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You are here: Home / Politics / Republican Stupidity / The Real Enemy Has Been Named

The Real Enemy Has Been Named

by John Cole|  November 7, 20123:30 pm| 224 Comments

This post is in: Republican Stupidity, Clap Louder!, Clown Shoes

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This is getting delicious. The bitter recriminations are starting to come in fast and furious, and if there is anyone who is to blame for the Republicans losing this election, the wingnuts have decided that man is… Chris Christie:

Here’s Roscoe Robert Stacy McCain at the American Spectator:

The list of fools who have brought this disaster upon us certainly also will include New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the gelatinous clown who (a) hogged up a prime time spot at the Republican convention to sing his own praises; (b) embraced Obama as the hero of Hurricane Sandy; and (c) then refused to appear at campaign events in support of Romney’s presidential campaign. Good luck with the remainder of your political future, governor. It is unlikely Republicans shall soon forget your perfidious betrayal.

Here’s old Dick Morris, trying to explain how he was so spectacularly wrong about his prediction of a Romney landslide, and you’ll never guess who is to blame:

But the more proximate cause of my error was that I did not take full account of the impact of hurricane Sandy and of Governor Chris Christie’s bipartisan march through New Jersey arm in arm with President Obama. Not to mention Christe’s fawning promotion of Obama’s presidential leadership.

It made all the difference.

A key element of Romney’s appeal, particularly after the first debate, was his ability to govern with Democrats in Massachusetts. Obama’s one-party strident approach, so much the opposite of what he pledged in his first national speech in 2004, had turned voters off. But by working seamlessly with an acerbic Republican Governor like Christie, Obama was able to blunt Romney’s advantage in this crucial area.

Mary Matalin also knows who is to blame:

Unfortunately and unfortuitously, forces of nature bookended the general election: Our convention was compromised by one weather disaster and our momentum stalled by another. Two human hurricanes also radically altered the political atmosphere: Bill Clinton’s unique windbaggery constituted a campaign updraft, while Chris Christie’s deplorable and gratuitous gas-baggery infused the campaign with a toxic political pollution.

And so does the Romney campaign:

Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, the adviser adds, is persona non grata in Romney’s inner circle. “He went out of his way to embrace the president during the final week of the campaign,” the adviser says. “It wasn’t necessary and it hurt us. Todd Akin, Richard Mourdock, and Chris Christie undermined the Republican message.”

Chris Christie- Public Enemy #1.

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Reader Interactions

224Comments

  1. 1.

    Bulworth

    November 7, 2012 at 3:32 pm

    Todd Akin, Richard Mourdock, and Chris Christie undermined the Republican message.”

    The first two by openly stating what the party believes and the last by caring about his state.

  2. 2.

    arguingwithsignposts

    November 7, 2012 at 3:32 pm

    Romney or The Boss? I’m sure Christie had a hard decision to make. Eye roll

  3. 3.

    gogol's wife

    November 7, 2012 at 3:32 pm

    hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

  4. 4.

    Bulworth

    November 7, 2012 at 3:33 pm

    Two human hurricanes also radically altered the political atmosphere: Bill Clinton’s unique windbaggery constituted a campaign updraft, while Chris Christie’s deplorable and gratuitous gas-baggery infused the campaign with a toxic political pollution.

    You stay classy, conservatives.

  5. 5.

    Alison

    November 7, 2012 at 3:34 pm

    Good lord, they are so pathetic.

  6. 6.

    PeakVT

    November 7, 2012 at 3:34 pm

    Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, the adviser adds, is persona non grata in Romney’s inner circle.

    Oh, I’d be shaking in my boots about that if I were Chris Christie, yes siree.

  7. 7.

    The Other Chuck

    November 7, 2012 at 3:34 pm

    Aaaaand the circular firing squad warms up by picking the biggest target.

  8. 8.

    Baud

    November 7, 2012 at 3:34 pm

    Chris Christie- Public Enemy #1.

    Christie is a traitor to the conservative cause. Even the liberal John Cole said nice things about him.

  9. 9.

    rdldot

    November 7, 2012 at 3:36 pm

    Boehner on the TV right now explaining how, because the GOP owns 1/3 of the govt, the Pres should be more reasonable and come closer to their way of thinking. Eff Off.

  10. 10.

    Corner Stone

    November 7, 2012 at 3:36 pm

    I like Gov Christie. He tells it like it is, you know where you stand with him and he seems like a guy we can work with.

  11. 11.

    MattR

    November 7, 2012 at 3:36 pm

    Listening to talk radio here in Jersey yesterday, they were careful to note that Christie has to navigate his 2013 re-election before he can consider a run for President. But they also pointed out (and unfortunately I tend to agree) that his post Sandy bipartisanship will push him towards a decisive victory. Come 2015 those pundits will be pragmatic and if they believe Christie is the best hope to stop the evil Democrats from continuing their reign, then any complaints about his actions during Hurricane Sandy will go right down the memory hole.

  12. 12.

    MikeJ

    November 7, 2012 at 3:37 pm

    Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, the adviser adds, is persona non grata in Romney’s inner circle.

    And people are just fallin gall over themselves to get into Mitt’s inner circle now, aren’t they?

  13. 13.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    November 7, 2012 at 3:37 pm

    Yum.

  14. 14.

    EconWatcher

    November 7, 2012 at 3:37 pm

    I’m sure Christie will respond to all of this calmly and temperately, as is his wont.

  15. 15.

    gbear

    November 7, 2012 at 3:38 pm

    It’s pretty rich that McCain is saying that Christie ‘brought this disaster upon us’ when talking about a governor who was trying to do everything to help his state when an honest-to-god major disaster had blasted his constituents. McCain’s notion of the word ‘disaster’ is rather shallow and idiotic.

  16. 16.

    Disco

    November 7, 2012 at 3:38 pm

    “Todd Akin, Richard Mourdock, and Chris Christie undermined the Republican message.”

    What message is that? That women are second-class citizens? What a load of horseshit. But then, I expected nothing less.

  17. 17.

    Ben Cisco

    November 7, 2012 at 3:38 pm

    The incredible C, Public Enemy Number One.

  18. 18.

    Bulworth

    November 7, 2012 at 3:39 pm

    @rdldot: Yeah, anything else would be the president “spiking the football” and being uppity.

  19. 19.

    MattR

    November 7, 2012 at 3:40 pm

    @Corner Stone:

    I like Gov Christie. He tells it like it is, you know where you stand with him and he seems like a guy we can work with.

    He’s not. He’s Rudy Giuliani in a much larger body.

  20. 20.

    MattF

    November 7, 2012 at 3:40 pm

    Ha. How about “Republicans nominated a dishonest, greedy coward, and a majority of Americans decided there was a better choice.” But I agree that Christie is kind of a gasbag.

  21. 21.

    Violet

    November 7, 2012 at 3:41 pm

    Buzzfeed’s got a fascinating look into the Romney-Trump relationship.

    “He played very well with blue-collar-type Republicans, and the campaign saw that,” said one source in Trump’s camp. “If you have no education, and you work with your hands, you like him. It’s like, ‘Wow, if I was rich that’s how I would live! The girls, the cars, the fancy suits. His ostentatiousness is appealing to them.”
    __
    When the campaign decided to go for it, they went all out. Staffers and surrogates lobbied their contacts in Trump’s office, and senior campaign strategist Stuart Stevens called a person close to the Celebrity Apprentice start and asked what they could do to win him over.
    __
    The friend’s advice: “Flattery goes a long way with Mr. Trump.”

    Love the way the Romney camp insults people that “work with their hands”. The article goes on with plenty of description of how incredibly high-maintenance Trump is.

  22. 22.

    Midnight Marauder

    November 7, 2012 at 3:42 pm

    @Corner Stone:

    I like Gov Christie. He tells it like it is, you know where you stand with him and he seems like a guy we can work with.

    I don’t think it’s possible for this to ever cease being amusing.

  23. 23.

    JPL

    November 7, 2012 at 3:42 pm

    @rdldot: Sounds like he is pushing Romney’s tax cut.

  24. 24.

    gbear

    November 7, 2012 at 3:42 pm

    @MikeJ: Really. I imagine Christie is sobbing uncontrolably over the lock-out.

  25. 25.

    PaulW

    November 7, 2012 at 3:42 pm

    At no time can any blame be assigned to the people actually responsible – the media con artists, the fundraising con artists, and those refusing to own up to how disastrous the Bush the Lesser years STILL are to us Americans – for the Republican Party flailing against reality.

    At some point, the Far Right is gonna run out of scapegoats among their own ranks, because those ranks are gonna be pretty thinned out…

  26. 26.

    Karen S.

    November 7, 2012 at 3:42 pm

    Yes, it’s certain individuals (Christie, Akin, Mourdock) who are the reason for the GOP’s less-than-stellar showing yesterday. Yes, keep telling yourselves that, you hateful jelly-brained vultures. That way, you’ll never get around to actually figuring what the real problems with your brain-dead ideology are. And I’m okay with that.

  27. 27.

    jonas

    November 7, 2012 at 3:42 pm

    I cannot WAIT to hear Christie respond to this. Say what you want about the guy — and he can be an enormous douchebag at times — he doesn’t take shit like this sitting down, and he’ll speak his mind. The idea that putting the citizens of NJ ahead of the Romney campaign is now some kind of capital crime is just so in keeping with the craven assholery of the the entire GOP this season, whaddya expect?

    Today’s GOP — like Seinfeld: no learning; no hugging.

  28. 28.

    Rosalita

    November 7, 2012 at 3:43 pm

    Yeah, that’s okay, blame a governor for not attending a campaign rally when his state is ruins…despicable fucktards. Can’t wait for Christie to fire back.

    Persona non-grata from Mittens inner circle? Ooooh, scary

  29. 29.

    J.W. Hamner

    November 7, 2012 at 3:43 pm

    I’ve been sadly expecting that Sandy + Chritie’s “betrayal” would be the most popular media narrative as to how Mitt-mentum was stopped… but I’m still slightly hopeful that they’ll stay with “Whoops, I guess those polls were right after all!”

  30. 30.

    Brachiator

    November 7, 2012 at 3:44 pm

    Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, the adviser adds, is persona non grata in Romney’s inner circle. “He went out of his way to embrace the president during the final week of the campaign,” the adviser says. “It wasn’t necessary and it hurt us.

    I love the smell of finger-pointing and recrimination in the morning.

    Smells like… victory!

  31. 31.

    Jay in Oregon

    November 7, 2012 at 3:44 pm

    So can we replace John McCain, the Village’s President-in-exile, with Mitt Romney now?

