Four Conservative Reasons - And One Other - to Support Christie

By Alan Steinberg | October 25th, 2009 - 7:59am

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While I have written extensively about the ineptitude of the Christie campaign, I have never wavered in my belief that Chris Christie is by far the best choice for Governor among the three leading candidates in the Tuesday, November 3, 2009 election.

I make this judgment as a political conservative. There are four strong ideological reasons for conservatives to vote for Chris Christie for Governor, to wit: 1) Fiscal management; 2) Economic development; 3) Gay marriage; and 4) Judicial appointments. There is a fifth reason for conservatives to support Chris Christie for Governor which is not an ideological reason but very much a factor for voters across the political spectrum: Chris Christie is much better at governance than he is at campaigning.

Fiscal Management

A good point of departure for analyzing this issue is to compare the fiscal management of former Governor Christie Whitman with the governors who followed her.

Christie Whitman was a social liberal but very much a fiscal conservative, despite all the slanders of her record by Jim McGreevey. Her annual spending increase rate of 5.1 percent was the lowest of all the governors from Cahill through McGreevey. Even her much derided 1997 Pension Bond Act was a wise move from a fiscal conservative point of view: it converted an unfunded pension liability into a long term debt with a lower rate of interest. The 1997 Pension Bond Act actually reduced the amount the State of New Jersey needed to appropriate to fund state pension obligations.

When Whitman stepped down as governor in 2001 to become the EPA Administrator, she left the state in excellent fiscal shape. The last budget she signed provided for a surplus of $1.2 billion. Under Governor Jon Corzine’s governance, we are now facing a Fiscal Year 2011 structural deficit of $8 billion.

Under Christie Whitman’s governance, the state’s credit rating was excellent. State debt over the seven years of her administration increased from $10 billion to $15 billion, a total of 50%.

In August, under Governor Corzine’s watch, Moody’s revised the outlook on the state’s general obligation bonds from stable to negative. Since 2002, state debt has more than doubled, from $15 billion in 2002 to $36.5 billion in 2008.

In all fairness, the decline in the state fiscal condition cannot be blamed solely on Whitman’s Democrat successors. Her immediate Republican interim successor, Don DiFrancesco was responsible for the enactment of the most fiscally irresponsible legislation in the past two decades – the nine percent increase in pension benefits for state retirees.

It is clear, however, that the state’s fiscal condition has worsened under Jon Corzine, despite his Wall Street background. He is totally beholden to public employee unions and special interests, and therefore, he will be unable to make the necessary reductions and reforms in the budget in the years ahead. If Corzine is reelected, California’s present may be New Jersey’s future.

By contrast, Chris Christie is beholden to nobody, and therefore, he is in a far better position than Corzine to deal with New Jersey’s fiscal crisis.

Economic Development

Again, the administration of Christie Whitman marks a good point of departure for analyzing this issue.

Without hyperbole, one can say that during the years of her administration, Christie Whitman was the nation’s most outstanding Governor in terms of economic development. Her 30 percent tax cut and the enactment of her Business Employment Incentive Program enabled New Jersey to have the best business climate in the region.

Since Whitman left office, her Democrat successors have raised taxes to the point where New Jersey has the worst business climate in her nation and trails neighboring states on virtually every economic indicator. Corzine’s most recent measure, the surcharge on the top income earners in the state, is in reality a tax on successful small businesses in New Jersey.

Corzine refuses to rule out keeping the surcharge in effect. Daggett has pledged to further expand the sales tax. Christie has pledged to cut income taxes. Accordingly, for conservatives, Christie is the only acceptable alternative.

Gay Marriage

Civil unions are one matter, gay marriage is another. It is an absolute litmus test for conservatives that marriage continues to be defined in the law as strictly between a man and a woman.

Governor Corzine has stated his intention to sign into law a gay marriage bill that reaches his desk. Christie has continued to reaffirm his opposition to gay marriage. Christie’s position on this issue alone makes it incumbent upon conservatives to support him.

Judicial Appointments

Both the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) and the continued excessive diversion of state school aid from suburban to urban districts are the result of decisions in which the justices of the New Jersey Supreme Court legislated from the bench rather than restricting themselves to interpreting the law.

