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Chris Christie on Principles & Values
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I'd rather lose by telling the truth than lie to win
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former President Donald Trump's most vocal critic, dropped out of the 2024 presidential race [the week before the Iowa caucuses] issuing a severe warning about the former president and his impact on the nation.
Christie made the announcement at an event in New Hampshire, telling a group of less than 100 voters that he has been "in this race to tell the truth."
"If we want to change this party, and if we want to change this country, it's hard work. It's not easy," Christie said. "From the moment
I got into the race, the decision that I made was really simple: I would rather lose by telling the truth than lie in order to win."
Source: CNN 2024 pre-Iowa caucus one-on-one debate
, Jan 10, 2024
Authored 2024 book: "What Would Reagan Do?"
Q: Which former president would you draw inspiration from for your own presidency?Christie: I would draw inspiration from Ronald Reagan. In the last year, I've spent a lot of time writing a book about President Reagan that's going to be called "What
Would Reagan Do?" That book's going to come out early in 2024. And what I learned more than anything else was that Ronald Reagan was a slave to the truth. Ronald Reagan stood up for the truth, whether it was popular or unpopular at the moment. In 1964,
he stood up against the John Birch Society when it was very unpopular to the party to do it, but he would not put up with our party standing for lies and deceit, even if it gave him political progress. That's the kind of president that I will be, and
I would draw that inspiration from the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan.
Washington Post explanation (1/15/21): The John Birch Society, founded in 1958, was fiercely anti-communist--and fond of crackpot theories.
Source: NewsNation 2023 Republican primary debate in Alabama
, Dec 6, 2023
Politicians pit groups against each other to create conflict
We're dividing our country into smaller and smaller and smaller pieces. And politicians are pitting them against each other to create conflict. And that's not going to make the country bigger, better, stronger, or freer.
But if we improve our entire education system our kids' test scores are not going down, but going up, and they can get great jobs and be more competitive with the rest of the world. That's the kind of thing a president should be inspiring people to do.
Source: CBS Face the Nation on 2023 Presidential primary hopefuls
, Jul 23, 2023
Unacceptable to pressure officials to alter election results
It's absolutely unacceptable to be pressuring a governor or any elected official, as it was with the secretary of state in Georgia, to try to find votes to be able to win a state that you didn't win or to try to somehow come up with some kind of
ridiculous theory to overturn the results in Arizona. Let me tell you why he lost Arizona. He had become a caricature of himself, because he had not done the job the American people elected him to do.
Source: CNN interviews on 2023 Presidential hopefuls
, Jul 2, 2023
America didn't become great by pulling up the drawbridge
America has never been a great country and the leader of the world by filling in the moat and pulling up the drawbridge. You know, we need to make sure that we're engaged. Because, believe me, this is the first fight in the proxy war with China.
But in the end, at the end of this sacrifice, I am absolutely a believer in the fact that America will be bigger, stronger, richer and more influential in the world because we stood by our principles and stood by our friends.
Source: ABC This Week on 2023 Presidential hopefuls
, Jun 25, 2023
Will take pledge to support nominee as seriously as Trump
Q: If Donald Trump is the nominee, will you pledge to support him and vote for him even if he's a convicted felon?CHRISTIE: We went to a debate, and we were all asked if we would reaffirm our support of whoever the nominee was going to be by raising
our hand. There were 10 of us on the stage. Nine of us raised our hands. The one who didn't was Donald Trump. And so I will take the pledge in 2024 just as seriously as Donald Trump took the pledge in 2016.
Source: CNN interviews on 2023 Presidential hopefuls
, Jun 18, 2023
You fight and fight, but then compromise and take the win
The bottom line is that if you're lucky enough to become the president of the United States, every day, you should wake up thinking about what you do for the people of this country, not what scores you need to settle for yourself. And [Trump] has
shown himself--and I think most particularly in his post-presidency--to be completely self- centered, completely self-consumed, and doesn't give a damn about the American people if what the American people want is in conflict with what is best for him.
Understand that when I say you have got to be willing to compromise, it means you're not going to get 100% of what you want all the time. But if you get 80% of a Republican principle, rather than 0% of anything, that's a win. I know people don't want
you to compromise. I don't go and lay down, OK? I fight. But the skill in this business is to fight and fight and fight, and then know when the moment is to take your win and go and move on to the next topic.
Source: CNN Town Hall: interviews of 2024 presidential candidates
, Jun 12, 2023
America is a leader; the world is great when America leads
I believe America is a leader around the world and that the world is great when America leads, and America can only be great when we lead. We can't be great by being small, small arguments, petty arguments, dividing each other.
Look, America is great when we don't fill the moat and pull up the drawbridge.