    Not that people will be jumping at the chance to talk to him, like, EVER again, but the more irrelevant McCain is, the better.

  32. 32.

    The Red Pen

    November 7, 2012 at 3:44 pm

    A lot of Freeper retrospectives start with the upfront statement that Romney was and awesome candidate who ran a great campaign and so we can rule out problems in that area.

    Then they blame women (WHITE women, BTW), and “the majority of Americans who rely on government handouts.” You know, THOSE people.

  33. 33.

    cathyx

    November 7, 2012 at 3:44 pm

    So does this mean that if the Republicans had embraced climate change instead of denying it, they would have won the election?

  34. 34.

    Violet

    November 7, 2012 at 3:44 pm

    Matalin:

    Unfortunately and unfortuitously, forces of nature bookended the general election: Our convention was compromised by one weather disaster and our momentum stalled by another.

    She doesn’t see fit to mention that the storms were God’s revenge for the Republicans immoral actions. Funny how she overlooked that.

  35. 35.

    ? Martin

    November 7, 2012 at 3:44 pm

    Democrats got a 2/3 majority in both houses in California – the minimum needed to raise taxes. With a Democratic governor, there’s a window of opportunity here. This is huge. This may have national consequences.

  36. 36.

    Bulworth

    November 7, 2012 at 3:44 pm

    “He played very well with blue-collar-type Republicans, and the campaign saw that,” said one source in Trump’s camp. “If you have no education, and you work with your hands, you like him. It’s like, ‘Wow, if I was rich that’s how I would live! The girls, the cars, the fancy suits. His ostentatiousness is appealing to them.”

    Yeah, very family values-ey

  37. 37.

    cbear

    November 7, 2012 at 3:45 pm

    Ahhhhh, it all just tastes so sweet.

    BTW, anybody know when the raping and pillaging is scheduled to begin? My email program has been screwed up the last few days and I’m afraid I may have missed the memo.

    Will we be allowed to burn and salt their lands?
    Also, too, is the selling their children into servitude thingy still on? I’m really behind on my yard work and could some help.

  38. 38.

    cathyx

    November 7, 2012 at 3:45 pm

    But what I really hope it means is that they think they need to tack more to the right in order to win future elections.

  39. 39.

    joeyess

    November 7, 2012 at 3:45 pm

    Makes me almost want to vote for the guy….. almost.

  40. 40.

    Ann Rynd

    November 7, 2012 at 3:46 pm

    Oh no! To be excluded from Romney’s inner circle!! Is that the same as being shunned in the Mormon faith?
    Christie is right where he wants to be. More rides on Air Force One, Dinner in the family quarters, state dinners. Who wouldn’t want that? He might even be asked to be Hillary’s VP.
    There are advantages in being on Mary Matalin’s bad side.

  41. 41.

    28 Percent

    November 7, 2012 at 3:46 pm

    Obama’s one-party strident approach, so much the opposite of what he pledged in his first national speech in 2004, had turned voters off. But by working seamlessly with an acerbic Republican Governor like Christie, Obama was able to blunt Romney’s advantage in this crucial area. finally working with somebody who put something – ambition, personal integrity, fanboi lust – ahead of party loyalty, and it turns out that Obama’s “one-party strident approach” was something that was forced on him by Republican stonewalling, which I’m pretty much admitting by blaming Christie for being willing to work with him.

    fixed

  42. 42.

    Bill in Section 147

    November 7, 2012 at 3:46 pm

    Republicans. Keep f*cking that chicken.

    Sadly for the country they would have been happier if thousands died and Christie blamed Obama.

    Romney lost. Republicans lost. And you now hate Chris Christie. Sounds like a whole lotta win to me.

    Keep on believing your fairytale whiners. Clap louder.

  43. 43.

    The Moar You Know

    November 7, 2012 at 3:47 pm

    Taking this tack against Christie is idiotic. He’s very powerful and liked within moderate Republican circles, and he has a nasty mean streak a mile wide and an ability to hold generational grudges that would impress any Middle Easterner.

    And the last thing he’s going to do is lie down and take it. He is going to fuck those who fuck with him hard. The conservatives talk of “Chicago thugs”, but forget that the Chicago thugs were wiped off the face of the planet by the Jersey mob.

  44. 44.

    Corner Stone

    November 7, 2012 at 3:47 pm

    @MattR:

    He’s not. He’s Rudy Giuliani in a much larger body.

    I don’t think this is a fair assessment. It seems to me, and please tell me if this is off base, that universal disclaim from the R side directed at Christie pretty much tells us all we need to know. He’s clearly a partisan pol, but that doesn’t preclude him from working across the aisle. His press conferences and actions since Sandy have left the door wide open for Democrats to reach out their Springsteen soaked bandannas and ask Gov Christie to show us the way forward.
    We’re just not going to get legislation done if we continue with all this one sided bickering bullshit. We need to identify and groom some people we can work with in the future. And Christ Christie is the model for that kind of framework moving forward.

  45. 45.

    halteclere

    November 7, 2012 at 3:47 pm

    I like how Dick Morris validated the assumptions behind Nate Silver’s predictions, then went and said something completely opposite than what those predictions showed (that Romney was sunk before Sandy).

  46. 46.

    thefncrow

    November 7, 2012 at 3:47 pm

    I actually like that section from Dick Morris, if only because he comes spectacularly close to having a point in spite of himself.

    Christie hurt Romney, yes, but he hurt Romney because he helped expose the GOP myth of “Crazy Obama won’t work with us”. When you had Obama and Christie working together very pragmatically to supply disaster relief from the storm, something which happened because Christie softened to Obama, it made plain for anyone who hadn’t been paying attention and thought that gridlock was Obama’s fault. Christie was willing to come together for a pragmatic solution, and Obama was there and more than willing to help work amicably with Christie.

    Christie helped expose for very-low-information voters that the reason for gridlock wasn’t an inflexible and dogmatic Obama but an inflexible and dogmatic GOP.

  47. 47.

    Dave

    November 7, 2012 at 3:47 pm

    This is exactly what Christie wanted. Now he has the anti-GOP cred he needs to win again in NJ despite being a Republican.

    And then, in 2016, he bails and goes American Elect. They have the ballot access and are just DYING to spend their totebag billions on a “serious centrist.” And Christie will be that guy.

  48. 48.

    Froley

    November 7, 2012 at 3:47 pm

    A campaign of bros “neggin” on the voters has failed. Now that they’ve been rejected we’re in the excuses stage — “that fat fuck from New Jersey cockblocked us.” Next it will be the sour grapes — “that ugly bitch America doesn’t even deserve us.” Finally, they’ll become all misty-eyed, wondering why no one likes them, leading to a reevaluation of their lives and all they believe in (just kidding on this last one, they’re Republicans).

  49. 49.

    Bruce S

    November 7, 2012 at 3:48 pm

    You left out the best part of that Mary Matalin thing:

    “What happened? A political narcissistic sociopath leveraged fear and ignorance with a campaign marked by mendacity and malice…”

    Yeah, the President is a “sociopath.” And HIS campaign was “mendacious”, not Mitt’s.

    If ever there was evidence that the “mainstream” GOP punditry is utterly bankrupt morally and intellectually – and fully as nuts and irresponsible (or simply cynical) as Bachmann, Palin, West and the rest – you’ve got it. (Makes me wonder about James Carville.)

  50. 50.

    Enhanced Mooching Techniques

    November 7, 2012 at 3:48 pm

    @MattR: Perhaps, but Hurricane Sandy shows he is in touch with reality and not just in the Fox News Bubble. Like it or not our government is based on loyal opposition and Christe maybe the (large) shape of things to come for the Republicans.

    Which is probably a good reason for the hatred he’s getting from the pundits. They got to have that rage going.

  51. 51.

    jimmiraybob

    November 7, 2012 at 3:48 pm

    The “Republican message” didn’t fail, the “Republican message” was failed. Sounds familiar.

    Also too, when multiple hurricanes (of the natural, non-human variety) screw you at the front and back ends of your project, you might want to check with former Republican presidential candidate Pat Robertson to see why God hates your project. It’s very confusing but he’s your guy.

  52. 52.

    Cassidy

    November 7, 2012 at 3:49 pm

    So…I guess the 2016 Primary just got a little smaller.

  53. 53.

    Alex S.

    November 7, 2012 at 3:49 pm

    Christie – the new Crist.

  54. 54.

    Comrade Nimrod Humperdink

    November 7, 2012 at 3:49 pm

    Stabbed in the back! Oh the classics never die.

  55. 55.

    different-church-lady

    November 7, 2012 at 3:50 pm

    But the more proximate cause of my error was that I did not take full account of the impact of hurricane Sandy and of Governor Chris Christie’s bipartisan march through New Jersey arm in arm with President Obama. Not to mention Christe’s fawning promotion of Obama’s presidential leadership I am a deluded blowhard.

    Not that he’ll care, but I fixed that for him.

  56. 56.

    Corner Stone

    November 7, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    @cbear:

    Also, too, is the selling their children into servitude thingy still on?

    “The girl! How much for the little girl?”

  57. 57.

    Geoduck

    November 7, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    @cbear:

    BTW, anybody know when the raping and pillaging is scheduled to begin? My email program has been screwed up the last few days and I’m afraid I may have missed the memo.
    Will we be allowed to burn and salt their lands?

    Just remember, first you pillage, then burn and salt.

  58. 58.

    Bill in Section 147

    November 7, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    @Jay in Oregon: McCain still has inside the beltway BBQ tickets so he will remain important. Romney and GW have no gig on the horizon so they are non-existent till further notice.

    Wingers can now pray for a terrorist attack as a Pearl Harbor 911 is the only thing that can really make them smile again.

  59. 59.

    rob!

    November 7, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    The wingnuts are eating their own. That’s a pretty large meal when you’re talking about Christie.

  60. 60.

    different-church-lady

    November 7, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    @Cassidy: Take away Christie and there’s three fewer candidates for the GOP nomination.

    Does… not… get… old…

  61. 61.

    mainmati

    November 7, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    A lot of wingnut projection and blame flailing going on. I especially liked this gem oozing out of Ole Morris: “Obama’s one-party strident approach, so much the opposite of what he pledged in his first national speech in 2004, had turned voters off.”

    If only Obama had been even a little bit bi-partisan, he might actually have won a second term…oh wait.

  62. 62.

    NotMax

    November 7, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    Sour grapes.

    In retrospect (Hurricane Sandy) think of the pictures and coverage had Romney chosen Christie for Veep slot. Would those same people be finger-pointing about his contribution to the loss?

