? Sir, sir do you think a 300 lb lard ass is the right person to talk to about health care?,, that a smart person is also a healthy person, personal responsibility,,,.?
so two more days without usable water for 200k NJ residents?
As a former newspaper reporter and editor, I would consider it a badge of honor for Chris Christie to call me an idiot.
The PR Verdict: “C” (Distinctly OK) for Governor Christie. Straight talk is his schtick; where anyone else would be accused of blowing their cool, this sort of Everyman explosion is the thing that makes Christie so popular.
Those on the right tend to be inordinately fond of brutishness.