Christie has pledged to appoint Supreme Court justices who refrain from legislating from the bench. By contrast, in the third debate, Corzine emphasized his intention to continue to appoint liberal activist justices to the state’s high court.

During the next two years, two New Jersey Supreme Court justices will reach the mandatory retirement age, and two others will be up for reappointment. This election may well determine the direction of the New Jersey Supreme Court for decades.

The matter of Supreme Court appointments is for conservatives perhaps the most important issue in this campaign. Christie’s stance on judicial appointments constitutes the most compelling reason for conservatives to remain in support of him.

Christie: Better at Governance Than at Campaigning

This is indeed a campaign where both major party candidates are ineffective campaigners. Corzine is a very decent and honorable individual. As a campaigner, however, he reminds one of Tom Landry, the late former coach of the Dallas Cowboys, who as a personality was a national cure for insomnia.

The private Chris Christie can be warm and engaging. The public Chris Christie is, in a word, saturnine. This is a good image for a U.S. Attorney but a terrible one for a candidate. The Republican nominee barely cracked a smile when he spoke to his supporters on his victorious primary night.

Corzine is an unsuccessful Governor who on the advice of a superb political brain trust has run a perfect campaign. By contrast, Christie, the most successful U.S. Attorney for New Jersey in modern times, has run the worst strategized New Jersey Republican statewide campaign over the past two decades.

The good news for voters is that Christie has always been far better at governance than at campaigning. He was a very able Morris County Freeholder-Director, and he left an outstanding legacy of corruption fighting as U.S. Attorney. In the latter position, he demonstrated his excellent management and leadership skills that will serve him well as a Governor.

A Governor will be as successful as the persons he appoints to key positions in the executive branch. In designating Kim Guadagno as his running mate, Christie has demonstrated excellent judgment in appointing a person of superb capability, integrity, and leadership skills.

There is no doubt in my mind that Christie would appoint people of similar quality to Cabinet positions. Perhaps the best news is the unlikelihood of him appointing anybody on his campaign strategy and management team to any high position in his administration.

Christie will have to deal with a Democrat legislature, but I do not see him having a problem in negotiating with leaders in the opposition party. One asset he will have in this regard is his close relationship with Senator Joe Kyrillos (R-Monmouth), an individual highly regarded by legislators on both sides of the political aisle. Kyrillos can be an ideal facilitator of relationships between the Christie administration and legislators of both political parties.

Christie’s strong ethics and integrity will serve him well in the Governor’s office. These qualities will be decisive in preventing any past friends and associates from attempting to exercise undue influence on Christie administration policy or operations.

With one week to go, Chris Christie now faces an uphill election struggle resulting from his totally flawed campaign. The good news is that if he is elected despite the ineptitude of his campaign, he is likely to be a good Governor who offers the state far more hope than the continuance of an unsuccessful Corzine administration.

Alan J. Steinberg served as Regional Administrator of Region 2 EPA during the administration of former President George W. Bush. Region 2 EPA consists of the states of New York and New Jersey, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and seven federally recognized Indian nations.

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No Daggett?

Submitted by justinf on October 25, 2009 - 8:25am.

Well it's interesting that you say that Christie is better then the other 2, meanwhile you never mention anything about Chris Daggett, who is a social Liberal and Fiscally conservative. His plan, considering he does have details, is a balanced budget and strives to cut spending with actual hard caps on municipal spending. Christie has no detailed plan, and has even come out saying that he "mirrors" Governor Corzine's recovery plan. How can you say that Christie is fiscally conservative when the plan that Corzine has laid out, will no focus on really cutting anything except for the arts.

"By contrast, Chris Christie is beholden to nobody, and therefore, he is in a far better position than Corzine to deal with New Jersey’s fiscal crisis."
This is where Christie has not turned down money from Insurance companies for campaign financing. I suggest you do a little more research on the person you decide to endorse. Unfortunately you are misguided if you think that anyone from the 2 popular parties are not, "bought" by large companies. Daggett is the only candidate that has no ties to any large company and is positive and focused on bringing prestige back into Trenton. After all the mudslinging, how can you possibly respect a man who strives over 90% of his ads on negativity?