    OT: Two post-election tidbits from Hawaii:

    1) Total turnout for the state was a shade under 62%

    2) Percentage of total votes cast for Romney/Ryan (wait for it) – 27%.

  63. 63.

    MattF

    November 7, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    @Corner Stone: We shall see. My ‘serious’ view is that Christie is still somewhat not-ready-for-prime-time. It’s unrealistic to expect him to be less arrogant, but he needs to learn to be more circumspect about it in order to play well with others.

  64. 64.

    YellowJournalism

    November 7, 2012 at 3:52 pm

    “I hope the rhetoric calms down–from both sides.”-Shep Smith, conveniently forgetting he’s on Fox.

  65. 65.

    Roger Moore

    November 7, 2012 at 3:52 pm

    @MikeJ:

    And people are just fallin gall over themselves to get into Mitt’s inner circle now, aren’t they?

    LOL.

  66. 66.

    Joel

    November 7, 2012 at 3:54 pm

    Oh god, we have waited this long for the circular firing squad. It’s finally happening. It’s finally happening!

  67. 67.

    Another Bob

    November 7, 2012 at 3:54 pm

    I love that for years, conservatives have been crowing about this or that episode would be the “Obama’s Katrina” moment that would ruin his political career. When Obama got his Katrina for real — aka Hurricane Sandy — it turned out to be a showcase in which he demonstrated his competency and the value of his ideal of good governance, which only helped him win the election. It turns out that having a Katrina Moment is only a problem for your political career if you’re incompetent and subscribe to a bankrupt ideology that fails in the face of the real world.

  68. 68.

    jibeaux

    November 7, 2012 at 3:54 pm

    It is unlikely Republicans shall soon forget your perfidious betrayal.

    I really enjoy picturing Christie’s reaction if someone said that to his face.

  69. 69.

    EconWatcher

    November 7, 2012 at 3:54 pm

    Shorter Dick Morris: That bastard Chris Christie tarnished Romney’s reputation for working well with Democrats by working well with a Democrat.

    Huh?

  70. 70.

    Ash Can

    November 7, 2012 at 3:54 pm

    Speaking of lulz, via an alert commenter at LGF, here’s a post-election Jennifer Rubin sighting. Shorter JR: Romney’s campaign sucked, and forget all that stuff I wrote during the campaign.

  71. 71.

    catclub

    November 7, 2012 at 3:55 pm

    I am only surprised they did not turn on Romney first.

    But that is the kind of slack you get when you are a gazillionaire. But they will end up turning on Romney as too liberal.

    Huntsman was considered a serious candidate. Why? Daddy’s money. Anyone else garnering under 2% of the GOP field was n on-candidate, but not him.

  72. 72.

    Mike in NC

    November 7, 2012 at 3:55 pm

    @Jay in Oregon:

    So can we replace John McCain, the Village’s President-in-exile, with Mitt Romney now?

    God forbid this soulless creep turns up on TV every Sunday sitting next to David Gregory.

  73. 73.

    Chyron HR

    November 7, 2012 at 3:55 pm

    @Joel:

    It’s twoo! It’s TWOO!

  74. 74.

    Geoduck

    November 7, 2012 at 3:55 pm

    @Bill in Section 147:

    McCain still has inside the beltway BBQ tickets so he will remain important. Romney and GW have no gig on the horizon so they are non-existent till further notice.

    Number one rule to remember: nobody actually likes Mitt Romney.

  75. 75.

    porlob

    November 7, 2012 at 3:55 pm

    Christie’s GOP career is over…

    Until 3 years from now, when Christie will be the Outsider, Maverick GOP presidential candidate, who we can all trust because he bucked party convention to do what’s right for his state, just as he’ll do with our country. Or something like that.

  76. 76.

    Bruce S

    November 7, 2012 at 3:56 pm

    This is all good, but I’m still not going to start liking Chris Christie.

  77. 77.

    Dave

    November 7, 2012 at 3:56 pm

    I just think it’s funny Mitch McConnell had one job for four years (according to him) and he fucked it up.

  78. 78.

    Violet

    November 7, 2012 at 3:56 pm

    @Dave:

    This is exactly what Christie wanted. Now he has the anti-GOP cred he needs to win again in NJ despite being a Republican.

    We’ll have to see how that works out. Storm relief is one thing, but rebuilding is another thing altogether. Will it move too slowly and will NJ residents blame Christie? Will Christie say something like, “We need to rebuild further from the shore” and piss off people who don’t think global warming is an issue and who just want it rebuilt exactly the way it was?

    He’s involved and out front now with taking care of people. But it’s still early days.

  79. 79.

    different-church-lady

    November 7, 2012 at 3:56 pm

    Probably overthinking it, but Christie is not a dumb politician. If he does have presidential ambitions, then he’s smart enough to know you don’t win by being a one-term governor. Which is what he would have become had he slapped at Obama when his state was in need.

  80. 80.

    Frankensteinbeck

    November 7, 2012 at 3:57 pm

    It’s everyone’s fault but their own. The Grand Old Alcoholics Party continues its slide towards rock bottom.

  81. 81.

    Felonius Monk

    November 7, 2012 at 3:57 pm

    Mary Matalin also knows who is to blame:

    How Carville puts up with the flatulence that emanates from this harpie is beyond me.

  82. 82.

    Richard

    November 7, 2012 at 3:57 pm

    Christie is now the Emmanuel Goldstein of the GOP.

  83. 83.

    rlrr

    November 7, 2012 at 3:57 pm

    @Geoduck:

    I’m sure Anne and the boys have some feelings for him…

  84. 84.

    Hal

    November 7, 2012 at 3:58 pm

    Driving into work this afternoon and listening to Talk of the Nation, when one caller spoke about just how sad it was that the country was so divided. Just so, so sad and terrible.

    Then he complained that Benghazi was murder, President Obama was covering up the incident and it’s so, so sad that America could not come together. And by come together, he meant voting for the Republican.

    On Facebook, some of my conservative friends are lamenting just how there was no good candidate to vote for anyway. Never mind that they were all fuck yeah Mitt Romney just yesterday. This is the Republican ideal of compromise. Vote R or else.

  85. 85.

    Roger Moore

    November 7, 2012 at 3:58 pm

    @? Martin:

    Democrats got a 2/3 majority in both houses in California – the minimum needed to raise taxes.

    About fucking time. I don’t think they’re going to use that power any time soon, but OTOH, I don’t see the Republicans getting back above the 1/3 line in the near future, either.

  86. 86.

    Hoodie

    November 7, 2012 at 3:58 pm

    New wingnut meme: Chris Christie was a false flag operation for the Obama campaign. Personally, I think Obama bought him cheap with a helicopter ride, a Springsteen stage pass and maybe a box of donuts. Not that Republicans would ever realize that Christie never really was their kind of guy, except he could make them moist by being an asshole to a teacher or a mailman. I get the feeling that “Romney’s inner circle” soon will have the cultural status of the shake weight, even among Republicans.

  87. 87.

    Fester Addams

    November 7, 2012 at 3:59 pm

    Why that’s just schadenfreudelicious!

  88. 88.

    maya

    November 7, 2012 at 3:59 pm

    I am from New Jersey originally. That state has been hit very hard by Sandy and is still a long way from recovery. The home town still has many without power 9-10 days after the storm and that is in the central part of the state. The shore towns may never recover

    Yet, in the the old home town paper today, it was revealed that the town largely went for Romney in the election. Go figure. What the hell did they think RMoney was going to do for them after Sandy?

  89. 89.

    Marked Hoosier

    November 7, 2012 at 3:59 pm

    Of course the party of personal responsibility will blame everyone else but themselves.

  90. 90.

    Jay C

    November 7, 2012 at 3:59 pm

    @MattR:

    Word. Whatever Chris Christie’s plans for his political future might be, “one-term ex-Governor” isn’t the kind of item that’s going to polish his resume. NJ is an odd place, politically: likely to toss out even popular politicos on a regular basis, and bipartisanly fickle: will equally turn on Democrats or Republicans in alternate seasons. Big Chris is going have to shore up his own base first and foremost if he’s going avoid the chopping block next year: and flubbing disaster relief after a major hit like Sandy – especially in favor of campaigning for an unpopular drone like Mitt Romney (Obama carried NJ by a 58-41 margin) is a sure ticket to unemployment.

  91. 91.

    The prophet Nostradumbass

    November 7, 2012 at 3:59 pm

    Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, the adviser adds, is persona non grata in Romney’s inner circle

    I’m sure Christie is crushed. After all, he’s just the governor of a state, whereas Romney is President-elect of Nothing.

  92. 92.

    Bruce S

    November 7, 2012 at 4:01 pm

    “persona non grata in Romney’s inner circle”

    Since all Romney has left in the political world is an “inner circle” that’s pretty harsh – albeit inconsequential.

  93. 93.

    Steve LaBonne

    November 7, 2012 at 4:01 pm

    @MikeJ: Mitt who?

  94. 94.

    cmorenc

    November 7, 2012 at 4:01 pm

    @MattR:

    Listening to talk radio here in Jersey yesterday, they were careful to note that Christie has to navigate his 2013 re-election before he can consider a run for President.

    IMHO Christie underwent a powerful political epiphany, induced by the catalyst of having to deal with the wreckage of a powerful storm inflicted by nature.

    First, he realized as governor that his first, foremost duty by far was to do right by and serve his storm-traumatized constituents, and that close cooperation with FEMA and the federal government was the only effective way he could do so.

    Second, he realized as Obama reached out to him that a coalition of convenience with Obama on dealing with the storm would ease the path to most quickly and effectively serving his constituents, whereas trying to both serve the Romney campaign and GOP party’s interests in minimizing cooperativeness with the feds and Obama to minimize any seeming credit and appearance of competent effectiveness Obama might receive as a collateral benefit, would betray, damage, and dis-serve his constituents’ best interests at a dangerously vulnerable time.

    This led to a third realization: if he acted as the GOP’s agent to try to make Sandy Obama’s Katrina, it would unavoidably become Christie’s Katrina as well, and Christie also realized that in order to have a viable political future past 2013, he must first win reelection as NJ governor at that time.

    This led to Christie’s final stage of epiphany: my chances of winning the GOP nomination might not be so great as I thought back in the summer; look at all the seemingly more plausibly solid candidates who ended up on the scrap heap in the 2012 while much less plausibly sound candidates surged past them. So fuck ’em, I’m going to solidify my position as governor of a very blue state, and if my chances for the 2016 or 2020 nomination open back up later on, I can take that course then, but if not, fuck ’em. I’m one of the most formidable governors in the country of a blue state, and Obama’s indirectly helping me achieve that.

