Christie really thought he'd get a free path to the White House.

[no_hypocrisy]

He gave a lot of favors to donors and officeholders when he got the Superbowl to be played in New Jersey not long ago.

He went around the country when he was head of the Republican Government Association. He raised a lot of money for republican governors and helped to elect and re-elect them. Christie figured reciprocity and they'd line up behind him when he announced his candidacy. Likely promised them more stuff when he got elected. Or maybe revenge if they didn't and he did.

Well, we can all see how this is playing out. Maybe Christie can generate the illusion of bipartisonship in a state with democratic majorities in both houses of the Legislature by bullying and threatening. It's not working on the larger stage. He was used and discarded. With his pride, that must stick in his craw more than the 5% in New Hampshire.

[rjsquirrel]

1. OK

Searching, trenchant analysis!

[Chemisse]

2. Did he really?

He was a long shot even before the bridge scandal. I thought that was it for him, and was surprised when he got into the race in spite of the high negative opinion about him.

[merrily]

3. If he thought that, he was delusional, by George! Republicans owe Jeb! a lot more than they owe

Christie and no one needs that bridge mess in a Presidential campaign.

[Orrex]

4. Well, he was only off by a few dozen points.

Well done, Chris!

[Human101948]

5. It was the same playbook that he used to get that U.S. Attorney job in New jersey...

He raised boatloads of money for George W. Bush and Karl Rove lobbied to have him appointed to the position even though he had no experience in law enforcement and had never argued a case in court--he was a lobbyist and a failed politician.

Once in the U.S. Attorney job he used the office to pave his way to Governor of N.J. by selectively prosecuting those who stood in his way, using entrapment techniques, while effectively exonerating those politicians who would help grease the skids.

He obviously thought that raising boatloads of dough for other governors would be his ticket to the nomination. Meanwhile, as N.J. Governor he used the position to trade favors for donations to the Republican Governors Association (see Exxon lawsuit which he bargained down from $8.9 billion to $250 million http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/25/christies-225m-settlement-with-exxon-approved.html ).