President Christie, We Hardly Knew Ye....

I'm pretty sure that outside of New York and our immediate metropolitan area (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut), most people have little idea the George Washington Bridge exists.

Many of those familiar with this crossing know it as the bane of their daily existence. To others, it is the ultimate obstacle in either their escape to, or from New York. These heartfelt emotions have everything to do with the fact that this New York / New Jersey gateway is almost always snarled with congestion, lane troubles and never ending construction. Most savvy New Yorkers know better and are no where near the streets of the city, leading to this bridge on any given Friday afternoon or holiday. Our view of this bridge is best captured by our favorite New Jersey hero, Bruce, "The highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive."   

Well, it seems as if Governor Christie will now share the common man's view of this bridge as both, "a death trap and a suicide rap" and most of us are left wondering if he'll be one of those Republican tramps who will be, "Born to Run," for president in 2016. 

My own feelings about Governor Christie are at best, ambivalent. I know my view of Christie is at odds with most people who see him as one of the most polarizing figures in today's political landscape. In short, people either love or hate the guy. However, my admiration for him grew because I cannot remember the last time I saw a politician actually do something positive, in the interest of those who needed help. In short, he ignored the partisan politics and welcomed President Obama, during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Needless to say, he also has a reputation for chastising just about anyone who disagrees with him. However, I've always felt that New Jersey is a tough place to govern and as a result, New Jersey needs a tough governor. 

Regardless of your political views or feelings about Christie, I've included both of these New York Times articles because they seem to mirror my own ambivilance about Christie. The first one, "Christie's Apology, Done His Way" clearly illustrates how Christie does everything - BIG. Despite the bigness of his emotions, during his BIG, two hour press conference, you can't help but feel that he was a BIG victim of circumstance.  Whereas, the next article, "Stories Add Up as Bully Image Trails Christie," falls in line with those who feel Christie is a bully and of course, is a small and petty man.

Enjoy and be good!