    Fuck ’em, said Christie. Fuck Romney, fuck the tea party GOP. I’ll take my strange political bedfellow Obama over them right now, even though that means “fuck Obama? not so much.”

  95. 95.

    John Carter

    November 7, 2012 at 4:02 pm

    SO…a might wind was responsible for Romney’s defeat?

    One might go so far as to presume man himself had a hand in that through Climate Change if that’s what I take the Right to be using as the excuse of the day. Or is it just possible God was more than a little put out over the whole thing?

    Hmmm?

    Climate change because of corporate pollution or wrath of God because SOMEONE, SOME GROUP of GREEDY PEOPLE were messing up HIS creation?

    How ’bout that one all you evangelicals and wingunts?

  96. 96.

    japa21

    November 7, 2012 at 4:02 pm

    Let’s see. It looks like they are set up to blame Christie for the next 4 years rather than accept responsibility for have a pathetic ideology, a pathetic candidate and a pathetic base. Sounds like they are doing what they have been accusing Obama of doing.

  97. 97.

    flukebucket

    November 7, 2012 at 4:02 pm

    @gbear:

    McCain’s notion of the word ‘disaster’ is rather shallow and idiotic.

    FTFY

  98. 98.

    Enhanced Mooching Techniques

    November 7, 2012 at 4:02 pm

    BTW someone should point out that Obama’s eldest daughter is grown up and quit hot looking. It was pretty amusing to see the lengths her clothing designer went to dull her down last night.

    I wonder if her boy friend is going to get a talk from Barrak along the lines of “touch her and I will send the same SEAL who put one in ben Ladin’s head after your ass kid”

  99. 99.

    rlrr

    November 7, 2012 at 4:03 pm

    It says a lot when doing the right thing make one the “anti-GOP”…

  100. 100.

    NotMax

    November 7, 2012 at 4:04 pm

    Breaking; Bolton, Senor and the others slinking back to Legion of Doom headquarters to commiserate with Cheney.

  101. 101.

    Brachiator

    November 7, 2012 at 4:04 pm

    @Ann Rynd:

    Christie is right where he wants to be. More rides on Air Force One, Dinner in the family quarters, state dinners. Who wouldn’t want that?

    I think that Christie would be willing to pass on the rides on Air Force One for some more dinners.

    @porlob:

    Christie’s GOP career is over…

    No, things are getting interesting. For the GOP to kick Christie to the curb right now is suicidal. They are going to lose the white middle class vote, to go along with their alienation of other demographics.

    New Jersey is trying to dig itself out from under Hurricane Sandy, and the GOP bashes Christie instead of embracing him. Damn. These are some seriously delusional fools.

  102. 102.

    scav

    November 7, 2012 at 4:04 pm

    @Steve LaBonne: Airbrush too many people out od the historic phographs, and all you have are tanks in a line going past a podium.

  103. 103.

    Bubblegum Tate

    November 7, 2012 at 4:04 pm

    @Bulworth:

    The first two by openly stating what the party believes and the last by caring about his state.

    BOOM! Roasted.

  104. 104.

    dewzke

    November 7, 2012 at 4:05 pm

    HaHa!/ Nelson Muntz

  105. 105.

    hells littlest angel

    November 7, 2012 at 4:06 pm

    It isn’t just post-religious, globalist intellectuals who are a threat to America, but also bitter-ender, socialist sluts.

    That’s right, PORGI and BESS.

  106. 106.

    MattR

    November 7, 2012 at 4:06 pm

    @Corner Stone: I would argue that Giuliani gave similar indications of reasonableness immediately after 9/11(It is a bit different since Bush was a Republican but I don’t think things would too different if Gore had been president). But then soon after his true, bullyish personality returned to the forefront.

    (For what it is worth, I lived in Manhattan under Giuliani for 4 years prior to 9/11 and have been living in Jersey for the entirety of Christie’s term as governor)

  107. 107.

    japa21

    November 7, 2012 at 4:07 pm

    @Felonius Monk: He has been known to emit some flatulence as well.

  108. 108.

    me

    November 7, 2012 at 4:07 pm

    @Bruce S: Looks like projection to me. That sentence describes the whole Romney campaign.

  109. 109.

    28 Percent

    November 7, 2012 at 4:08 pm

    @maya: I don’t know, but every interview I hear from the Sandy area (admittedly on NPR, so of course they don’t correct the interviewee) complains that the government hasn’t done such a good job of disaster relief because the power is still out. Since when does the government own ConEd? And repair crews are converged on the area from all over the Eastern Seaboard, what exactly more do they think that it’s possible that anyone could do?

  110. 110.

    Higgs Boson's Mate

    November 7, 2012 at 4:08 pm

    @Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism:

    Sweet!

  111. 111.

    Ash Can

    November 7, 2012 at 4:09 pm

    @Hoodie: He’s been a dick in the past and he’ll be a dick in the future, but I find myself wondering if Christie’s support of Romney ever actually made it past the entrance to his voting booth yesterday.

  112. 112.

    Surreal American

    November 7, 2012 at 4:10 pm

    I wonder if Christie’s Fox News pass will be ceremoniously shredded by Fox & Friends and Sean Hannity. Christie will feel *so* forlorn (not).

  113. 113.

    Higgs Boson's Mate

    November 7, 2012 at 4:11 pm

    Republicans haven’t examined their own ideas since the Reagan years. Why should they start now? The rationalizations and accusations will continue, anything to keep from facing the fact that they’re fundamentally wrong and completely out of step with America, circa 2012, on many, many, issues.

  114. 114.

    Redshift

    November 7, 2012 at 4:12 pm

    One of Obama’s underrated skills is his ability to kneecap potential future GOP stars by doing good things for them — John Huntsman and Christie come to mind, and I know there are more but I was up celebrating until 4am, so I can’t think clearly enough to call them to mind.

    We often talk about how one of Obama’s strengths has always been his luck in his choice of opponents, but it’s not just luck. And the best part is that he kneecaps them in such a way that the only barrier to their success is the GOP’s insanity, giving them incentive to push the party to a better state. Not even to moderate their policy positions, just to act like a normal party that negotiates and compromises, instead on an insane death cult.

  115. 115.

    jl

    November 7, 2012 at 4:12 pm

    Yeah, who could not see that coming. They always need a Satan. Christie makes a cute cuddly one.

    I’m sure Christie started the trend of recovery for Obama that began within a week of that first bad election.

    Christie can time travel, just like Obama!

  116. 116.

    Amir Khalid

    November 7, 2012 at 4:12 pm

    @arguingwithsignposts:
    Christie had a legitimate reason for blowing Mitt off: with such a big crisis on his hands, he had no time to entertain a presidential candidate with no real means to help him. He needed to spend time with the incumbent President, who did have such means, and who needed Christie’s input on how to help New Jersey — which is why Obama’s been on the phone with him every day since Sandy hit. Mitt’s got no right whatsoever to complain about a governor doing his job.

    I reckon Obama just took the opportunity to put him and Bruce on the phone together. So now, in addition to being made one of the Republican party’s scapegoats in Mitt’s defeat, Chris Christie owes Obama a big personal favor. I don’t quite see Christie switching parties over this, and I don’t know how it might affect his presidential ambitions; but I expect he and his fellow Republicans will be rather less keen on each other from here on out. Obama may have just done to Christie’s presidential ambitions what some say he did to Jon Huntsman’s by appointing him.

  117. 117.

    Hoodie

    November 7, 2012 at 4:13 pm

    @Enhanced Mooching Techniques: I think Obama would be more subtle:

    “As you may be aware, I’m a fan of burial at sea.”

  118. 118.

    MattR

    November 7, 2012 at 4:13 pm

    @maya: My very conservative town in NJ still has no power. Despite that, I am getting some enjoyment from all the complaints by residents that the town next door has had power back for several days. The reason being that they have a government run electric company rather than relying on JCP&L. Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised and the residents will realize the errors of their ideology, but I am not counting on it.

  119. 119.

    Gravenstone

    November 7, 2012 at 4:14 pm

    I am anticipating with great relish those future moments when Gov. Christie tells the quoted worthies what he really thinks about them, to their quaking and sweat soaked faces – at full volume. Can’t stand the man, but damn if he doesn’t suffer fools and assholes the least bit gladly.

  120. 120.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    November 7, 2012 at 4:14 pm

    If Romney had a legitimate shot, Akin has a way of shutting that down.

    Moar popcorn.

  121. 121.

    red dog

    November 7, 2012 at 4:15 pm

    Somethin different. So Puerto Rico wants to be a state and make their people pay taxes and stuff. They also owe billions. Will Congress approve this admission…NEVER.

  122. 122.

    ThatLeftTurnInABQ

    November 7, 2012 at 4:15 pm

    @Dave:

    And then, in 2016, he bails and goes American Elect.

    Christie will have no need to do any such thing should he have national ambitions in 2016. For all of their bark the Jesusland freaks in GOP have had little bite the last couple of cycles when it comes to selecting the presidential nominee (Congressional races are another thing entirely). They hated the RINO John McCain in in 2004 and hated the RINO Mitt Romney in 2008 and look how well that worked out for them. That leaves the Randroids, but Christie is both geographically and ideologically positioned to be a prime recipient of Wall St money, and when push comes to shove the Randroids do whatever the fuck Wall St tells them to do.

  123. 123.

    Culture of Truth

    November 7, 2012 at 4:15 pm

    After the first debate Mary Matalin said “maybe Barack Obama is just stupid” or words to that effect

    Maybe Mary Matalin just isn’t too bright?

  124. 124.

    Bubblegum Tate

    November 7, 2012 at 4:16 pm

    @Hal:

    The wingnut bloggers whose tears I’m presently drinking are pledging unceasing antagonism for Obama’s second term…then concluding that Obama is just so damn divisive!

  125. 125.

    LanceThruster

    November 7, 2012 at 4:16 pm

    “We have met the enemy and he is us.” ~ Pogo

  126. 126.

    Reformed Panty Sniffer

    November 7, 2012 at 4:18 pm

    I did not vote for Christie: I voted for the Independent Chris Daggett, who I thought was better prepared than both Christie and Corzine to deal with NJ’s issues: property taxes, environment, shore problems, school funding and education reform, etc.

    What turns people off about Christie is that far too often Christie goes out of his way to bully those that disagree with him, which is (a) lazy and (b) typical of today’s Republicans. [I’m surrounded by them in Morris County and many love him initially for his attacks on unions, creeping socialism, the debt crisis, corrupt politicans, etc.]

    But he soured people on property tax and education reforms: he’s sacrificing funding while our schools are starting to lag behind and lose ground to other states.

