Chris Christie: No Fan Of Sarah Palin

At least not judging from his appearance last night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon:

Faced with the prospect of a President Sarah Palin, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the Republican party’s darling from another coast, shook his head and rolled his eyes.

“I don’t know, but it’s an amazing world,” he said to Jimmy Fallon during a taping of Tuesday’s Late Night show.

Indeed…..

Video:

Chants of “Christie is a RINO” to begin in 3…..2…..1

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Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. DangerGirl says:

    I love him even MORE now. The Presidency needs to be earned not handed to a political celebrity with little political credibility. We’ve already had 2 yrs of that!
    The RINOs are the Republicans who believe that Gov’t has no business in our personal lives, except when it comes to Gay Marriage or, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.
     

  2. Kimberly Haney says:

    Political Creds is what we need in the Presidency?  Really?  You don’t say.  So, coming up through the ranks of a state, starting at the bottom in a city council and working your way up to the Governorship doesn’t count as “Political Credibility”?  What does, pray tell?  The one thing I don’t get is this…no ONE criticizes Sarah Palin for the work she did in Alaska, all the hubbub seems to be around what has happened since she was a VP nominee (which, IMHO is where the celebrity remark has merit). There is no denying that she made things happen politically in Alaska, albeit in a short period of time.  No credibility for her work in the public sector?  Isn’t that politics? Would it be different if she were from Texas and from a political hierarchy family?  I just wonder why people are so ready to judge her for stepping down from Governor to protect her family’s financial stability.  I would have done the same thing. Haven’t you ever quit a job on principle? Because either you didn’t believe in the company, or the pay was detrimental to your family’s future?  Why is what she did any different than quitting a job in the private sector.  Oh, yes, I know…there are just so many reasons to hate Sarah Palin…it’s just that none of them have any substance.

  3. jfoobar says:

    Ms. Haney:  While I am sympathetic to the argument that Ms. Palin doesn’t get enough credit for what she had accomplished professionally prior to her VP run, some of what you have written here is borderline delusional.
    She quit a $125,000/year job to “protect her family’s financial stability?”  Really?  Not only is that nonsense, it is also insulting to many who struggle by on much, much less.  One could argue, quite convincingly, that she quit to cash in on her fame.  One could also argue, perhaps also convincingly, that she quit to lend her fame to a political movement for the good of her country.  Neither of those is synonymous with protecting her family’s “financial stability.”
    You are probably correct to think that there are few good reasons to *hate* Ms. Palin.  However, there are many good reason to believe that she is categorically unqualified to be President of the United States.

  4. Herb says:

    “Haven’t you ever quit a job on principle? Because either you didn’t believe in the company, or the pay was detrimental to your family’s future?  Why is what she did any different than quitting a job in the private sector. ”
    I’m sorry, but this made me laugh.   The rationalizing from Palin fans is getting quite comical.  Honestly, it reminds me a lot of Michael Jackson and his diehard supporters.

  5. Stacy says:

    Hey Herb,
    How about the fact that the Alaska legislature was basically non-functioning (due to every member trying to get a job in DC. See Kim Elton for example) plus her staff was consumed with fighting frivolous charges.. It was for the state. She handed her agenda to her lieutenant.
    Why are you laughing at a Conservative getting attacked with no support from her party? What’s funny about that?

  6. Marvin says:

    I think the Republican establishment knows that Sarah Palin at the top of the ticket would be a huge disaster in 2012. They are doing everything they can to keep that from happening. I hope it backfires on them and causes a massive GOP civil war!
    We should help them along… If Palin announces her nomination I’m going to do everything I can to support her candidacy! I’ll register as a Republican to vote for her and talk about how the “GOP elites are trying to shove Romney down our throats!”

  7. Smooth Jazz says:

    LOL. I love how Doug and other left wing bloggers keep saying she isn’t relevant, yet spend 2 – 3 posts a day on the Gov. Gov Christie is from a BLUE East Coast state; WTF you expect him to say. I think you have a serious case of PDS and I would love to see her win so I could enjoy your meltdown.

  8. schooner says:

    Hey Kimberly,
     
    Looking at her Alaska tenure there is plenty to criticize. She took over a town with $1.12 million in debt and left it with debt of $24 million.  This for a city of about 11,000 people.
    In her short time as Governor the only real accomplishment is the signing of the gas line deal which has gone nowhere to date and is highly controversial. Then she quit.
     
     
     

  9. The Olde Man says:

    “…She quit a $125,000/year job to “protect her family’s financial stability?”  Really?  Not only is that nonsense, it is also insulting to many who struggle by on much, much less…”[/i]]
    Oh really?  Word on the Street was that she had racked up $600,000 in legal fees (and the State $2,000,000) on the 28 ethics complaints lodged against her.  (27 thrown out, she paid on the 28th after following incorrect advice from her legal counsel)
    Given that situation, what would you do?