Source: CNN Town Hall: interviews of 2024 presidential candidates
, Jun 12, 2023
A self-consumed, self-serving mirror hog is not a leader
[Announcement speech]: "Beware of the leader in this country who you have handed leadership to," Christie said announcing his candidacy at a New Hampshire town hall, "who has never made a mistake,
who has never done anything wrong, who when something goes wrong it's somebody else's fault, and who has never lost." He warned, further, that a "lonely, self-consumed, self-serving mirror hog is not a leader."
Source: Slate.com blog on 2024 Presidential hopefuls
, Jun 7, 2023
We can't dismiss the question of character anymore
Christie shrugged that off. "If you are in search of the perfect candidate, it is time to leave. I am not it.""But beware of the leader who won't admit any of those shortcomings,
because you know what the problem is with a leader like that? A leader like that thinks America's greatness resides in the mirror he's looking at," Christie said. "We can't dismiss the question of character anymore. If we do, we get what we deserve."
Source: Politico.com blog on 2024 Presidential hopefuls
, Jun 6, 2023
No special prosecutor on Russian election tampering
Q: Do you think that a special prosecutor is needed for Russia's election tampering?CHRISTIE: No.
Q: Why not?
CHRISTIE: Because the Justice Department has shown itself to have the ability to investigate these type of things. Whether you're a
Republican or a Democrat--we've seen it happen on both sides--when a special prosecutor gets involved, the thing gets completely out of control. And I think that doesn't serve anybody's purposes. We have a lot of important problems to deal with in this
country. I'm not saying that is not one of them, but I believe the Justice Department can handle it.
Q: White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus reached out to the FBI to try to get them to tell reporters that the FBI was not investigating Russian
contacts....
CHRISTIE: I don't think that Reince thought he was doing anything wrong. But if I were sitting in that position, I just would say, "you know what, talk to the White House counsel about that," out of an abundance of caution.
Source: CNN "State of the Union" 2017 interview by Jake Tapper
, Feb 26, 2017
No federal department to promote Judeo-Christian values
Q: One of your Republican rivals, Governor John Kasich, said this week the U.S. should create a new government agency to promote Judeo-Christian values around the world. Some think such an agency would violate the separation between church and state.
What do you think?CHRISTIE: I don't think that's something we need to do. What I want to see is a nation that continues to say, we want you to practice your religion and practice it vigorously.
And as long as you practice it peacefully, and you're not trying to impose your religious values on anyone else, then you should be able to practice it the way you want.
I don't think we need another government agency, quite frankly. I don't think we need to add more layers of bureaucracy to this government and add more expense. And so, no, that's not something I would favor.
Source: CNN SOTU 2015 interview series: 2016 presidential hopefuls
, Nov 22, 2015
Sometimes must tell constituents to sit down & shut up
In a twenty-minute Q&A session, Christie repeatedly argued that the media has given conservatives the wrong idea about him. Again and again, he trashed the media, suggesting that "when you do things that I've done, when you take on a lot of these
special interests that they [the media] support, they'll kill you." He also argued that he's much more conservative than you might expect, bragging about how he proved that a pro-life Republican could win in the Northeast. "Don't believe what the media
will tell you," he said.Christie tried to portray his fiery persona as just what Washington needs. When asked about his temper and specifically a past comment that a constituent should sit down and shut up, Christie answered, "Sometimes
people need to be told to sit down and shut up," to cheers and applause. "There should be more of that stuff in Washington, DC," he added. "Someone should say it's time to shut up."
Source: Vox.com coverage of 2015 Conservative Political Action Conf.
, Feb 27, 2015
Cleared of Bridgegate blame, but more investigations coming
Q: It took nearly three months and $1 million taxpayer dollars for a hand-picked law firm to find it, clearing the N.J. governor of any responsibility for Bridgegate. Chris Christie may be feeling pretty good about the investigation he could control.
But the next two he cannot, including one underway here at the State House in New Jersey, and the next critical one, the U.S. attorney's probe. The federal investigation could take two years to complete.
But with the endorsement of his own lawyers, Governor Christie began a media blitz this week:CHRISTIE: This report says that I had no knowledge of it before it happened, nor did I authorize it or have anything to do with it. Ask that's the truth.
Q: The report and the governor blame fired deputy chief of staff Bridget Kelly, who released a statement calling the report venomous and offering to cooperate with the federal investigation if granted immunity.
Source: ABC This Week 2014 series of 2016 presidential hopefuls
, Mar 30, 2014
Parties should become pragmatic when they are out of power
Christie mocked President Obama for entering office without "a respect for the other party," complained that George W. Bush was "grossly underappreciated" in the White House and seemed to make a novel case for his own, now-blemished candidacy for
president in 2016. The successful presidential campaigns of both Bush and Bill Clinton, Christie said, required displeased skeptics within their own parties to "suck it up and get behind" them.