    His personality is pure Jersey: bluster and sarcasm mixed with bluntness. This can be refreshing unless its directed at you. He will be a strong opponent in either his 2013 re-relection or a 2016 presidential bid.

    Giuliani is a total douche; Christie just acts like one. If he wasn’t a Republican with some crappy ideas, I might support him. (But I learned that lesson from an early infatuation with McCain in 1999-2000.)

    Christie’s been good about Sandy and I support him on what he’s been doing in that area: working with Obama helps both and whether Romney supporters liked it or not, that’s what adults in-charge are supposed to do: work together to solve issues. Romney pretty much ignored Sandy, which tells us everything we need to know about him.

    On the other hand, I’m 10 days without power, the house is 46 degrees or so, another storm is here, and the family wants to move, like now. But we did enjoy a muffled cheer this morning (three layers of sweatshirts are needed)when we found out Obama won.

    Obama: 2
    Grumpy Old White People (mostly men): O

    The other bonus of the nights without power and all of us in the bed with our three Collies, is that my wife and daughter have learned to master the art of the “Dutch Oven”.

    Cheers

  127. 127.

    Digital Amish

    November 7, 2012 at 4:18 pm

    O.T. but doesn’t anyone know where to go to find a round-up of state legislature gains/losses? I’ve seen a couple of mentions of state houses and senates going Democratic after long absences (ND and NY iirc) I’d like to see an overview that hopefully shows Republicans losing at the state level as well as the national.

  128. 128.

    geg6

    November 7, 2012 at 4:21 pm

    @Mike in NC:

    Meh. Who’s going to be subjected to it? Based on the ratings, no one.

    Dancin’ Dave is dead meat.

  129. 129.

    aimai

    November 7, 2012 at 4:21 pm

    Here in MA the “Republican” spokespeople for the “Independent” voters are pushing this line hugely. 1) Independent or “unenrolled” in MA are largely people who are embarrassed to vote Republican in front of their neighbors. They are not centrists. They are ill informed assholes or people who are just contrarian and prefer to do the opposite of the hated enemy in the cities and exactly what their suburban neighbors are doing. 2) Those voters were good people who liked Scott Brown but Brown’s “message” to them was put off kilter by Warren and the Democrat’s machine politics which woujldn’t let scott talk only about the economy. Because Scott was an independent (though he was registered and voted as a Republican) he should not have been linked, even rhetorically, with the actual votes his actual party was taking. That was just meeeeean.

    Its weird to me how the Democratic messenger and interviewers at NPR keep letting the Scott Brown Republicans and their voters run away from the actual, you know, issues and policies of the Republican party. Brown supports his party. His party went bat shit crazy and pissed all over all the voters except rich old angry white guys. They didn’t deserve anyone’s vote and they specifically told us (women, minorities) over and over again and now they are pissy that we returned the favor? Fuck them. Call them out on it every chance you get.

    aimai

  130. 130.

    Rekster

    November 7, 2012 at 4:21 pm

    @rob!:

    The wingnuts are eating their own. That’s a pretty large meal when you’re talking about Christie.

    The best thing the Dems can do now is just sit back and watch as these loons convince themselves that they just need to continue down this road.

    Let them continue to listen to these all knowing pundits and gas bags! Remain inside the Fox News hermetically sealed bubble.

    We can only pray that the American Taliban continues to encourage the tehadists to double down on the crazy. I suggest we all make a monetary contribution to Ralph Reed’s Faith and Freedom Coalition. As long as the Religious Right continues to be such a force in the Republican party it can only be good for us.

    I hate to give credence to Michael Steele but will give him kudos. He has stated repeatedly that 50,000 Hispanics turn 18 every month and the impact this has and will continue to have on the future of the GOP. It actually sounds like Mr. Steele is a voice of reason. We can only hope they continue to ignore this.

    To me the most important thing we need to think about now are the mid term elections. This could be a real opportunity for the Dems if they can convince us to get out and vote.

    Finally, the two most fortunate people in the country today are David Plouffe and David Axelrod. Do you think there might be a prospective candidate for 2016 who might offer them a bit of money to shepherd a campaign?

  131. 131.

    LD50

    November 7, 2012 at 4:21 pm

    Seize the moment, we’re seeing enduring myths being formed right before our eyes, like Germany in 1919.

  132. 132.

    Culture of Truth

    November 7, 2012 at 4:22 pm

    I don’t see why I should like CC just because a few nutters are scapegoating him over hurricane relief.

    He’s still the great GOP hope and by the way NJ is a freaking disaster area right now. It’s Thunderdome, so a little less tweeting and a little more action would be welcome.

  133. 133.

    Higgs Boson's Mate

    November 7, 2012 at 4:22 pm

    @Culture of Truth:

    Maybe Mary Matalin just isn’t too bright?

    That may be the most forbearing sentence I’ve ever read.

  134. 134.

    KG

    November 7, 2012 at 4:23 pm

    @Corner Stone: I tend to agree with you here. It’s why I voted for the pro-choice/pro-gay marriage/anti-repeal Obamacare Republican in my Congressional race (he lost by 10 points, FWIW). My thinking is that the GOP needs some voices like that in it’s caucus, just as the Dems need some Blue Dogs – it gives each side a pathway to working with the other, even if it’s just on a couple of issues here and there.

    As for Christie and 2016… I just don’t buy it. He comes off a bit too angry sometimes and Americans don’t want to elect an angry man. Seriously, who was the last “angry” nominee from either party? Nixon, maybe? We want optimism, pragmatism, level heads…

  135. 135.

    Comrade Jake

    November 7, 2012 at 4:24 pm

    Hannity on his radio show is about to talk about how Ann Coulter got it so wrong re: Christie. I’m gonna have to miss it, but tune in for some schaudenfraude if you’ve got the energy and the time.

  136. 136.

    Culture of Truth

    November 7, 2012 at 4:26 pm

    Hey, I’m also 10 days without power. Remind me what an effective leader this guy is again?

    oh, the goppers meant bully. not always the same.

  137. 137.

    The Golux

    November 7, 2012 at 4:26 pm

    All I have to say is (as others have noted), life in the Carville-Matalin household has to be one of the strangest experiences imaginable. (Not to mention the strangeness of imagining those two getting their freak on.)

    One thing I’m looking forward to in the immediate future is no longer having to mute NPR every time they play a clip of one of Rmoney’s utterances. Nails on the blackboard.

  138. 138.

    28 Percent

    November 7, 2012 at 4:27 pm

    Do none of these people think for even a minute about what it would have looked like and how it would have played had Christie rebuffed Obama after Sandy? Do they think for a minute that that would have improved the country’s opinion of Republicans and their safety being governed by them? They’re pissed at Akin and Mourdock because they said explicitly what Republicans are only supposed to say in code, they’re pissed at Christie because he didn’t go down with the ideological ship.

    Seriously, do they think that Florida would have looked at media coverage comparing New York’s recovery with FEMA to New Jersey’s recovery without it and think “wow, voting Republican seems like a totally sane thing to do that could never go wrong for us!” Seriously?

  139. 139.

    Joel

    November 7, 2012 at 4:28 pm

    @red dog: I hope the DNC is paying notice. The right wingers could really lose their shit over PR being admitted to the union. That could sink their hispandering strategy for 2016.

  140. 140.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    November 7, 2012 at 4:28 pm

    I’m deeply skeptical that Christie ever had a future outside of NJ. His election was a fluke, and as I can’t remember who said, something to the effect of “Fat jokes aside, how many people are gonna vote for President Eric Cartman?” the last couple weeks aside, he’s a nasty fuck, thin-skinned and arrogant. He was briefly the dream candidate of those who fantasized that Obama was the affirmative action shell of a man who would collapse in a debate without his teleprompter, then they went back to Gingrich.

    and Mary Matalin is George W Bush’s portrait of Dorian Gray, the Gollum of Post-Poppy Rightwing, her soulless viciousness written on her shrunken, permanently snarling head. If Hillary does run in ’16, it’ll go a long way with me (though I can’t imagine who I’d like more) if she left the equally horrid and even more over-rated Mr Matalin on the sidelines.

  141. 141.

    LAC

    November 7, 2012 at 4:28 pm

    “Unfortunately and unfortuitously, forces of nature bookended the general election: Our convention was compromised by one weather disaster and our momentum stalled by another. Two human hurricanes also radically altered the political atmosphere: Bill Clinton’s unique windbaggery constituted a campaign updraft, while Chris Christie’s deplorable and gratuitous gas-baggery infused the campaign with a toxic political pollution.”

    This from a woman whose face and personality should be listed as a form of chemical warfare.

  142. 142.

    GregB

    November 7, 2012 at 4:29 pm

    I hate to bang the NH drum too often, but I think we have finally atoned for the 2000 vote for George W.

    I love you wooommeeeeenn!

  143. 143.

    Judas Escargot, Bringer of Loaves and Fish Sandwiches

    November 7, 2012 at 4:29 pm

    @? Martin:
    IMO the ‘Reagan Era’ really began in 1978, with CA’s Proposition 13 (MA’s different but similarly intentioned Proposition 2 1/2 followed in 1980).

    Wouldn’t it be nice if the proper end of the Reagan Era (which we’ve been heralding for over a decade but never really seem to reach) began in CA, also, too?

    Seriously, though, while the GOP will not go away (and needs to be watched like a wounded animal for the foreseeable future), vibrations tell me that this election will be considered the end of the Reagan Era, and the beginning of whatever political Era is to follow.

  144. 144.

    jl

    November 7, 2012 at 4:29 pm

    ” Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, the adviser adds, is persona non grata in Romney’s inner circle. ”

    Oh dear! Christie is finished. Some one persona non grata with a team that ran one of the worst campaigns in modern US political history is in big trouble.

    If I were Christie, I would worry about hitting the gym and losing some weight for 2016, and his health, first. Then work on down the list. After he finds the perfect presidential candidate power necktie design, might want to look into patching things up with the defunct and extinct Romney campaign.

  145. 145.

    MaxxLange

    November 7, 2012 at 4:30 pm

    Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, the adviser adds, is persona non grata in Romney’s inner circle

    Well, what do you expect? That he’ll get an invite to come play touch football with Romney and the boys at Thanksgiving?

  146. 146.

    Svensker

    November 7, 2012 at 4:31 pm

    @MattR:

    My very conservative town in NJ still has no power. Despite that, I am getting some enjoyment from all the complaints by residents that the town next door has had power back for several days. The reason being that they have a government run electric company rather than relying on JCP&L. Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised and the residents will realize the errors of their ideology, but I am not counting on it.