I suggest you take a second look on Chris Daggett, and do the math on Daggetts plan, every homeowner in New Jersey will save a good $1-2 thousand dollars a year, and is the only candidate who has talked about advertising over $80 million dollars for the toursim sector of New Jersey. How could you not be proud about that? We need the extra income down here in Jersey, and Daggett has proven he has his priorities straight and his mind in the right place.

And that is why we need Chris Daggett, not Chris Christie.

Daggett cannot win.

Submitted by Bill Patrick on October 25, 2009 - 10:17am.

Throwing your vote away on someone who cannot win i.e. Chris Daggett only helps to reelect Jon Corzine. Daggetts plan to increase taxes and tolls is no different than Corzine. Chris Christie is more likely to control government spending and lowering our tax burden. Christe is a realistic vote.

Google.com define:ineptitude

Submitted by alexhiggins732 on October 30, 2009 - 11:53pm.

Definition worthlessness: having no qualities that would render it valuable or useful

You hit the nail right on the head. I couldn't define Christie any better. Having not qualities that would render it valuable or useful.

No plan to cut property taxes. No plan to cut income tax. No plan to cut spending. Just a lot of hot air that Economists say is unrealistic and would cause a huge budget deficit.

Daggett does have a plan. Don't vote for a candidate that is going to make promises that you know he can't keep

You make your case on 1) Fiscal management

Chris Christie is not Christie Whitman. To the contrary, Christie has no concept of fiscal management except engaging in the strong arming of corporation and corporate black mail to make his budies millions.

Christie lived like a fat cat on the taxpayers dime as US Attorney General, Wasting $700 on a limo ride, charging the tax pay to go to Mets games, Staying in 5 star luxury hotels against DOJ guidelines with his sweatheart Michele brown and all on the taxpayers dime.

What's worse. He says when he gets to Trenton he will ease Gov employees travel policy to stay in the same $400-$500 a night hotels that he stayed in, but he wants to cut state funding for pre-school.

Economic development you say. Economists say his plan will be a nightmare, acting like a second sales tax for businesses and will create a huge budget deficit. His plan is unrealistic.

Daggett on the other hand has a plan. It's not hot air. Daggett focuses on the issues that affect NJ and does not duck them like Corzine and Christie both duck property taxes.

You say Christie will save money be preventing the diversion of state funds from the public school system. Maybe you just didn't feel like considering Daggett's eduction plan? World renowned economists have been advocating Daggett style plans since the 70's but our crooked pols wont consider it because of the Cartel that runs the school system.

This year there is only one candidate that can fix NJ. Chris Daggett.

Its time to say no to politics as usual

Chris Christie and Corzine represent more of the same.

If you're afraid that a vote for Daggett is a Vote for Corzine, don't be because the polls show Daggett is hurting Corzine and putting Christie ahead.

See this Daggett Hurts Corzine and Helps Christie

You can be sure that you don't waste your vote by making the I'll vote for Dagget pledge.

The Daggett pledge is based on a simple premise, if enough people pledge their vote then you will vote for Daggett

Pledge your vote for Daggett at DaggettPledge.com

Thanks Joe!

Submitted by Sycophant on October 25, 2009 - 4:31pm.

It's obvious Kyrillos has you under his thumb again.

Dilusional

Submitted by Mensa on October 25, 2009 - 5:25pm.

alan, you are dilusional.

If you are, as you claim a conservative, how in God's name can you equate CC with being a conservative.

You have changed your mind so many time as to lose all credibility. Your positions and commentary are just as bad as the guy you are writing about because just like him, you now lack any credibility.

There are only two things in the middle of the road, yellow lines and dead skunks and me thinks you are precariously close to both of them

Christie Conservative...

Submitted by alexhiggins732 on October 25, 2009 - 5:46pm.

Is that why Lonegan has taken 140,000 republican party supporters to the Tea Party.

Even Palin isn't taking it anymore

Voters are fed up with the broken two party system.

Alan, I seem to recall Whitman differently.

Submitted by Sunshine on October 26, 2009 - 5:47am.

Whitman created the crisis with the Pension Fund that had to be subsequently bailed out with "Unconstitutional Bonding." (It never went on a referendum.)