The party, Christie appeared to argue implicitly, should do the same when it comes to him. "Parties tend to become pragmatic when they are powerless,"
he said. "It's time for us to get pragmatic." Clinton, he said to knowing laughs, "was far from the perfect candidate."
Source: NY Times on "NY Region" in 2013, 2016 presidential hopefuls
, Feb 12, 2014
More important for leaders to be respected than to be loved
The greatest lesson Mom ever taught me, though, was this one: she told me there would be times in your life when you have to choose between being loved and being respected. She said to always pick being respected, that love without respect was always
fleeting--but that respect could grow into real, lasting love. Now, of course, she was talking about women. But I have learned over time that it applies just as much to leadership. In fact, I think that advice applies to America today more than ever.
I believe we have become paralyzed by our desire to be loved.
Our founding fathers had the wisdom to know that social acceptance and popularity is fleeting and that this country's principles needed to be rooted in strengths greater than
the passions and emotions of the times. Our leaders today have decided it is more important to be popular, to do what is easy and say "yes," rather than to say no when "no" is what's required.
Source: 2012 Republican National Convention speech
, Aug 28, 2012
Interest in politics started at age 14 in Junior High School
Interest in politics started at age 14 in Junior High School
Chris Christie knew from childhood, at an age when most kids dreamed of being a firefighter or an astronaut, that he wanted to be a trial lawyer. When he was 10 years old and his grandmother asked what he wanted for Christmas, Chris said he wanted a law
Interest in politics started at age 14 in Junior High School
Republican nomination for governor, spoke at his school and struck a chord.Whatever caused the spark, at that point Christie decided he wanted to be involved in politics. After he excitedly told his mother about the guest speaker and his desire to
Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p. 27-28
, Jun 5, 2012
1995: Unapologetic about taking on the establishment
1995: Unapologetic about taking on the establishment
In a 5-candidate race where 3 people won, Christie finished in the running in only 7 of Morris County's 39 towns. Christie said he was the victim of "a $250,000 2x4 of negative campaigning.""I have to accept this; I have no choice. When you place
1995: Unapologetic about taking on the establishment
wrong. "The most polite way for me to have proceeded would have been to blend into the background and not make waves. But I was elected because I espoused a certain set of ideas. I felt a moral obligation to pursue those ideas, even if it was politically
Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p. 58-59
, Jun 5, 2012
Lifelong struggle with weight, despite repeated efforts
Corzine ran ads showing Christie stepping from an SUV in slow motion, his girth moving in several directions at once under his shirt. And just to drive the point home, a voice-over said that Christie "threw his weight around" in trying to avoid traffic
tickets. Corzine appeared to be trying to send a subtle message that Christie was reckless with his health and maybe so in other ways.Christie handled it with humor: "I'm slightly overweight. Apparently this has become a great cause of discussion.
I don't know what that has to do with being governor."
For Christie, his weight had been a lifelong struggle, starting when he was a chubby kid. He said in 2012, "There is a certain compulsiveness at times to my eating." He would make repeated efforts
to lose weight. Losses were often followed by gains, even after as governor he began to see a dietician, hooked up with a personal trainer, and worked out four days a week. "I weigh too much because I eat too much. And I eat some bad things, too."
Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p.156-157
, Jun 5, 2012
Occupy Movement and Tea Party agree on anger at government
I believe that the Occupy movement and the Tea Party movement come--their genesis--are from the same feeling, which is an anger that government can't get things done, Christie said. "And so, now, that is the last similarity between the
Tea Party movement and the Occupy movement. But I believe that the cause for their anger comes from the same place. They look at Washington DC and they look at a president who a bystander in the Oval Office."
He said, "I mean, I will tell you that I think both parties deserve blame for what's going on in Washington DC, both parties do.
They're spending more time talking at each other than talking with each other. We all know what the solutions to these problems are, we've done them in NJ in many areas, but we don't have the political will to get them done."
Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p.244
, Jun 5, 2012
OpEd: U.S. Attorney office often leads to statewide posts
In a state where law, politics, crime, and headlines create a powerful alchemy, there is no appointed post more powerful or sought after than the US Attorney. On top of everything else the position has going for it,
US Attorney is one of only a tiny handful of jobs with statewide authority. NJ, because of its compact geography and its past as a small population bedroom for NY and Philadelphia, has only one Justice Department district.
So the US Attorney is the undisputed top federal law enforcement official in the state. It is a perch from which many have graduated to lucrative legal practices and judgeships, including a spot on the US Supreme Court
(Justice Samuel Alito is a former NJ US Attorney). And it's the place that revived Chris Christie's dead political career.