    I have conservative friends who are SCREAMING because their health insurance premiums have gone up, which is all Obama’s fault because Obamacare. They don’t seem to realize that their premiums are still in the lovely, caring grip of the American Free Market (blessed is its name) for at least another year.

    Still, on the power front, I don’t blame people for being frustrated. Even if everyone’s doing the best they can, being without power in November in NJ is no fun at all. My mom-in-law just got power back today. Very tough.

  147. 147.

    maya

    November 7, 2012 at 4:31 pm

    @MattR: Yeah. I was thinking NJP&L might be one of the best buys in the market right now. No place to go but up.

  148. 148.

    Gian

    November 7, 2012 at 4:31 pm

    Somewhat OT but it looks like the state that brought you Nixon and Reagan will have Democratic supermajorites in the statehouse.
    I can only hope this trend goes national

  149. 149.

    KG

    November 7, 2012 at 4:31 pm

    @Judas Escargot, Bringer of Loaves and Fish Sandwiches: Newt Gingrich use to say that the American political winds start in California and blow east…

  150. 150.

    Ash Can

    November 7, 2012 at 4:31 pm

    BTW, the presidential helicopters are flying over my house as I type this, taking the Obamas and Bidens to O’Hare on their way back to DC. :)

  151. 151.

    Reformed Panty Sniffer

    November 7, 2012 at 4:32 pm

    @Culture of Truth: If you also have JCP&L, I’m afraid we are both SOL for now.

    I heard we might have power tonight only to probably lose it with the storm. Otherwise, it looks like the 11th, perhaps.

  152. 152.

    Culture of Truth

    November 7, 2012 at 4:33 pm

    Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, the adviser adds, is persona non grata in Romney’s inner circle. ”

    Oh dear! Christie is finished. Some one persona non grata with a team that ran one of the worst campaigns in modern US political history is in big trouble.

    LOL

  153. 153.

    Onihanzo

    November 7, 2012 at 4:34 pm

    As expected… they’re doubling down.

    “Tea Party feels strengthened even in midst of Mitt Romney defeat and GOP failure to take Senate”

    http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2012/2012/11/07/tea-party-feels-strengthened-even-midst-mitt-romney-defeat-and-gop-failure-take-senate/SQVKnXBxc8wScMa2cxPtjJ/story.html

  154. 154.

    Graham

    November 7, 2012 at 4:35 pm

    @hells littlest angel:

    Awesomeness

  155. 155.

    Culture of Truth

    November 7, 2012 at 4:36 pm

    I wouldn’t worry about a bunch of whining idiots. Christie made himself look better after the storm, not worse. He’s clearly an early favorite now for 2016.

    On the other hand, if we go 4 years without electricity…

  156. 156.

    Rommie

    November 7, 2012 at 4:36 pm

    I can’t see how the GOP, knowing the electoral college math, do not pick one of the Florida guys to make it go red in 2016. (Barring said Florida guys doing something stupid, of course) CC doesn’t bring one EV with him in his pocket, and he’s RINO and DMW.

    And honestly, the appeal of the *smarter* Bush to lead the Republicans out of the wilderness – c’mon, they won’t be able to resist that mermaid call. Especially if they are facing another Clinton..

  157. 157.

    MattR

    November 7, 2012 at 4:36 pm

    @Reformed Panty Sniffer: Didn’t know there was another Morris County person on the board. Living in Chatham myself. Just read a note from the Mayor that we could have power back today, but I doubt it with this new storm coming through. Luckily, the dog and I are holed up at mom’s in Rockland in NY.

  158. 158.

    MattF

    November 7, 2012 at 4:36 pm

    @Onihanzo: Yeah, Cognitive Dissonance 101.

  159. 159.

    chopper

    November 7, 2012 at 4:38 pm

    anybody else think ‘gelatinous clown’ is a perfect description of christie? lol.

  160. 160.

    Ash Can

    November 7, 2012 at 4:39 pm

    @Onihanzo:

    As expected… they’re doubling down.

    Awesome.

  161. 161.

    ThatLeftTurnInABQ

    November 7, 2012 at 4:40 pm

    @MaxxLange:

    Well, what do you expect? That he’ll get an invite to come play touch football with Romney and the boys at Thanksgiving?

    Every good team needs an immovable run-stopping nose tackle on defense.

  162. 162.

    Grumpy Code Monkey

    November 7, 2012 at 4:40 pm

    Funny how hurricanes are only signs from God when they affect the poors and the browns.

    This is too awesome. Romney lost the election the day he was nominated. He never had better than a 50% chance of winning; the closest he came was after the first debate.

    Put another way, if a natural disaster a week before the election was enough to sink Romney, he wasn’t that high above the water line to begin with.

    The GOP picked a crap candidate. Romney was the smartest bag of hair to come out of the primaries, but he was still a bag of hair.

  163. 163.

    Baud

    November 7, 2012 at 4:40 pm

    @Onihanzo:

    “Tea Party feels strengthened even in midst of Mitt Romney defeat and GOP failure to take Senate”

    Does the article say how many sure GOP Senate pick-ups are they planning to ruin in 2014?

  164. 164.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    November 7, 2012 at 4:41 pm

    @Violet: The friend’s advice: “Flattery goes a long way with Mr. Trump.”

    God, it’s beyond pathetic that a would-be, almost president of these United States was grovelling to that weird little troll, and how weird is the little cult of personality around Trump at NBC that even off-the-record and behind his back, he manages to get people to refer to him as “Mr Trump”. I think he even insists on it with Matt Lauer et al. Even Willard allowed himself to be called “Mitt” in campaign situations, though I bet he really hated it.

    As to the speculation that Willard will replace Gampy Walnuts as the MTP president-in-exile: Never. Willard doesn’t trigger anybody’s daddy issues but Tagg’s. I think he’s gonna fade faster and more completely than Dukakis. If David Gregory wants anyone to speak for beleaguered billionaires (and he will), he’ll bring Bloomberg on to express his disappointment that Obama has wasted his precious endorsement.

  165. 165.

    Liberty60

    November 7, 2012 at 4:41 pm

    Whats delicious about the Christie hate, is that he is, IMO, the most formidable candidate on their bench for 2016.

    ETA- By “Formidable” I mean most likely to peel off elements of the Obama coalition.

  166. 166.

    Reformed Panty Sniffer

    November 7, 2012 at 4:42 pm

    @MattR: I’m about six stops pass you on the train (which may be out for another 4 weeks I heard). Long-time lurker, sometime caller.

  167. 167.

    David Koch

    November 7, 2012 at 4:42 pm

    I love the smell of fratricide in the morning.

    Smells like VICTORY!

  168. 168.

    Higgs Boson's Mate

    November 7, 2012 at 4:43 pm

    @Joel:

    I hope the DNC is paying notice. The right wingers could really lose their shit over PR being admitted to the union. That could sink their hispandering strategy for 2016.

    Admitting Puerto Rico to the union is still, in my mind, still very much of a long shot.
    OTOH, Obama can, and I hope, will, present comprehensive immigration reform. Now that will really fuck with Republicans; if they vote against it they’re fucked demographically, if they vote for it they’re still fucked demographically.

  169. 169.

    maya

    November 7, 2012 at 4:46 pm

    @Culture of Truth: Christie’s damn lucky the hurricane wasn’t named Snooki after he chased her and the Jersey Shore cast out of town.

  170. 170.

    mainmati

    November 7, 2012 at 4:49 pm

    Only slightly OT, this from a yammering fool at Feeble Recroom (FR) on why the Asians (or Latinos for that matter) don’t vote for them: “The GOP got killed among Asian-Americans, who logically should be strong GOP supporters. The GOP is not even asking itself why.

    Can somebody tell me why Asian-Americans vote for democRATS? You’re right, Mr. Jeeves… logically they should be strong GOP supporters.

    WHY do they vote for ‘RATs? I don’t understand this.”

    Having spent a good deal of my career living and working in SE Asia, the idiot poster obviously doesn’t understand the difference between the Tea Party/Gooper political and social culture and that of many Asian and even Latino cultures. Asians come from cultures in which collaboration and cooperation are traditionally essential for survival. They live cheek by jowl. Rice cultivation requires an elaborate and interdependent division of labor. Visit a rural village on Java and one in Iowa and they are vastly different. The religions, cultures and many of the political systems do not worship so-called rugged individualism and the kind of dog-eat-dog savagery that the right-wing in this country espouses. They laugh at “I built this.” The point is that a lot of Asians and Latinos are turned off by extremist individualism, frankly. Until that changes or until a lot more of these immigrant communities are socialized into a Gooper perspective (FSM forbid), the right wing is not going to win over a significant fraction of these communities.

  171. 171.

    Villago Delenda Est

    November 7, 2012 at 4:50 pm

    Unfortunately and unfortuitously, forces of nature bookended the general election: Our convention was compromised by one weather disaster and our momentum stalled by another.

    Looks like God Himself did not want Rmoney to be President, too me.

    Stick that in your brainless hats, God bothered asswipes.

  172. 172.

    MattR

    November 7, 2012 at 4:52 pm

    @Reformed Panty Sniffer: 4 weeks ?!?! Good thing I work from home. Chatham has been chartering buses, but there are some strict rules and it sounds horrific. I am in a condo complex with a couple hundred units and the fire department has had to be called out a half dozen times due to carbon monoxide issues when people left the gas burners in their apartments on for too long.

  173. 173.

    kerFuFFler

    November 7, 2012 at 4:53 pm

    The conservatives have a real problem understanding how they lost this election. Naturally they want to trash someone they will paint as too moderate——-and hey, Chiristie must be moderate since he was willing to interact with the President!

    I don’t think in a million years that they will figure out that given the 18 point gender gap just maybe, maybe the problem was how many of them have treated Rush Limbaugh as the de facto leader of their party. The way he viciously attacked Sandra Fluke for expressing he opinion revealed an ugliness in the conservative movement, especially when they enjoyed, defended and repeated his lies and distortions.

    I was always in the tank for Obama, but I know several women who are somewhat conservative who tell me that shocking episode opened their eyes about the prevalence of out and out misogyny in the conservative movement.

    Rush lost them the election…….

  174. 174.

    unsympathetic

    November 7, 2012 at 4:55 pm

    All the calls for revolution and internal scapegoating show the Repubs to be a party that doesn’t actually believe the notion that they only exist to govern for a short time, not “forever” as superior beings. One of the first things you learn when facilitating groups is the necessity of establishing buy-in: you are there at the group’s request, not called to tell them “how it is” — or you’re gone.
    If Republicans don’t learn to respond to feedback, they will be dead very soon. And good riddance!

  175. 175.