What she did was tell the Actuaries what rate of return to use in the calculation for the future liability. This rate was highly inflated and therefore made the Pension appear to be "fully funded." She should have been charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and the actuaries should have also been carted off with her. They have a duty and responsibility to be independent and use the conservative formulas so that those in the pension are safe from loss.

By this fraud, "Voila," the budget with the massive spending is in balance. It was magical, she got something from nothing. She was a criminal and should not even be used in the same sentence with the word Republican.

She is not a fiscal anythiing, she is a fraud.

There oughta be a rule...

Submitted by we remember on October 26, 2009 - 7:50am.

...That posters learn to spell, or use spellcheck, before posting. This way we don't display our ignorance on the blogosphere.

Delusional -- note the "e"
And "methinks" is one word, for the next time you try to be cute.

BTW I haven't commented on the missing words, disjointed sentence or the funny identity you used in your post.

Conservative? I dont think so.

Submitted by tzuckerman on October 26, 2009 - 9:11am.

You must be joking, Alan. Using Christie Whitman to convince conservatives that Chris Christie is also a conservative is not a very good idea.

One thing conservatives do is pay attention. Christie is not a conservative. He pays lip service to cutting taxes but he does not have any plan. What is most revealing about your post is that you talk more about what Christie Whitman did NOT what C. Christie will do. You cannot because he won't tell us.

Also, we don't need a governor who will work with the legislature. The legislature IS the problem. We need a governor that will remember he is a separate branch of government and use his veto pen.

As for judges, he says that he will review all the SC judges but has balked when asked about getting rid of Rabner. It's the same ole wishy washy, loosey goosey "Im a conservative" talk calculated solely to get our votes. It's not fooling anyone.

Im not buying his hot soup. Or yours. If Christie wants to hug Obama and urban voters, then they can vote for him. Christie gave the bird to conservatives and Lonegan voters this election. Well, I'm going to give it back to him next week when my wife and I write in Lonegan. Christie cannot afford to lose one vote.

BTW: It's not 12% and Daggett spoils it for Christie. It's 5%. If you remember, Whitman won by one point. That was with an extremely motivated conservative grassroots campaign against Florio. There are fewer Republican voters now. And I dont see any organized grass roots effort to get rid of Corzine.

The Bird, Zuckerman?

Submitted by Rabelais on October 26, 2009 - 6:50pm.

Lonegan has been giving the bird to Republicans other than himself at the local, county and state levels for many years now.

Go ahead and write in a Bozo who made headlines for roughly a weak with lame self-contradictory explanations for why he employed illegal aliens to put together campaign signs in his garage. Hypocrite!

Lonegan is the NJ version of "conservative" SC governor Sanford (who Lonegan mentioned as his fave governor in a debate) going hiking or that conservative US senator with the wide stance. Bozos!

Zuckerman is what Lonegan needs and what Barnum said was born evey minute.

Barnum's Customers

Submitted by tzuckerman on October 26, 2009 - 9:11pm.

I dont know. It seems like those who are going to vote for Christie are the suckers. Can tell us the specific policies Christie will enact that are going to turn this state around? The only solid policy stand he took is that he is for bear hunting. (see website)

Oh, but you'll vote for him anyway. Here's a lollipop for ya.

PS. I know, I know.... "he's not Corzine". It seems to be Christie supporters only argument.

Note.

Submitted by tzuckerman on October 26, 2009 - 9:12pm.

Rabelais didnt address any of my points. Not surprising.

Lonegan will pick up the pieces

Submitted by firstamend07 on October 27, 2009 - 8:45pm.

A true conservative would not have run and hid from anther true conservative for 5 months.

Chris Christie has taken for granted Lonegan and his 140,000 supporters. He never once stood with Lonegan during the campaign. Christie told the Lonegan people that they had to vote for him since they had no other choice after the Primary.

He was arrogant and condescending and now he will be losing a a high percentage of the 140,000 Republican votes he thought "were in the bag" .

After next Tuesday there will only be one Republican left standing with any credibility. Lonegan and his supporters will have to pick up the pieces of a Republican Party that self destructed and lost its way.

Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom in order to fix things.

Lonegan supporters WILL NOT BACK THE ARROGANT CHRISTIE.

Lonegan supporters will begin the resurrection of the Republican Party after Chrisite loses.

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