Source: The Jersey Sting, by Sherman & Margolin, p.255
, Apr 10, 2012
His idol: Bruce Springsteen; favorite song: Thunder Road
In Christie's 7th-floor office was a bottle of Mr. Clean household cleanser, emblazoned with a photo of the US Attorney's face on the label. The office itself was a shrine to Christie the fanatic, decorated with all sorts of memorabilia from his beloved
NY Mets and a signed Fender guitar from his idol, NJ rocker Bruce Springsteen.
A Springsteen freak, Christie was known to shut the door before a news conference and turn up the volume on classics from the E Street Band, getting himself juiced before meeting the press to talk about a major arrest.
More often than not, it was the song "Thunder Road," and Christie, who once flew to London, England, just to catch a live Springsteen performance, had a tendency to sing aloud.
Source: The Jersey Sting, by Sherman & Margolin, p. 84
, Apr 10, 2012
2006: Questioned for subpoenas timing to affect elections
The US Attorney's office--under the control of Chris Christie--took on a central role in Menendez's life. Two months before the 2006 election, federal prosecutors very publicly subpoenaed records connected to a rental deal between
Menendez and a community-service agency that won federal grants.
The controversial subpoena would multiply into a small series and it became a critical element of the election. Inside the US Attorney's office, Christie authorized the first subpoena in 2006, ignoring the potential effect it could have on the
Kean-Menendez balloting.It was a move that infuriated Democrats, who accused Christie of issuing the subpoena specifically to affect the election.
Source: The Jersey Sting, by Sherman & Margolin, p.260-261
, Apr 10, 2012
The New Jersey Comeback: stop blaming; start building
Today, I am proud to report that the New Jersey Comeback has begun.How do we know it has begun? Just look around you. In the last two years, we have come together to address the mess that was our budget. The decline, deficits, and departures that
plagued our State just two years ago have been reversed. The budget is balanced. Our unemployment rate is no longer going up, it is coming down. Job growth has been restored--in the private sector, where we want it. New Jersey is back.
We have restrained the growth of property taxes. We have put our pensions on a more stable and sustainable footing. And in doing all this, we have restored confidence and pride in NJ.
For New Jersey, the corner has been turned. Today, the debate is
not about who to blame for our failures, it is how to build on our successes. It is no longer about how to deal with devastating decline; it is now about how to push New Jersey even further ahead. To be better than we thought we could be.
Source: N.J. 2012 State of the State Address
, Jan 17, 2012
Catholicism informs who I am; but not my political decisions
Q: You're a Catholic.A: I am.
Q: When I interviewed Mitt Romney, he made quite a surprising statement. He intended to divorce all matters of his faith from his political life. I figured that he did this because he sees being a
Mormon as a potential weakness to the electorate. Do you see that you can do that? Can you divorce being a Catholic with all that means that you stand for as a Catholic and I'm a Catholic, from running for high office?
A: Well, I think you have to understand that we are not a religious democracy. Religion to me is a personal thing. And so, you know, I have to make certain decisions. My decisions are going to be made based on what I think is best for all the people of
New Jersey. My Catholicism informs part of who I am. But it does not rule who I am.
Source: Interview on CNN "Piers Morgan Tonight"
, Jun 15, 2011
Spent beyond government travel allowance as US Attorney
The Republican candidate for governor, who has campaigned on a platform of ethical integrity and cutting government waste, regularly spent beyond federal guidelines on business travel while US attorney, records show. The newly released travel records sho
that Christie occasionally billed taxpayers more than $400 a night for stays in luxury hotels and exceeded the government's hotel allowance on 14 of 16 business trips he took in 2008.Christie said he stayed in more expensive hotels only when cheaper
ones weren't available. "We always went for government rates first," he said. "I don't think there were a lot of stays in 5-star hotels."
The travel records date to when he was sworn in as US attorney in 2002. The limits are updated regularly to reflec
inflation, seasonal price jumps and other economic realities of business travel. Federal employees who exceed the allowance are required to explain why, though the justification merely requires an extra layer of approval that is routinely granted.
Source: Associated Press coverage of 2009 NJ gubernatorial race
, Oct 13, 2009
Children attend parochial school
Mary Pat and I have been blessed with four beautiful children and like many New Jersey parents, we have worked hard to instill strong values in each of them. Our children attend parochial school where we hope their studies
will help guide them in their faith and reinforce the values we teach them at home. Experiences in my life, along with my faith, have led me to believe in the sanctity, dignity and inherent value of all human life.
Source: 2009 Gubernatorial campaign website, christiefornj.com
, Jul 21, 2009
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