    NotMax

    November 7, 2012 at 4:55 pm

    @mainmati

    logically they should be strong GOP supporters.

    Wingnut to English translation:

    We’ve got dibs on the word “tea.” Asians all love tea, right?

  176. 176.

    Grumpy Code Monkey

    November 7, 2012 at 4:58 pm

    @Liberty60:

    Whats delicious about the Christie hate, is that he is, IMO, the most formidable candidate on their bench for 2016.

    Was listening to our local NPR affiliate (KUT) this morning, and they were seriously talking about Ted Cruz being a candidate in 2016.

    Oy.

  177. 177.

    Bubblegum Tate

    November 7, 2012 at 4:58 pm

    @Onihanzo:

    Verbatim quote from a teabagger when told that teabaggerish radicalism really fucked the GOP last night:

    You mean that radicalism that won back the House and Senate for the first time in 40 years in 1994? The radicalism that won a 70-year high 63 House seats, 7 Senate seats and nearly 700 state legislative seats in 2010? That radicalism?

  178. 178.

    PsiFighter37

    November 7, 2012 at 4:59 pm

    @Enhanced Mooching Techniques: Dude, she’s like 15 years old – just a very tall 15 year-old. Pretty sure her height would intimidate any would-be suitors (as well as Secret Service).

  179. 179.

    GxB

    November 7, 2012 at 4:59 pm

    Whelp CC this the treatment you get for having to be reasonable and effective (as a R gov in a Deep Blue state) while dealing with shoals of blind, hypocritical piranhas who must lay blame outside their blind, hypocritical selves. Still don’t like the guy at a personal level, he’s a bully through and through so if he were to change teams there would be a lot of side-eyed skepticism on my part.

    More likely, he will lead his own branch of Republicanism, along with Frum and a few others that have mumbled about the GoP having lost it’s way. We may well be seeing the very schism that breaks the psychos off from the old school “reasoned” republicans.

  180. 180.

    Maike

    November 7, 2012 at 5:03 pm

    @Enhanced Mooching Techniques:

    Malia is fourteen. She’s a child, albeit a tall one.

  181. 181.

    Poopyman

    November 7, 2012 at 5:06 pm

    @Onihanzo: Here’s the purple prose (sic) from the TP newsletter they insist on sending me:

    The new America has been built on the backs of takers, that is, those who take the entitlements but, do not produce. The Takers won tonight. Obama cunningly promised more entitlements to an entitlement driven society, and, like a moth to the light they embraced his offer and sold their votes (souls) for more stuff. As the takers sold their votes they empowered the government, so now Washington can control of their lives as long as the gravy train keeps rolling.
    __
    However, the Takers didn’t act alone. The question is: if the republicans cannot beat Obama after all of his crimes, fraud and treachery then the Republican Party does not deserve to exist and must be dealt with.
    __
    The Tea Party is now more important than ever before. We told the Republicans they should be more confrontational, more direct and display Obama’s record for the world to see, but their arrogance blinded them to the truth.
    __
    The success of the Tea Party is the only shining light in the conservative movement and the Republican Party took full advantage of our work as well as the sweat of our backs, and yet, the blind Pharisees refused our wise counsel. This leaves us with little choice but to suck it up, get tougher and protect our American heritage with all we’ve got.
    __
    Mr. Romney worked hard, but played it safe, stayed in the safe waters and refused to expose ‘America’s Fraud President’ and what was the result? Mr. Romney lost, and the Republican Party failed America.
    __
    However, the greater issue is far beyond Obama or Romney. This Presidential race clearly shows America is a divided nation looking for a strong no-nonsense leadership with conservative values. The Tea Party is the last remaining stronghold of Conservative values in America, we must not stop!

    It goes on, of course, and that’s more than enough to give you the flavor of it. They ain’t happy with the GOPee.

  182. 182.

    The Populist

    November 7, 2012 at 5:06 pm

    Idiots – What kills me is this…when Christie was the darling of the right, they would circle him (and what a big circle it was!) and call out us libs who called him overweight, fat or idiotic.

    Then they defend his speech at the convention as a man of conviction. Every con I talked to would tell me how they LOVE his “honesty” and how he calls it like he sees it (if you are a union member or somebody the right loathes). He called it like he saw it with the hurricane and now they all want him out.

    What a bunch of fucking fools. I am by no means a supporter of Christie, even if I have some begrudging respect for the man and his abandonment of the bubble during a crisis, but I find it amazing he is the reason they lost. They picked an idiot to run for president. No different than when the dems chose Dukakis (weak) to run against then-VP Bush.

    What kills me most? The fact that IF Christie did throw the election Obama’s way? He isn’t done at all, they are making the case that average people have a certain perspective of Gov Christie and were impressed he was willing to BE BI-PARTISAN!!!! Fucking bubble dwelling morons, all of them.

    Christie has the best chance to be the GOP nominee in 2016 unless he goes back to being the loudmouth lunkhead shouting down teachers and anybody who annoys him. They loved him for his “honesty”, “integrity” and “straight shooting style” until he basically stopped playing ball with their stonewalling tactics. Whatever…

  183. 183.

    West of the Rockies (formerly Frank W.)

    November 7, 2012 at 5:11 pm

    Well, regarding Christie, this may well remove him from the list of possible ’16ers (now that’s he such damaged goods). Maybe the conservatives will forgive him this youthful indiscretion, or maybe they’ll now be forced to trot out an unseasoned Rubio or (more comically) Bobby Jindal. Sure, I know that right now Ryan and the Jebster are the E-ticket rides, but much will be determined by the impending GOP civil war for purity and truth and justice and the right to be governed by a non-blah person.

    Oh, what entertaining theater!

  184. 184.

    Poopyman

    November 7, 2012 at 5:14 pm

    BTW, since this thread touches on the post-Sandy conditions in NY/NJ, I got an email from Doctors W/o Borders today. They’re working on American soil for the first time. Ever.

    Urgent medical needs were becoming apparent as we quickly mapped and assessed some of the hardest-hit areas. I was back in New York the next day to lead one of six “explo-action teams,” one in Manhattan, one in Staten Island, one in Brooklyn, two in Queens, and one in Hoboken, New Jersey.
    __
    As we worked to treat patients on the spot in these locations, we found gaps in medical and mental health care. Creating continuity in patient care was critical – there was little consistent follow-through on how people could get mental health care, prescriptions, or follow-up care. Pharmacies were shuttered because of storm damage, and gas for transportation was in short supply, making it difficult for people to get treatment and drugs, largely for pre-existing medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and asthma.
    __
    In the Rockaways area of Queens where I led the intervention throughout the weekend, we treated approximately 100 people, many of them elderly or with disabilities who were caught on the highest floors of buildings with no electricity or heat. People were suffering from immense amounts of stress, and mental health care was critical.
    __
    Over the past twenty years, a large proportion of Doctors Without Borders’ financial support has come from our donors in New York and New Jersey who are now struggling with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Our thoughts and efforts are with you at this time.

    (Second lengthy block quote this thread. Sorry ’bout that.)

  185. 185.

    Maude

    November 7, 2012 at 5:14 pm

    @MattR:
    I am west of you in Rich County. Morris is not as rich as this place.
    The affluent people are veddy upset that they have no electrical service. They are veddy, veddy important people.
    The rules, be it laws or nature don’t apply to them.
    They are whining about the utility companies. There are still tree branches and power lines down.
    I heard a man try to explain that it was complicated to get power back in some areas. It did not go over well.
    They are special and they should not have to have any inconvenience in their lives.
    They also hate poor people.
    You are too young to remember Mother’s Pantry. Best pie anywhere.

  186. 186.

    Bubblegum Tate

    November 7, 2012 at 5:17 pm

    @Poopyman:

    This Presidential race clearly shows America is a divided nation looking for a strong no-nonsense leadership with conservative values.

    So America is divided, but it’s united in its desire for a conservative leader. Which is why Obama won last night.

    Makes sense as long as you don’t, you know, think about it.

  187. 187.

    MattR

    November 7, 2012 at 5:18 pm

    @Maude: For some reason, I am reminded of this Chris Rock bit about his home in Alpine.

  188. 188.

    El Cid

    November 7, 2012 at 5:26 pm

    Maybe O.J. can help them track down the Real Election Stealer.

  189. 189.

    Chris

    November 7, 2012 at 5:26 pm

    I may have to reassess my opinion of Chris Christie being their best candidate for 2016. Sans Sandy, he would’ve been, but his performing responsibly during Sandy + their need for scapegoats, all of a sudden, he’s up shit creek.

    One prediction I will stick to: there will be no GOP civil war. Just like after 2008, there’ll be a purge, where a few people (like Christie, it’s now looking) who, like Bush and McCain in 2008, will be excoriated as “the reason we lost” and the counterrevolutionary RINO liberal saboteurs who didn’t have the boldness and vision to push a TRUE conservative agenda which would have rallied everyone. The party will lurch further to the right again in search of that mythical True Conservative Purity, and the 2016 candidates will have the same rabid, mouth-foaming, neurotic mob to appease, which will have gotten even harder than it was this time around.

    Bookmark it, libs, but I’m open to being proven wrong. (Like I seem to have been with Christie).

  190. 190.

    Maude

    November 7, 2012 at 5:27 pm

    @MattR:
    Thank you so much.
    We have rain here with flakes of snow. The winds have been minimal so far.

  191. 191.

    NotMax

    November 7, 2012 at 5:30 pm

    This Presidential race clearly shows America is a divided nation looking for a strong no-nonsense leadership with conservative values.

    If, in a hypothetical case, Abbie Hoffman and Eldridge Cleaver were raised from the dead, had run and won with 438 electoral votes, the exact same sentence would be trotted out.

  192. 192.

    trollhattan

    November 7, 2012 at 5:32 pm

    @Poopyman:

    I.e., “save us saint Sarah, you’re our only hope. “

  193. 193.

    Strandedvandal

    November 7, 2012 at 5:33 pm

    Roasting what could very well be their best and only hope of a President elect in 2016 over open flames. Excellent.

  194. 194.

    NotMax

    November 7, 2012 at 5:33 pm

    Typo in #192 (no edit option). Corrected:

    had run and won with 538 electoral votes

  195. 195.

    Chris

    November 7, 2012 at 5:33 pm

    @jibeaux:

    It is unlikely Republicans shall soon forget your perfidious betrayal.

    I know I’m not a Real American(TM), being a faggy East Coast latte-sipping Volvo driver an all that (and a French half breed to boot), but someone clear this up for me: do people actually talk like that?

  196. 196.

