DAY 21: CHRISTIE'S VALUES CLOCK KEEPS TICKING

Day 21: Christie’s Values Clock Keeps Ticking

 
 
TRENTON – Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan today continued his call for Right Wing Conservative Republican gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie to get the “technical” glitches worked out from his values. The AP reported on June 18 that the Christie for Governor website took down the “Shared Values” section that declared Christie’s clearly defined positions against a woman’s right to choose and gay marriage for “technical reasons”.  The Democratic State Committee’s “Christie’s Values Clock”—now in its 21st day on the website—keeps track of how long it will take for the Conservative standard bearer to re-discover his values.
 
 “Christie is planning to campaign with his friends like GOP Chairman Michael Steele who share his firm opposition to a woman’s right to choose,” said Cryan. “If Christie hasn’t been able to find his values in three weeks, maybe his far-right friends, like Steele, will be able to find his values for him. The ‘Christie’s Values Clock’ is now into its 21st day and will stay up until Christie’s campaign re-discovers his values for him.”

It was announced yesterday that the far-right conservative Chairman of the GOP, Michael Steele, will be making multiple campaign stops with Christie Monday, July, 13.

With Republicans struggling to find a unified message following devastating losses last November, Steele has used his role as Chairman of the Republican Party to push his party to the far right. In his first interview in his new leadership role, Steele told Sean Hannity of Fox News on January 30, “And the conservative message resonates. When we walk away from that message. When we try to do conservative light, that's when we run into trouble."

For the past three weeks, leading right wing conservatives in New Jersey have been wondering if Christie has been doing exactly what Steele has warned against: walking away from the conservative message. Even the claim by the Christie campaign that no one more than Christie himself wants to see the return of his values has failed to slow the criticism.

During the primary, Christie made his staunch anti-choice agenda the centerpiece of his campaign. While on the campaign trail, he vowed to push for restrictions on a woman’s right to choose if elected governor, something he has done in the past, and has even declared his support for a constitutional amendment to ban abortion.

However, since then, Christie’s campaign website has shifted away from his right wing conservative values with the deletion of the “Shared Values” page and the removal of the link to the “Shared Values” page from the issues section.
 
Christie’s opposition to a woman’s right to choose has been pushed to a less-accessible Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.) section. The abbreviated response moves significantly away from the right wing conservative values espoused on the “Shared Values” page, eliminating several key details and facts, including endorsements from anti-choice leaders.

Last month, Reporters Michael Aron of NJN and Michael Symons of Gannett New Jersey joined the call for Christie to restore his right wing conservative values to his website. In a discussion of Christie’s right wing conservative values on Reporters’ Roundtable on NJN, which aired Friday, June 26, Symons said the Christie’s Values Clock “reminds people that [Christie] holds some social opinions that aren’t, you know, overwhelmingly the viewpoint of the New Jersey public and that he’s sorta trying to hide that from you.” Host Michael Aron replied, “So maybe he should put them back up and get rid of one of those two.” “Sure. Exactly,” said Symons.
 
“Hopefully Christie won’t get stuck in traffic when Michael Steele brings their shared ultraconservative message to New Jersey,” said Cryan. “At least when Steele has occasionally lost his right wing values, he has been quick to apologize.”

To view the “Christie’s Values Clock” or add it to your blog or website, please visit: www.njdems.org.