  10. Herb says:

    “plus her staff was consumed with fighting frivolous charges”

    Yeah, I got all those talking points at the press conference, too. They’re still just as funny now…

    So maybe she did quit because of the frivolous lawsuits. Maybe she quit, as Ms. Haney put it, “on principle,” or because the pay was “detrimental to (her) family’s future.” These are reasons, yes, but they’re bad reasons.

    If anything, they’re reasons why she’s not fit to be a national political leader at all.

  11. I love how Doug and other left wing bloggers keep saying she isn’t relevant

    I don’t recall Doug saying she was irrelevant.  She is clearly relevant, but that doesn’t make her a good candidate for the presidency nor does it make her a political luminary.
    And I think you need a wider reading list if you think he is “left wing.”

  12. Smooth Jazz says:

    “I don’t recall Doug saying she was irrelevant.  She is clearly relevant, but that doesn’t make her a good candidate for the presidency nor does it make her a political luminary.”
    To be sure, if she decides to run, I think the people of the Repub Party and the entire country will decide whether she is good candidate or not – Not some bloggers with an agenda. He may or may not think she is irrelevant, but his numerous posts essentially telling her to shut up and go home, tells us all we need to know about his bias.
    Moreover, I don’t think Gov Christie said anything to indicate disdain for Gov Palin, contrary to Doug’s headline. It sounded to me like the NJ Gov was brushing off the question on Gov Palin, as if he was sick about hearing about 2012. He never said “Gov Palin is unqualified” or “I’m not a fan of Gov Palin”. And only a fortune teller or Ouija board reader can tell whether he rolled his eyes or not. That’s what this world has come to: Discerning what is or is not an eye roll.
    Once again, no one is saying she is a political luminary. She should be allowed to make her case like everyone else. If she doesn’t make it, then I’m sure she’ll head back to Wasilla, Fox News or wherever.

  13. She should be allowed to make her case like everyone else. If she doesn’t make it, then I’m sure she’ll head back to Wasilla, Fox News or wherever.

    Isn’t part of making that case having to face criticism in public spaces like blogs?
    And apart from the obvious fact Doug thinks she would make a lousy candidate, ultimately, what do you think his “agenda” is?  Best I can tell he is simply stating his opinion/reacting to the news as he reads it (or, as we like to call it in the trade, “blogging”).

  14. Kimberly Haney says:

    @jfoobar  I assure you i am not delusional (are you a liberal, because that borderlines on name-calling?).  Simply reiterating the point that while there are MANY who claim that she is politically unfit “no political credibility” for office, I have YET to see a SUBSTANTIVE list of those flaws. I say prove it. Quitting the governorship to cash in on her families fame?  I guess you could believe that, i that’s your spin.  I say more power to her.  The liberal press created this situation, and now she’s condemned for it?  Yeah, right.  I just would like the substance to back up the claims that she’s not “politically fit”.  I can’t find it in her political background, so if there are personal flaws, well, let’s list those too.  Waiting… *taps fingers on desk*

  15. Kimberly Haney says:

    “So maybe she did quit because of the frivolous lawsuits. Maybe she quit, as Ms. Haney put it, “on principle,” or because the pay was “detrimental to (her) family’s future.” These are reasons, yes, but they’re bad reasons. If anything, they’re reasons why she’s not fit to be a national political leader at all.” – @herb
    @herb:  I can think of no better reason to anything  on this earth than “for my family”. Period.  Politics or otherwise. Those lawsuits could have crushed them financially and she outsmarted all of them.  Priorities, dude.
     

  16. schooner says:

    No Kimberley, she outsmarted you.

  17. J. Stephen says:

    Wow, it looks like I shot someone’s sacred cow.  Mea culpa.

  18. Steve Plunk says:

    I’m no fan of Sarah Palin except for the way she attracts the attention of the Left.  For that I thank her.
     
    I don’t begrudge her stepping down from the governorship.  I don’t begrudge her new fame and fortune.  I watched a few minutes of her show while channel surfing and found her voice and cadence irritating.  None of those things matter when choosing a president.
     
    The Republican party had a wealth of better qualified candidates and I will vote for one of them.  Sarah Palin can do more for this country by campaigning for someone else than she can running herself.
     
    In the mean time I hope she continues to get under the skin of liberal Democrats and just drive them wild.

  19. schooner says:

    Sorry Steve, you don’t get it. Liberals are dying for her to win.

  20. Herb says:

    “In the mean time I hope she continues to get under the skin of liberal Democrats and just drive them wild.”

    The problem with this immature formulation is that Palin is not just getting under the skin of “liberal Democrats.” She’s also getting under the skin of conservative Republicans, some of whom would like to win a presidential election sometime in the near future.