    Patricia Kayden

    November 7, 2012 at 5:36 pm

    This post is hilarious!! So Christis is dead on arrival for the Rethugs, huh? What can he do to get back in their good graces? Perhaps he’ll find a way to lambaste President Obama in the near future to make the Righties happy.

    Now he’s a “gelatinous clown who (a) hogged up a prime time spot at the Republican convention to sing his own praises”?

    HAH!! I cannot laugh hard and long enough! I’m tired from staying up late last night. I beg of you to please stop the jokes.

  197. 197.

    Chris

    November 7, 2012 at 5:38 pm

    @cmorenc:

    Very well said, I think.

  198. 198.

    Triassic Sands

    November 7, 2012 at 5:47 pm

    A quick check reveals that among those who voted early, i.e., prior to Sandy, Romney held a 99%-1% lead over Obama. Then, Christie did his “thang” and the tide reversed with Obama getting 127% of the later votes. With than kind of impact, the Dems shouldn’t even bother running a candidate against future President Christie.

    The unanswerable question: Who is more repulsive — Dick Morris or Donald Trump?

  199. 199.

    West of the Rockies (formerly Frank W.)

    November 7, 2012 at 5:48 pm

    @Patricia Kayden: It is quite a remarkable fall, isn’t it, from keynote speaker to scapegoat in six weeks….

  200. 200.

    PurpleGirl

    November 7, 2012 at 6:21 pm

    @28 Percent: Actually, FEMA did not initially start to get involved with recovery in NYC. Bloomberg, the arrogant one, told FEMA that NYC didn;t need the help and had everything covered by their own Emergency Management agency.

  201. 201.

    kabiddle

    November 7, 2012 at 6:21 pm

    Enemy camp is good.

  202. 202.

    The Other Chuck

    November 7, 2012 at 6:42 pm

    @Bruce S:

    If ever there was evidence that the “mainstream” GOP punditry is utterly bankrupt morally and intellectually – and fully as nuts and irresponsible (or simply cynical) as Bachmann, Palin, West and the rest – you’ve got it. (Makes me wonder about James Carville.)

    There are no two people in the world as cynical as Mary Matalin and James Carville. They make Bill Maher look like Martin Luther King. It is really all a game to them. They richly deserve each other. I just wonder what the rest of us did to deserve them.

  203. 203.

    JWL

    November 7, 2012 at 6:59 pm

    “It is unlikely Republicans shall soon forget your perfidious betrayal”.

    No doubt about that. Christie will never be the republican party nominee for president, not in 2016, not ever.

  204. 204.

    Patricia Kayden

    November 7, 2012 at 7:04 pm

    @EconWatcher: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

    I would advise him to ignore the foolishness. What would he gain by going around throwing out insults to an already pathetic and demoralized party?

  205. 205.

    Patricia Kayden

    November 7, 2012 at 7:11 pm

    @West of the Rockies (formerly Frank W.): But I heard that he basically spoke about himself during his convention speech and only mentioned Romneybot 2.0 during the end. Didn’t watch it, so I’ll take everyone’s word on that.

    This is all so sweet.

  206. 206.

    FlipYrWhig

    November 7, 2012 at 7:19 pm

    R.S. McCain: “It is unlikely Republicans shall soon forget your perfidious betrayal.”

    Why do so many wingnut pundits write in this style? So often it’s like sword-and-sorcery fanfic, like, “Black curses shall fall upon your children and your children’s children, and, lo, how demons will gnaw upon their souls!”

  207. 207.

    patrick

    November 7, 2012 at 7:21 pm

    this is amusing….

    I am a little confused, wasn’t DIck Morris on Big Bill Clinton’s staff? did he have a stroke or head trauma or something? guess I never really paid attention back then….in my defense, I was in college at a professional drinking school (Michigan Tech)

  208. 208.

    FlipYrWhig

    November 7, 2012 at 7:32 pm

    @patrick: Yes, Dick Morris was a Clinton staffer, IIRC one of the architects of the “triangulation” strategy for co-opting Republican opposition.

  209. 209.

    Brantl

    November 7, 2012 at 7:35 pm

    @Corner Stone: How many times are you going to say this stupid shit? Chria Christy is the same egomaniacal asshole that had a government owned helicopter land him on a field next to his son’s ball game, had a limo drive him over to the game, and left in the 5th inning of that game. The dumb son of a bitch didn’t even stay for the whole game, after wasting the taxpayer’s money in a major league way (don’t mind the pun). He’a a human shithole.
    And Christie’s never going to live this down. Those miserable little republipricks aren’t ever going to forgive this.

  210. 210.

    Ellyn

    November 7, 2012 at 7:37 pm

    Being a republiKKKan means never having to take responsibility for your actions.

  211. 211.

    Richard Fox

    November 7, 2012 at 7:41 pm

    None of you are focusing on what is important. Christie perfidy, real enemies, schmeal enemas.. whatever! …What about Romney’s transition team? Hmm? They were all rearing to go, assignments all set, policy papers formulated, cabinet appointments mulled and sifted for conservative bona fides. And what about– what’s his name? Romney? Rodney? I am blanking. Well what about his luminous acceptance speech? What archive will now lodge this historical goody? Sorry but my mind is reeling on so much one HAS to keep up with. Priorities, people. Priorities. Christie and his enemas can wait.!

  212. 212.

    Corner Stone

    November 7, 2012 at 7:42 pm

    @Brantl: You know, it’s small and petty thinking like this that is going to damage the D party as we move forward and try to govern a split electorate.
    Who cares about the helicopter beyond petty partisan assholes?
    Did you not see any of the press conferences Christie gave immediately post-Sandy? He told it like it is. Just because humps like yourself took it as tough to swallow, that’s probably a good sign for the next stage.
    We need pols like Christie. We need people on the R side who don’t BS, who don’t donut sugar coat it for the simples like you who just want what they want, when they want it.
    He gave it up for good government, for the Obama administration and made it clear he’s someone we can work with.
    Hate on that, homie.

  213. 213.

    Brantl

    November 7, 2012 at 7:47 pm

    @Corner Stone:

    His press conferences and actions since Sandy have left the door wide open for Democrats to reach out their Springsteen soaked bandannas and ask Gov Christie to show us the way forward.
    We’re just not going to get legislation done if we continue with all this one sided bickering bullshit. We need to identify and groom some people we can work with in the future. And Christ Christie is the model for that kind of framework moving forward.

    Chris Christie has only cooperated decently with other people when they held all the cards, he’a a bully and a mean little shit.

  214. 214.

    Craig

    November 7, 2012 at 8:05 pm

    Look, when we all remember how much we detest Chris Christie, I think we’ll stop sticking up for him. His convention speech was a total shiv in the kidney–you have to admit that. And while it’s ridiculous to yell at him for working with Obama after the storm, he certainly didn’t have to go on Fox News and tell Romney to go take a long walk off a short pier. That was gratuitous, and it was all about positioning himself for today and beyond.

    I wonder if it will work? Republicans value loyalty, but Christie’s brand is plainly going to be The Man Who Can Slap Some Sense into the GOP.

  215. 215.

    FlipYrWhig

    November 7, 2012 at 8:09 pm

    @Brantl: Corner Stone is, as the Brits say, taking the piss. John said he liked Christie (which was stupid), CS wigged out, and ever since he has been amusing himself by continuing this particular troll campaign. See also John’s remark that he would crawl over broken glass to vote for Joe Manchin.

  216. 216.

    g

    November 7, 2012 at 8:14 pm

    @Bulworth: Chris Christie’s deplorable and gratuitous gas-baggery infused the campaign with a toxic political pollution.

    No doubt they’d have preferred he use the opportunity of Hurricane Sandy to deliberately obstruct the Federal help for the citizens of his state? Further proof that for the conservative hive, tribalism triumphs over civic duty.

  217. 217.

    JustRuss

    November 7, 2012 at 8:23 pm

    @JWL:

    No doubt about that. Christie will never be the republican party nominee for president, not in 2016, not ever.

    Right. Now imagine what his chances would be if he’d done something crazy like instigated a local version of Obamacare within his state.

    Voters have the memory and attention span of…SQUIRREL! Sorry, what was I saying?

  218. 218.

    Brantl

    November 7, 2012 at 9:08 pm

    We need pols like Christie. We need people on the R side who don’t BS, who don’t donut sugar coat it for the simples like you who just want what they want, when they want it.
    He gave it up for good government, for the Obama administration and made it clear he’s someone we can work with.
    Hate on that, homie.

    We need duplicitous assholes like that, cutting programs that benefit the poor so that he can ride a helicopter and ride in a limo to a partial game, because he can’t get off his fat ass and get to his kid’s game. He;s got no business screwing the people who earned real assistance, so that he could piss the momey away having government resources used for his personal errands. He was a lying sack of shit long before he was governor, get your illiterate head out of your ass and read up on him.
    Hump this!

  219. 219.

    grandpa john

    November 7, 2012 at 9:25 pm

    @gbear:

    McCain’s notion of the word ‘disaster’ is rather shallow and idiotic.

    Well McCain himself is also shallow and idiotic

  220. 220.

    Tehanu

    November 7, 2012 at 9:25 pm

    @Chris:
    @FlipYrWhig:

    It is unlikely Republicans shall soon forget your perfidious betrayal.

    I noticed this too. Fanfic is a kind description. It brings back happy memories of how James J. Kilpatrick, the original hifalutin blatherer, is dead.
    (My entire James J.K. list is too long to include here, but:
    arrant
    balderdash
    ballyhoo
    bamboozle
    billingsgate
    blather
    blithering
    blockhead
    bombastic
    bootlicking
    botheration
    brummagem
    bunkum (buncombe)
    bushwah
    …
    tosh
    villainous
    whippersnapper)

  221. 221.

    grandpa john

    November 7, 2012 at 9:34 pm

    @Violet: Yeah, maybe they should stop and think a little. Sounds to me like God is trying to give them a message about his commandments and keeping them. things like you are your brothers keeper. You are commanded to care for the poor, the sick, the lame, the hungry. You are to love your brother as your self, but I don’t remember any commandments about cutting taxes for the rich.

  222. 222.

    Ken Pidcock

    November 7, 2012 at 9:40 pm

    Christie’s behavior lifted my spirit. This is a man who knows which way the wind blows. When he indicated that there was nothing to gain from standing with Romney, I figured it must be over.

  223. 223.

    Lurker

    November 7, 2012 at 11:12 pm

    @? Martin:

    Democrats got a 2/3 majority in both houses in California – the minimum needed to raise taxes. With a Democratic governor, there’s a window of opportunity here. This is huge. This may have national consequences.

    This is awesome. I hope you’re right.

Comments are closed.

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